CHEW review

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Chew was an ongoing series published by Image Comics between 2009 and 2016. It's written by John Layman with art by Rob Guillory. It's about a cibopath, or a psychic that learns things from what he eats, named Tony Chu. He's a member of the FDA, which in this world is essentially the FBI and must solve mysteries and eat disgusting things in the process. It's primarily a comedy series but also an action and crime/cop series, which all blends almost perfectly to make a truly unique series. I caught up with it a few months ago and loved it. The final issue having dropped, does Chew satisfy? My answer comes in the form of but one word: Poyo.

The art is terrific--it has this cartoony edge which works for the action, comedy, and more dramatic moments. The action looks solid and some of these sequences are really badass and employ some kickass close quarters fights. It's jam-packed with tons of detail and works with virtually everything that goes on in the series. It oddly enough fits the tone and subject matter of the series perfectly. Taylor Wells provides color assistance and lends Chew an extra helping of "easy-on-the-eyesness". The lettering by Layman is clean and doesn't find a way to misspell "bring".

The comedy of Chew is excellent. My favorite in comics, in fact. There are tons of little Easter eggs that were gut-busters, but there's also great repartee and just hilarious stuff going on in the backgrounds. Not only is the comedy excellent, but the plot is stellar. It never drags its heels, there's always something changing, something evolving, the plot is in a constant state of influx and this is a good thing. It never gets stale and that's out of the question with endless amounts of plot twists (though one of them pissed me off due to how unnecessary it was--you'll know what I mean if you've read it, but I won't spoil it publicly). The characters are all interesting and likable, with their own enigmas and charisma. Honestly, the best character in all of fiction, Poyo, is in this and he has justly become an instant hit with readers and is a fan favorite, gaining some of his own solo one-shots which are an absolute joy to read. It's great to see that the creators of Chew have seen the fans's love of this character and have responded with some fangasm-inducing moments. The dialogue is incredibly well written and hits every mark--it's funny, but it also works for the more dramatic moments and overall adds another layer of depth to the series.

The final chapter of Chew is a whirlwind of emotion for long-time readers and is a testament to how perfect this medium can be for building investment in characters before wrenching them away. Due to major character deaths and its climactic nature, the final arc, "Sour Grapes", is bittersweet. Extremely compelling, satisfying, and all around what I was expecting after the masterful issues preceding it. It's an arc drenched in melancholy, with beloved characters dying in ways that feel like a metaphorical punches to the gut. In comics, this comedic to serious tonal shift is often referred to as "Cerebus syndrome", named after the David Sim parody of Conan, the Barbarian. But David Sim is a dumpster fire of a human being, so I propose we rename this neat phenomenon "Chew syndrome" or something to that effect. This team earns that distinction, I feel. I haven't heard any of them call women "soulless voids".

Chew is a phenomenal series that I urge anyone even vaguely interested in it to give it a gander. It's an oddball series that's been given almost universal acclaim and having read it, I see and agree why completely. It's a complex yet entirely engrossing series that deserves the legions of fans it's gained a thousand times over. Chew remains one of the best series on the market in recent memory for good reason. Chew gets a 10/10.

Masterpiece

Summary:
A master-class in comedy, story-telling, art, characters, dialogue, and pacing. Featuring the greatest character in all of fiction, Chew stuns with its ability to goof yet also return to some more somber and dark moments. The final arc is a sucker punch that remains fun while also being ineludibly compelling. A pointed swan song to an amazing series. Wherever John Layman and Rob Guillory go after Chew, I will most certainly follow.

(originally posted: 11/25/2016)