We've all heard of the big players in the comic industry, the mainstays,
the super-heroes, the villainous vixens, hell even the Archies. But how about
those comics we don't see on the big screen? Don't get me wrong, I am not
knocking Marvel and DC (a Batman by any other name...), but there are some
great series out there that are on the rise and deserve a shout out.
I've recently come
across a series called "CHEW". Published by Image Comics in 2009 it
has been steadily picking up steam, including an in development animated
feature by Jeff Krelitz. Since it's preview debut in Image's hit "The
Walking Dead", it's brought readers a more refined way to dine on flesh.
Set in a world that's
been ravaged by Bird Flu, where poultry is outlawed, and the Food and Drug
Administration reigns supreme, a Chinese-American cop named Tony Chu uses an
unusual gift to help take chicken off the streets and put a stop to crime. I
could tell you myself, but the first page in issue #1 says it just as well:
"Meet Tony Chu.
Tony Chu is almost always hungry, and almost never eats. Here's why: Tony Chu
is cibopathic. That means he can take a bite of an apple, and get a feeling in
his head about what tree it grew from, what pesticides were used on the crop,
and when it was harvested. Or he could eat a hamburger, and flash onto
something else entirely. Strangely enough, the only food Tony Chu can eat and
not get a psychic sensation from is beets. Consequently, Tony Chu eats a lot of
beets."
When the FDA gets wind
of Tony's little quirk, they do the bureaucratic thing and start exploiting it
as soon as possible. Except it's not all Kentucky Fried Speak-easys and
culinary detective work. What happens when they bring Tony a severed finger and
kindly ask who cut it off? Thrown head first into a life of danger, espionage,
combat, and bizarre dietary habits, Tony adjusts to life, love, an indigestion
in a world where he is the new secret weapon in the war on chicken.
Backed by a gallery of
supporting characters that are interesting as they are strange, the series is
brimming with bizarre humour, dynamic action, and moments that will make even
the most hardened horror buff cringe. With a run of reoccurring themes and
jokes the story catches the reader and keeps them hungry. This is one of my current
favourites, and I guarantee "CHEW" is one series that isn't going to
leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Bon appétit!
By: Logan Thomas Dillon