The following is the second draft I had for my review for the Beacon. It has more critique and less summary:

Ever wondered what would happen if Deadpool and an episode of CSI collided? Okay, probably not, but the results are great.

“Chew” follows the life of Tony Chu, a former cop for Philly P.D., who is also a “cibopath”. Cibopaths possess the ability to take a bite out of anything organic and know all of its personal information. If Tony bites into a fruit or vegetable, he discovers its entire origin. What’s way more fun, though, is that his skill can also be used on meat, including human meat.

The world has suffered from a bird flu pandemic, killing 116 million world-wide, leading to the outlawing of chicken. As a result, the US Food and Drug Administration has become the most powerful government agency in the country, working nonstop to combat a black market where chicken has become a lucrative livestock since its ban. 

Tony has just busted a local restaurant for selling chicken and is hired by the FDA because of his unique ability. He is partnered with Mason Savoy, one of two other known cibopaths in the world.

His first case: Evan Pepper, a health inspector for the state of New York, has gone missing. The first piece of evidence: Evan’s severed finger. After eating a piece of it, Tony finds out that his finger was cut off after Evan stumbled upon a large collection of illegal chickens while making a routine health inspection. Tony and Mason raid the chicken warehouse and kill the “chicken lord.” During the carnage, Tony is covered in blood, both from his partner and the chicken lord, allowing him to make a discovery.

Tony figures out that the warehouse owner did cut off Evan’s finger, but Mason was the one who killed him.

Evan Pepper came to Mason because he was threatened by the chicken-smuggling lord, but Mason killed him because he thought Evan knew something about the cause of the bird flu pandemic. The real cause. 

But Evan didn’t know, and now it’s Tony’s job to go head-to-head with Mason and find out.

The best thing about “Chew” is, despite how absurd the premise is, the plot doesn’t fool around. It’s fun, carefree, playful, and then hits hard with scenes that are dark, lurid, and twisted. It manages to do this without being erratic, but instead, endearing.

Nothing is forced. In a time when comics are trying to become more realistic, epic, and cinematic, “Chew” remembers the most important thing about comics: they’re comics. It knows not to take itself too seriously and focuses on being fun. It doesn’t follow the paths of other comics. Instead, it paves its own path in a niche it’s created.

This comic isn’t revolutionary, but it does a great job on standing on its own merit. The writer isn’t worried about throwing in some gimmicks because he knows he has substance to back it up. The more ridiculous parts of the comic are done in a patronizing sort of way, similar to a Simon Pegg or Tarantino film. There’s an overall sense of confidence in how the story is written. It’s an achievement in balance, knowing how far to take things before it becomes too much.

“Chew” is structured insanity, joyous mutilation, and jaded humor. I’ll have as many portions as this series is willing to serve.


“Chew” is a new ongoing series from Image Comics, written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory.