Chew: Taster's Choice

What would you do if chicken was illegal? And I don't mean like "jay walking" illegal, I'm talking "black tar heroin" illegal? That's the scenario presented in John Layman and Rob Guillory's quirky book, Chew: Taster's Choice.

An outbreak of bird flu that killed 23 million Americans has resulted in chicken and all other bird meats to be deemed illegal. Of course folks can’t just stop cold turkey and logically this creates a whole underground culture of KFC speak-easy's and shady back alley Chick-fil-A dealings. The story revolves around Tony Chu, a Philadelphia police officer who also is a Cibopath (a cibopath can take a bite from anything and get a psychic sensation of what has happened to that object). After a routine chicken bust goes off the tracks, his partner is left horribly injured and hospitalized while Tony's cibopath abilities are exposed and the United States government takes notice. Chu is recruited by the FDA, now the highest level of federal law enforcement, and placed on a task force responsible for bringing down the most notorious offenders of bird meat violations.

When bringing a new comic universe to life an interesting plot is paramount to creating a loyal following, and Chew passes this test with flying colors. John Layman does an awesome job mixing the bizarre elements of the story along with the believable. You bet your sweet ass that if 23 million Americans died of bird flu the Fed’s wouldn’t hesitate to ship you to Rikers Island for that McChicken sandwich you had for dinner.

Rob Guillory's exaggerated illustration's fit the overall tone of the story perfectly. I'd also like to point out that Guillory is working double duty on this title by doing his own colors. The color work is exceptional and actually outshines the line art. Mood and emotion are highlighted perfectly with his use of the digital palette.

If there is a complaint about Chew it's the main character. I'm not sure if it’s the small sample or if the circumstances surrounding him are so exotic, but Tony Chu comes off as not only bland, but unlikable. Through the first trade I really had no emotional attachment to him, I was simply fascinated by the plot and curious to see where this black market chicken rollercoaster would take me. I have faith that as the tale unfolds we will get more details into Chu and see him in a more flattering light.

I had a blast reading this odd yet enjoyable story and can’t wait to see the further adventures of Mr. Chu.

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