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Chew

Chew, Vol. 5: Major League

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Tony Chu - the cibopathic federal agent with the ability to get psychic impressions from what he eats - has been kidnapped! He was ambushed, knocked out, brought to a remote location, and bound securely. His captor intends to feed Tony from a menu of his choosing, to find out what Tony can see, in order to learn from him. His daughter, Olive, has been kidnapped for the exact same reason. Two kidnappers, two captives, and two very different outcomes. Presenting the fifth storyline of the New York Times bestselling, Harvey and multiple Eisner Award-winning series about cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals, clairvoyants - and kidnappers!

Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 5/8/2012 Pages: 120

120 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2012

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About the author

John Layman

795Ìýbooks581Ìýfollowers
John Steele Layman is an American comic book writer and letterer. Layman is most known for writing Chew, published by Image Comics.

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5 stars
3,956 (41%)
4 stars
3,488 (36%)
3 stars
1,512 (15%)
2 stars
332 (3%)
1 star
207 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 408 reviews
Profile Image for Baba.
3,943 reviews1,398 followers
April 4, 2023
Hershel Brown is a Xocoscalpere, that means he can sculpt chocolate with such accuracy and detail that anything he crafts can exactly mimic its real life counter part!

Major league problems for the Chus, in the is the best volume since the first, with both father and daughter kidnapped for hugely different reasons. More slap-stickish dark comedy of the mostly food and/or sex related type. Still a pretty interesting book, which just lacks a certain something to make it a special book? 8 out of 12 Four Stars.
2019 and 2017 read
Profile Image for karen.
4,012 reviews172k followers
June 11, 2020
same excuse, different day:

i burned through all ten published volumes of this series in a matter of months, and while i managed a fairly coherent review of the first volume, i am overwhelmed by the thought of going back and reviewing volumes 2-10, trying to recapture that innocent mindset that didn't know what happened in subsequent volumes and trying to stay within the lines of the volume i'd be reviewing.

my hat is off to you serial comic book/graphic novel reviewers who are able to consistently churn out smart, comprehensive, and entertaining reviews that manage to discuss the book itself as well as its place within the larger universe of the series or character's existence.

i can't do that. i read these so compulsively and so quickly - like jamming cookies into a mouth that was already crammed with cookies - that it's just too much road to backtrack and too many metaphors to mix and since i have so many other books that i have to review, i'm going to take a totally cheap opt-out review path and just post pictures from each book that i enjoy for reasons pertaining to the plot, or just cuz i like the damn pictures.

and maybe now that i have to wait a couple of months until volume 11 comes out, i'll be able to do that one proper review-style, but right now - too full of stress and anxiety and just wanting to make this stack of books needing reviews go down LGM.



























a bekilted tony chu riding a segway and rescuing kittens from trees? yes. i am all in.

also, weapons made out of food, butterzilla, and some incredible developments. this series keeps getting better.


Profile Image for Matthew.
1,221 reviews10k followers
January 8, 2019
Chew has proven to be a consistently great graphic novel title. The stories are unique and the art is great. I am always looking forward to another adventure with Tony Chu.



In this volume, we learn more about Tony's powers. Also, pretty much everyone in his life has a key role to play. It is nice how coming back to this title after a few months it is easy to get right back into it. Reaquainting myself with the characters and the storyline is a breeze!



I mentioned earlier that the art is great. That, combined with well written humor, make this a fantastic escapist graphic novel. You don't get serious drama, but that should not be what you are looking for with Chew.



Creative, funny, and action packed. How can you go wrong?
Profile Image for Dan Schwent.
3,171 reviews10.8k followers
July 7, 2018
Chu and Colby get kicked out of the FDA. Chu winds up working as a traffic cop and actually likes it. However, things won't stay peaches and gravy forever...

Here we are, volume 5 in the adventures of everyone's favorite cibopathic detectve, Tony Chu.

Chu is working as a traffic cop and Colby is a USDA agent when the book starts. Meanwhile, Savoy and Valenzano have Chu's daughter Olive and want to train her as an agent. Amelia's ex-boyfriend kidnaps Chu and wants to use his power to find the sex secrets of dead baseball players. Meanwhile, Agent Colby's new partner is a lion...

Overall, I liked Major League. Layman has further expanded Chu's world of food-related super powers. I also liked that Olive is working with Savoy and Colby's new job at the FDA. Chu's plight was interesting and his new career path opened up a lot of new possibilities.

I still feel like the book is in a holding pattern regarding the overall plot, though. I'm going to trust Layman has a point with a lot of the new elements introduced and continue the series, at least for another volume or two.

While my enthusiasm for Chew isn't what it once was, Major League was entertaining. 3 out of 5 stars.
Profile Image for Melki.
6,995 reviews2,559 followers
May 6, 2012
Okay. Picture this. Tony Chu wearing a kilt. Riding a segway.

If you're still reading this and not out buying the latest volume of Chew, you must not be acquainted with this wonderfully weird series about an FDA agent with a very strange gift. - (See )

It's a great day! Even Mike Applebee's sweat stains are smiling. Why? Because the bane of Mike's existence, Chu, has been demoted to traffic. Hence, the kilt/segway thing. But, this is Chu we're talking about here. Things will begin to get wacky before the ink on his first parking ticket has dried.

This is a great addition to the series. You'll see plenty of familiar faces popping up in the book. Those astoundingly top-heavy gals from the USDA are back. So is sportswriter Dan, Amelia's insanely jealous and insanely insane ex-beau from the last installment. And two of my favorite things - coffee and chocolate - play a big part in the action.

Where else can you find baseball, Elvis impersonators, butter sculpture, and severed limbs all in one slim, colorful volume.

Welcome back, Chew.

Profile Image for Himanshu Karmacharya.
1,115 reviews108 followers
April 6, 2021
The protagonist, Tony Chu, is kidnapped and is forced to use his powers for them, while Mason moves moves plans forward. The series doesn't shy away from the craziness it has to offer and embraces it all its glory, which makes the series all the more fun.
Profile Image for Mike.
1,549 reviews144 followers
May 17, 2014
Page one. PAGE ONE!! That is how good this book is (at least for regular readers, who know *why* that dude is on cloud nine). I'm sold by page one, and even when it slows down into regular plotting, the fact they can instantly establish a feel is pretty damned talented.

This book delivers just as many weird or silly moments as before (including some hilarious background elements Guillory keeps adding in for fun - like South Park reference, Mike Myers reference, Muppets reference), but is dragging its feet on what the big uber-mystery is really about. We don't get a whole lot closer to the heart of it, but instead dance around the story with some fun nuances of the folks who are digging closer to it.

Like who the fuck are the Serbians who masquerade as vampires already? And what's with all these Food Powers? [Which reminds me of the "Moon powers!" quote from Captain Marvel #1]

Learning a little about Tony's daughter and her own special capabilities is fun, and seeing our agents in new work placements is frankly hilarious.

Fun, enjoyable comics with the artistic flair and background rewards that have made this such an enjoyable ride. I'm hoping for a little more momentum next book, as this was more like a day trip away from our main visit.

But seriously, when a comic has this much fun with its characters, how can you not enjoy it? Mason Savoy is terminally obese but he can somehow face kick his opponents without breaking a sweat. John Colby is a lazy man-whore with very few redeeming qualities except loyalty to his partner. Head of the USDA unit is some kind of exaggerated Barbie doll with about 30 years of hard miles on her, and has no qualms about her prowess. That is the kind of awesome fun these creators don't think twice about.
Profile Image for Sesana.
5,954 reviews332 followers
February 10, 2015
The funniest volume in awhile. The overarching story has kind of slowed down, but there is some traction. Olive, Tony's daughter, is turning into quite an interesting character in her own right.
Profile Image for Sam Quixote.
4,730 reviews13.3k followers
May 15, 2012
Tony Chu and his daughter Olive are kidnapped - by different people for different reasons. Tony is taken for his cibopathic abilities in revealing the sordid details of famous dead baseball players while Olive is taken by Mason Savoy to be trained to fight a larger fight against a mysterious and powerful enemy.

Chew 5 is the first book in the series which I haven't fallen in love with 100% and that might be for a couple of reasons. First off Tony and John Colby are broken up and sent to different departments in the police force for no real reason which felt a bit contrived. Second, there seem to be more and more people with weird eating powers being introduced by the book. Also, the book doesn't really play a big part in the overall story arc, it's more of a side road and standalone book; but I wanted to find out more about the main story.

That said, there's still all of the elements fans of the series love like the whacky storylines. In one, a chocolate sculptor is so good at sculpting objects from chocolate that they attain the characteristics of that object. In another, a murderous barrista serves up coffee that makes you kill. And of course the wonderful image of seeing Tony in a kilt on a Segway.

Rob Guillory's artwork is still mesmerizingly brilliant. He goes further in this book, cramming in loads of detail in the panels so there are figures of pop culture in the background, along with lots of fun graffiti and side-jokes in between the letters.

Chew remains one of the best and most original comics series going at the moment and "Major League Chew" will tick most of the boxes fans of the series love it for. Here's hoping John Layman's original interesting storyline isn't lost in later books.
Profile Image for Jedi JC Daquis.
925 reviews47 followers
February 12, 2017
Tony Chew has been kidnapped for a very ridiculous reason! That sportswriter finally had his (almost) revenge with our charming cibopath as he forces loads and loads of anciently rotten baseball players to Tony just to write a book about their sexual escapades. Haha, as if Chew isn't weird already.

Yet I quite get the feeling that this particular volume is just a filler arc. The baseball story just provides a perfect leeway for Olive Chu character to develop, and John Layman has carefully changed her from a quiet emo kid to a very likeable protagonist. I am so interested with what Olive can do given what she has shown here.

Chew has been consistently fun and over-the-top weirdly funny. There is literally no limit to what John Layman can do in the series.
Profile Image for Ronyell.
989 reviews338 followers
June 13, 2013
Introduction:

Just when I thought that this series could not get any better, it just continues to amaze me! With its wacky sense of humor and going into the dark and gritty nature of crime sprees, John Layman’s fantastic “Chew� series just continues to impress me! In the fifth volume of “Chew� called “Major League Chew,� Tony Chu is definitely up for some more crazy adventures as the mysteries of the fourth volume continues to unfold!

What is this story about?

In this volume, Tony Chu is immediately fired from the FDA and is forced to work at the municipal traffic division (which it turns out that he starts enjoying that job)! Unfortunately, things start going downhill for him when he is kidnapped by Amelia’s ex-boyfriend and they force him to eat the dead bodies of the baseball players to discover…new things. Meanwhile, Tony’s daughter, Olive Chu, is also kidnapped by none other than Mason Savoy and she will soon discover the secret mission that Mason is on that could change her life forever!

What I loved about this story:

John Layman’s writing: Once again, John Layman has proven that humor and gritty crime noir can be written on the same page together! As usual, I loved the way that John Layman made the story both hilarious and intense as the mystery surrounding Mason Savoy’s secret mission and the alien language in the sky continues to intensify in each volume. I also loved the humor being put into this volume as it was hilarious seeing both Tony and John Colby struggle with their new jobs and how their new bosses (well, not Tony’s anyway) continues to torture them for no reason! I also loved the fact that we get to see more of Olive Chu as she seem suspicious to me in the previous volumes and it would be interesting to see where Mason takes her character next in his mission.

Rob Guillory’s artwork: Rob Guillory’s artwork is as always hilarious and creative to look at as the characters look truly exaggerated, which makes the story even more humorous in tone. I was also impressed with how Rob Guillory made some of the illustrations disgusting to look at, especially the murder scenes, but it was that aspect of the artwork that really made this comic stand out to me since I rarely read comics where the gross out humor is actually used to tell an effective story.

Chew

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like gross out humor or bloody violence OR strong language, this volume does contain a lot of bloody violence that might be uncomfortable for the squeamish. Also, the gross humor, that often involves toilet humor, might be a turn off for anyone who does not like toilet humor in general.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Chew: Major League Chew� is a fantastic volume that is really starting to set things up for all the characters involved and who knows what Tony Chu and his friends and family will get into next! Now, on to the sixth volume!

Review is also on:
Profile Image for The Lion's Share.
530 reviews92 followers
August 9, 2016
Im rounding this up to four stars, for humour, originality and consistency.

This comic is a good laugh!
Profile Image for Michael J..
960 reviews29 followers
March 3, 2024
A comics friend mentioned that as it progressed, the CHEW series became darker and darker, and I see it heading in that direction with Volume 5. Yet, I found this to be the most entertaining and exciting story arc in this wacky world created by Layman and Guillory since the introductory Volume 1. Layman's story ideas are always inventive and wildly weird. Guillory's art is really growing on me. It reminds me a bit of Sergio Aragones, and seems to get better and better as this series moves forward.
I especially appreciate how every single element/theme/character, not matter how seemingly insignificant, shows up in later volumes to play a bigger role in the series. Two examples in MAJOR LEAGUE CHEW: the behind-the-scenes machinations of the Russian culinary vampire from earlier volumes, as well as the return of the cock-fighting rooster Poyo.
Some highlights:
CHAPTER ONE Mike Applebee finally fires Tony Chu, who ends up as a pedestrian traffic cop/meter reader who rises in rank due to his tasting abilities solving some crimes. His former partner, Colby, ends up with the FDA partnered with a sentient lion who steals all the credit for their collars.
CHAPTER TWO Tony's daughter, Olive, begins her captive training by some unlikely teachers (and former allies/foes of Tony). At the same time, Tony is kidnapped by the former boyfriend of Amelia, Tony's current love interest. In especially brutal fashion, with more ominous purpose than just jealousy.
CHAPTER THREEDan Franks, Tony's captor, has found a way to achieve his life-long dream to write a nonfiction book about the sex lives and scandals of former major league stars - - by transcribing what Tony learns from eating their exhumed body parts.
CHAPTER FOUR Meet Herschel Brown, a xocoscalpere who can sculpt chocolate into any form that can exactly mimic its real-life counterpart. On assignment, Olive discovers an enhanced cibopathic abillity - - she can assume the skills of anyone's blood she consumes. This ability plays a major role in Chapter Five, as Tony throws a Tom Seaver-like fastball from hell.
CHAPTER FIVE Amelia Mintz, the saboscrivner girlfriend uses her abilities to learn where Tony is being held captive and manages to assist him. Colby gets assigned to a new partner at the FDA, the now heavily-armored Poyo.
Crazy good reading, as long as you have the stomach for it.
Profile Image for alittlelifeofmel.
920 reviews394 followers
May 11, 2016
I'm not 100% sure what it is about these that makes them only 3 stars. Like I like them enough, I fly through them and I stay up till 3am to read them apparently, but I just don't love them more than 3 stars. This was my least favourite so far. I think I just don't see any plot progression. There seemed to be a plot that the first 2 were following, the avian bird flu, but that has sorely disappeared in the last 3 issues. So I'm hoping this filler stuff leads to something good.
Profile Image for Sanemsrgz.
308 reviews39 followers
August 20, 2021
Severek okuduğum bir devam cildiydi. En başta çizgi romanın kapağını alakasız bulmuştum. Fakat okuyunca bağlantısını anlayabiliyorsunuz. Keşke biraz daha dördüncü ciltte karşımıza çıkan olaylar hakkında bahsedilseydi, soru işaretlerim giderilmiş olurdu. Bunun dışında her zamanki gibi mükemmeldi.
Profile Image for Michael Finocchiaro.
AuthorÌý3 books6,116 followers
May 23, 2023
I realized that it is hard to write reviews on these Tony Ciu stories because each is so compact and yet so fun that calling out almost any detail is likely to end up in a spoiler. Suffice it to say that if you enjoyed Vols 1-4, you'll also love vol 5 with Ponyo! and loads of crazy-ass cannibalistic fun.
Profile Image for Kitty G Books.
1,664 reviews2,968 followers
June 16, 2015
I read this as part of the #Rainbowthon and I enjoyed this volume a lot. This is volume 5 in the ongoing Chew series which revolves around Tony Chu (a cibopath - someone who eats food and gets visions and memories which are associated with these) and his various friends and family.

Although not particularly interested in Baseball myself I still thought that this was a fun read and the story is enjoyable in it's own way. This volume focuses on Tony when he's in a rather tricky situation as he's been kidnapped by someone and is being forced to use his cibopathic powers to further this 'someone's own aims.

I liked the fact that because Tony was in his situation and stuck there it gave us a chance to explore Amelia, Colby and Olive a little more than we have previously. I think that they were all coming into themselves a little more and showing more of their personalities to us throughout this volume.

Once again the story was fast, furious and fun and the characters continue to grow. I feel like we're following a few different tangents still so I think I can once more only give this a 4* rating, but its still just a very enjoyable read and one I think lots of people would enjoy (although some of the imagery is rather gross and nasty in terms of blood, guts and gore). 4*s - recommended.
Profile Image for Gavin.
1,246 reviews89 followers
May 4, 2014
This series just keeps running along and keeps making me laugh.
Tony gets fired from the FDA, and his new assignment is pretty hilarious, especially the uniform. The panel of his facial expression in his new uniform with his transport actually made me laugh so hard I nearly started crying. Brilliant. Colby, his partner, doesn't fare so well either, transferred to the USDA and paired with an unexpected companion.
We then follow up on Tony's daughter and her potential special-skills, and Tony comes up to bat against Amelia's meathead ex.

This is just another solid, funny book, and it doesn't hurt at all that I predicted the last page, because we knew where it was going. When I smile this much reading a book, I enjoy that.

Please pick up this series from Volume 1 if you get a chance. Fine work.

Oh and keep your eyes open, Patrick Swayze circa Point Break makes a minor appearance!
Profile Image for Paul.
1,356 reviews193 followers
August 4, 2021
Reread: Good but not great

Another solid volume of Chew. I really liked the change in the jobs of Chu and Colby because it added a lot of hilarity. The side plotline with Olive is really great. I think that Tony was kidnapped a little too long in this arc for me though and it didn't push the overall story line forward much. Regardless, I liked this arc, there were a lot of funny and disgusting moments. This one will probably get better after a reread in the future.
Profile Image for Bookishrealm.
3,029 reviews6,219 followers
March 13, 2017
This volume!!! I definitely am so happy that I've stepped into this world again! It's been great and I'm really enjoying trying to figure out why the mysterious vampire guy is trying to kidnap all these people! I'm ready to see what happens next!
Profile Image for Brittany.
194 reviews33 followers
April 7, 2015
This is all I'm going to say:



Five stars all around for reals.
Profile Image for Barb (Boxermommyreads).
887 reviews
January 29, 2018
So honestly this wasn't my favorite issue so far. Tony has gotten demoted, through no fault of his own, and is now on traffic duty. He then goes missing and while it amazes me that it takes so long for people to realize he is gone, we do get to see the badass side of his girlfriend. The reader also gets to learn more about Tony's daughter, Olive and I have to admit, she is a rather fascinating character.

As we are knee-deep in the plot by this volume, it's hard to say much and not give a lot away. I do love seeing where Tony's partner ends up after he too is demoted and I will admit, his new partner Buttercup is one of my faves. I will most definitely continue this series, especially since I think my local library basically ordered all of them in after seeing me request them one by one.
Profile Image for RG.
3,087 reviews
June 27, 2018
I really love this series. Its so wacky and weird. The art is amazing and the characters and plot at times so stupid and funny, youd think it wouldnt work but somehow it does. 100% will continue this!!
Profile Image for Metin Yılmaz.
1,063 reviews133 followers
September 16, 2018
Chew yine tam gaz devam ediyor. Seviyorum bu seriyi :) Ajanımızın kızı çok daha yetenekli olacak şimdiden yazayım buraya...
Profile Image for Licha.
732 reviews116 followers
November 24, 2019
In this volume:

--Tony has been demoted to quilt-wearing meter maid.

--Tony gets beat and kidnapped by Amelia's ex, who thinks he can use Tony's gift of cibopathy in order to get sordid stories about baseball players for a book he wants to write.

--Olive is being trained by Mason Savoy and may possibly have an even stronger talent than Tony.

--This vampire who's not really a vampire who looks like a vampire keeps popping up throughout the book. Not one of my favorite characters, perhaps because there's not a real explanation to his role in the story just yet.

This has remained at a steady 3 star rating. Liking it, but at times feels like weekly episodes of a cop show. I'm sure all the story arcs will tie in at some point, but for now my rating will remain as liking it until the story comes to a more cohesive wrap-up.

Profile Image for Say.
1,284 reviews49 followers
October 20, 2015
Still funny with Tony wearing a kilt. Lol! We now have an overview of Olive's ability. And that thing with Colby and his new boss hilarious.
Profile Image for It's just Deano.
184 reviews8 followers
January 3, 2022
Tony Chu - the cibopathic federal agent with the ability to get psychic impressions from what he eats - has been kidnapped. He was ambushed, knocked out, brought to a remote location, and bound securely. His captor intends to feed Tony from a menu of his choosing, to find out what Tony can see, in order to learn from him. His daughter Olive has been kidnapped for the exact same reason. Two kidnappers, two captives, and two very different outcomes.

Major League is the fifth volume of the Chew series and I'm getting the sense this book is now starting to gear up for some darker twists here.

Upon first reading I thought we were off on some sort of sub-plot or side-story with this volume, but that's the great thing about this series so far - the connectivity. By the time you reach the end of any volume you realise the main plot just got a little more deeper and complex. Juxtapose this against the humour, wonderful characterisation and incredible artwork here and this gives the reader some serious momentum to continue reading! I'm still hooked!

On to volume six!
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