CHEW Omnivore Edition, Vol. 1
This breakout indie success (the first two storylines of which are collected here) is the very definition of high-concept: a gastronomical-satirical crime thriller named after its protagonist, Tony Chu, a "cibopath" detective who gets psychic impressions from everything he eats. Chu is consequently recruited by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA and forced to put one horrifically disgusting thing after another into his mouth. The setting is a near-future world where a pandemic bird flu has led the U.S. government to outlaw chicken (now served only at speakeasies), giving rise to the discovery of a suspicious fruit that tastes... like chicken. Though Layman's tone can be inconsistent--fluctuating between light comedy and grisly violence--it levels out when other characters with food-related gifts show up, including a "cibolocutor" who can express himself solely through culinary arts. Guillory's loose, loopy style, with its wildly distorted anatomy and perspective, underscores Layman's humor but is grounded in brick-solid storytelling; a knockout scene early on, where Chu becomes overwhelmed by the psychic residue in a single spoonful of soup, perfectly sums up the curious aftertaste of this nutty, tangy tome. Illus. (Aug.)(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC.  All rights reserved.