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Chew Omnivore Edition #2
Chew: The Omnivore Edition, Vol. 2
Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he''s a hell of a detective - as long as he doesn''t mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit and why. He''s been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published December 20, 2011
12 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
John Layman
815 books585 followersJohn Steele Layman is an American comic book writer and letterer. Layman is most known for writing Chew, published by Image Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
September 12, 2019
This series just gets crazier and crazier. Better and better too. Tony Chu is cibopathic. One taste of any organic substance gives him a psychic read on it. One bite of an apple gives him the growing conditions, the warm sunshine, the gentle rains, the slow ripening. One bite of a sausage gives him the grinder, the blood, the slaughterhouse, the crowded factory farm. So yeah. It's also a valuable forensic tool, though: one drop of a victim’s blood can tell him who killed them. Which is why he's a valuable agent for the FDA in cracking down on illegal chicken trafficking. I did mention crazier, right?
So, yes, there are humorous aspects, but then the book plays it all fairly straight. The story stays true to its own logic, and seemingly no detail is too trivial not to figure into the story later on, often in some surprising way. John Layman has said that he's got a definite ending that he's heading toward, though he's been vague on just how many issues it will take to get there. There's a wildly inventive spirit to this title that just pushes all the right buttons for me. Highly recommended!
So, yes, there are humorous aspects, but then the book plays it all fairly straight. The story stays true to its own logic, and seemingly no detail is too trivial not to figure into the story later on, often in some surprising way. John Layman has said that he's got a definite ending that he's heading toward, though he's been vague on just how many issues it will take to get there. There's a wildly inventive spirit to this title that just pushes all the right buttons for me. Highly recommended!
September 29, 2020
Favourite series! Imaginative and funny...and a bit gross ha! Loved it 😍
December 20, 2016
Not nearly as funny as I'd hoped, but still captivating and incomparably weird, disgusting, and unpredictable. Guillory's illustrations and colors are still on point. Add death cults, space babies, Area 51, and Chu's extended family (his sister Toni is pretty entertaining) and you've got Omnivore Volume 2.
March 3, 2024
Perfect comic book. Interesting characters, funny, great artwork, never a slog (or chog?), makes sense. Onto the next one
January 18, 2012
If I had to describe Chew in one word, it'd be "zany". The premise is outrageous, the art is over the top, the insane situations that they throw at you stretches credulity to the shattering point and then sews it back together with more craziness.
The Chew Omnivore #2 picks right off from where Chew Omnivore #1 does, following the adventures of Tony Chu, a cibopath who gets psychic readings from the food (or people) he eats. There are bits of brilliance throughout the entire volume, including the revelation of what exactly "Fricken" is and revealing pieces of a much larger, stranger plot. The art is the same, over the top style it was before (a pistol blows two perfectly bloody round holes through a person's skull), along with little Easter eggs throughout (one space station monitor reveals "Analysis: WTF"). All in all, a great continuation of an already fabulous series.
I'm not sure what these two are on, but whatever it is, it must be good stuff.
Highly recommend Chew.
The Chew Omnivore #2 picks right off from where Chew Omnivore #1 does, following the adventures of Tony Chu, a cibopath who gets psychic readings from the food (or people) he eats. There are bits of brilliance throughout the entire volume, including the revelation of what exactly "Fricken" is and revealing pieces of a much larger, stranger plot. The art is the same, over the top style it was before (a pistol blows two perfectly bloody round holes through a person's skull), along with little Easter eggs throughout (one space station monitor reveals "Analysis: WTF"). All in all, a great continuation of an already fabulous series.
I'm not sure what these two are on, but whatever it is, it must be good stuff.
Highly recommend Chew.
January 29, 2020
With this volume of Chew it's definitely more of the book that I remember reading in single issues. If there's a flaw it's that John Layman and Rob Guillory don't publish this volume in the same way that they published the comics. In between Flambe Chapters III and IV (issues 18 & 19 of the comic), the creative team put out an advance copy of Issue 27, which wouldn't come out for some twelve months in the future.
Of course, it's unfair to talk about this book for something it doesn't do while ignoring all the things it does well, so I'll focus instead on two things that really got my brain working this time.
The first is that I never really appreciated just how good John Layman is at exposition. So much of what I realized I love about this series is the insane cooky worldbuilding layered into every issue, page, and panel. Tons of this volume are just massive dumps of exposition or things that, plainly, should not work. Each Chapter almost always a Prologue that can be anywhere from 1-5 pages (which is insane for a chapter that's no more than 24 pages) and sometimes even a one page epilogue. There's also almost always a few page in each Volume that stops *everything* to explain some backstory, history, biography, or something of that ilk. In the first Omnivore Edition this was always to explain Tony's powers, but here it does different things, like explaining a Space Station, a new individual with Food-Based-Powers, the origins (or not!) of Poyo, and so on.
None of this should work, and yet I find myself impossibly charmed by this book. It can be listless, with not a lot of character development or work, and yet I find it intoxicating in the best of ways, and this is probably down to a combination of Layman's creative-as-hell mind and Guillory's wonderful, unique art style.
The other thing this volume does that really locks everything down for me. This volume has the issue where Tony and Colby discover a man who gains super-intelligence but only while he's eating (something burned into my memory forever in the best of ways), the introduction of Chogs, and the Thanksgiving Special issue that allows Layman and Guillory to not have to worry about what Food-Based Crime Tony and Colby are solving this month, but instead to look at the really lovely ensemble they've built up over the first quarter of the run.
This, of course, brings me to the thing that really locks this Volume in as the bit where Chew is what I want it to be: the introduction of Toni, Olive, and (in his first real way) Poyo. Their appearance in this Volume is the bit where Spike shows up in Buffy or Worf or The Defiant show up on Deep Space Nine. Was the work good before? Definitely. But bringing in those key elements really skyrockets the overarching story into a proper high gear.
And god... I love Toni and I love Olive (even though I don't know what happens to her yet) and I love Poyo.
Truly, I'd forgotten just how fun Chew could be, how easy it is to drink it in, how intoxicating I find everything about it. It might not work for everyone. It might suck in the end (I've heard basically no one talk about this ending and that makes me nervous for that final volume that I haven't read yet). But for now this book is comics at its most fun and imaginative.
Of course, it's unfair to talk about this book for something it doesn't do while ignoring all the things it does well, so I'll focus instead on two things that really got my brain working this time.
The first is that I never really appreciated just how good John Layman is at exposition. So much of what I realized I love about this series is the insane cooky worldbuilding layered into every issue, page, and panel. Tons of this volume are just massive dumps of exposition or things that, plainly, should not work. Each Chapter almost always a Prologue that can be anywhere from 1-5 pages (which is insane for a chapter that's no more than 24 pages) and sometimes even a one page epilogue. There's also almost always a few page in each Volume that stops *everything* to explain some backstory, history, biography, or something of that ilk. In the first Omnivore Edition this was always to explain Tony's powers, but here it does different things, like explaining a Space Station, a new individual with Food-Based-Powers, the origins (or not!) of Poyo, and so on.
None of this should work, and yet I find myself impossibly charmed by this book. It can be listless, with not a lot of character development or work, and yet I find it intoxicating in the best of ways, and this is probably down to a combination of Layman's creative-as-hell mind and Guillory's wonderful, unique art style.
The other thing this volume does that really locks everything down for me. This volume has the issue where Tony and Colby discover a man who gains super-intelligence but only while he's eating (something burned into my memory forever in the best of ways), the introduction of Chogs, and the Thanksgiving Special issue that allows Layman and Guillory to not have to worry about what Food-Based Crime Tony and Colby are solving this month, but instead to look at the really lovely ensemble they've built up over the first quarter of the run.
This, of course, brings me to the thing that really locks this Volume in as the bit where Chew is what I want it to be: the introduction of Toni, Olive, and (in his first real way) Poyo. Their appearance in this Volume is the bit where Spike shows up in Buffy or Worf or The Defiant show up on Deep Space Nine. Was the work good before? Definitely. But bringing in those key elements really skyrockets the overarching story into a proper high gear.
And god... I love Toni and I love Olive (even though I don't know what happens to her yet) and I love Poyo.
Truly, I'd forgotten just how fun Chew could be, how easy it is to drink it in, how intoxicating I find everything about it. It might not work for everyone. It might suck in the end (I've heard basically no one talk about this ending and that makes me nervous for that final volume that I haven't read yet). But for now this book is comics at its most fun and imaginative.
August 2, 2022
This is just getting weird. I like parts of it just because it is so different from other things I have reads. So many powers involving food.... But the bizarre time jumps and theory pages have me bewildered. I loved getting to know Tony's family. Boy does he have some family secrets! I don't get his boss at all. I hope things will be answered but for now everything just keeps getting more bizarre and now NASA is getting involved?! And let us not forget the fighting chicken Poyo, or the purple babies!
May 17, 2019
The deconstruction of how Layman and Guillory create the comic at the end of the book is SUPER FASCINATING!!! I wish the photos were bigger and clearer, but I truly can’t believe two guys do all the work. Guillory draws, inks, AND COLORS??? Layman writes and does the lettering?? GEEZ. WHAT A POWERHOUSE DUO.
Loved reading Guillory’s process and how much detail he goes into with the multiple stages of coloring and the exact photoshop effects he adds to each panel. GUILLORY EVEN GIVES SPECS!!! Doing the art for one page alone must take forever!
Ok and the actual comic itself was good, too, but MAN THE EXTRA CONTENT AT THE END IS SO GOOD IN THIS BOOK.
Loved reading Guillory’s process and how much detail he goes into with the multiple stages of coloring and the exact photoshop effects he adds to each panel. GUILLORY EVEN GIVES SPECS!!! Doing the art for one page alone must take forever!
Ok and the actual comic itself was good, too, but MAN THE EXTRA CONTENT AT THE END IS SO GOOD IN THIS BOOK.
March 19, 2022
We're introduced to Tony Chu's large family in this volume, providing more interesting characters and storylines around them. At times too much was going on and certain plot points seemed to end abruptly. However the central storyline is still as intriguing as ever
October 3, 2017
I'm getting hooked.
May 18, 2024
4.1 digit
September 27, 2014
Chew is a sticky, gross, exciting splosh of action and comedy, cliché and inventiveness. It's such an odd hodgepodge of comedy/sci-fi/police procedural/gore-fest that it's hard to really pin down what it is that it's doing so well, but Vol. 2 picks up right where one leaves off and charges ahead into the bird flu pandemic mystery and adds about a dozen more complications.
My favorite thing here was meeting more Chu's family and fitting them very naturally into the narrative. Surprises for the reader, then, were not surprising for Tony, which gave them a very interesting perspective from an otherwise very (jokingly) talkative and 'splaining narrator. The book does falter in some places, namely when it sent us on tangents when his boss was trying to kill him--the story there felt episodic and less like a singular adventure. Similarly, the mysteries have over-compounded. What caused the flu pandemic is still the man charge, but now there's alien skywriting, a vampire, whatever Savoy is trying to do (the most interesting of the bunch) and it's actually harder to follow than it should be. These should streamline, and I'm really hoping they do by the next volume.
And this is mostly because the cliffhanger here is really, really good. I think Savoy is an impressive villain, one you see doing a lot of good mixed in with a lot of bad. Really excited for the next volume.
Furthermore, the extra features here are fantastic. In the back, you get a step-by-step tutorial from the fantastic Rob Guillory. His art fits this series so well--so bright and cartoony and yet violent and disgusting--that I am really happy (as they were) that they went through Image instead of Vertigo. This tutorial tells everything, from the types of filters he uses to the types of brushes and pens. I feel like I understand the process much more clearly, and since a lot of comic book readers also want to be comic book artists (or I do, or at least to improve my digital art), this is really invaluable.
The point is, you should read Chew.
My favorite thing here was meeting more Chu's family and fitting them very naturally into the narrative. Surprises for the reader, then, were not surprising for Tony, which gave them a very interesting perspective from an otherwise very (jokingly) talkative and 'splaining narrator. The book does falter in some places, namely when it sent us on tangents when his boss was trying to kill him--the story there felt episodic and less like a singular adventure. Similarly, the mysteries have over-compounded. What caused the flu pandemic is still the man charge, but now there's alien skywriting, a vampire, whatever Savoy is trying to do (the most interesting of the bunch) and it's actually harder to follow than it should be. These should streamline, and I'm really hoping they do by the next volume.
And this is mostly because the cliffhanger here is really, really good. I think Savoy is an impressive villain, one you see doing a lot of good mixed in with a lot of bad. Really excited for the next volume.
Furthermore, the extra features here are fantastic. In the back, you get a step-by-step tutorial from the fantastic Rob Guillory. His art fits this series so well--so bright and cartoony and yet violent and disgusting--that I am really happy (as they were) that they went through Image instead of Vertigo. This tutorial tells everything, from the types of filters he uses to the types of brushes and pens. I feel like I understand the process much more clearly, and since a lot of comic book readers also want to be comic book artists (or I do, or at least to improve my digital art), this is really invaluable.
The point is, you should read Chew.
April 29, 2016
I fucking LOVE John Colby and his fantastic cyborg face.
That could almost stand alone as my review. I just dig the dude.
And so many things happen! We learn more about Tony Chu’s family, and with that his past, which is fun, lovely and weird all at once. Of course it raises more questions than it answers, but it’s nice to get a little peak at what’s come before the story started. Especially seeing THE PARTNER’S interactions with Chu’s family is great, especially because it gives a feeling that there’s backstory there, that these characters have a life outside of what we see, and that doesn’t need to be explained more than necessary.
The story takes some weird (but excellent!) turns as well, and the universe keeps expanding in ways that are increasingly mysterious and strange. However, I felt a little confused during this, I regretted in particular that one storyline wasn’t given the “screentime” it deserved. I’m not asking them to explain everything right away, this will have repercussions that reach far into the story, I’m guessing, but it was introduced somewhat abruptly. And considering how hard it hits some of the characters as well as society it could’ve been given more time.
Other than that I don’t have a lot of complaints. It keeps being wonderfully well written, interesting, quirky and gory. And just plain interesting.
I’m excited to keep reading. I want to know how it ends so bad. Please hurry up getting me the next volumes, library!
That could almost stand alone as my review. I just dig the dude.
And so many things happen! We learn more about Tony Chu’s family, and with that his past, which is fun, lovely and weird all at once. Of course it raises more questions than it answers, but it’s nice to get a little peak at what’s come before the story started. Especially seeing THE PARTNER’S interactions with Chu’s family is great, especially because it gives a feeling that there’s backstory there, that these characters have a life outside of what we see, and that doesn’t need to be explained more than necessary.
The story takes some weird (but excellent!) turns as well, and the universe keeps expanding in ways that are increasingly mysterious and strange. However, I felt a little confused during this, I regretted in particular that one storyline wasn’t given the “screentime” it deserved. I’m not asking them to explain everything right away, this will have repercussions that reach far into the story, I’m guessing, but it was introduced somewhat abruptly. And considering how hard it hits some of the characters as well as society it could’ve been given more time.
Other than that I don’t have a lot of complaints. It keeps being wonderfully well written, interesting, quirky and gory. And just plain interesting.
I’m excited to keep reading. I want to know how it ends so bad. Please hurry up getting me the next volumes, library!
August 18, 2015
i love this series so much i'm probably going to end up adding all the issues/volumes to my favorites list
December 6, 2015
So much more exciting. Very funny. And I can't wait to read the ending.
March 15, 2019
جزء قوي
و ظهرت اجزاء أكثر من البازل
كان في تحالفات بين شخصيات غير متوقعة
و ظهر أشخاص كارثي القدرة بشكل اكبر
و ظهرت اجزاء أكثر من البازل
كان في تحالفات بين شخصيات غير متوقعة
و ظهر أشخاص كارثي القدرة بشكل اكبر
January 17, 2024
This is Tony Chu and Amelia Mintz. Cute couple, don't you think? Tony is a Cibopath. That means he can take a bite of a piece of food, and get a feeling about how it was raised, where it grew or how it was harvested. Sometimes tony has to eat things other than food as well. (Unfortunately for him.)
Amelia is a Saboscrivner. Able to write about food so accurately, so vividly, and with such precision people get the actual sensation of taste when reading about the meals she writes about.
They've been dating for a few weeks now, and things are going pretty well. Though some nights do not end as well as others.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice at a local charity shop and I wondered if it would be similar to the Nailbiter, Vol. 1: There Will Be Blood series I recently read.
It was certainly far less horror than Nailbiter and altogether more intriguing. It is akin to iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World where the lead character eats the brains of the recently deceased to help solve crimes. Here, Tony Chu has to eat the flesh of murder victims to discover more about their cause of death, a truly sickening prospect.
Having devoured the first volume, I knew this was a series for me. Seeing that there was an extensive amount to get through, I had the choice between the standard volumes, these Omnivore editions, and the even more epic Smorgasbord editions. The Omnivore won out as they were more readily available.
Tony Chu has had a right old time of things! His Philadelphia PD partner has been hospitalised after taking a meat cleaver to the face, his new job involves nibbling on corpses (not always human), and his new boss has it out for him. When secrets come to light about his new partner, a fellow Cibopathic, things are pushed up another notch and a nemesis is born.
Meanwhile the world is still recovering from the avian flu which killed millions, leading to the consumption of chicken being outlawed. Tony has to battle nefarious forces who claim that the flu was a conspiracy, gangsters who peddle chicken on the black market, and a Russian Cibopath, known as 'the Vampire'.
There are also hints to an extraterrestrial involvement, which are expanded on in this volume, and we meet the wider Chu family, who, it would seem, are going to become more involved are the series continues.
Packed full of dark humour, this is a riot! Volume 3 is on order, I can't wait. 5 stars.
Amelia is a Saboscrivner. Able to write about food so accurately, so vividly, and with such precision people get the actual sensation of taste when reading about the meals she writes about.
They've been dating for a few weeks now, and things are going pretty well. Though some nights do not end as well as others.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice at a local charity shop and I wondered if it would be similar to the Nailbiter, Vol. 1: There Will Be Blood series I recently read.
It was certainly far less horror than Nailbiter and altogether more intriguing. It is akin to iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World where the lead character eats the brains of the recently deceased to help solve crimes. Here, Tony Chu has to eat the flesh of murder victims to discover more about their cause of death, a truly sickening prospect.
Having devoured the first volume, I knew this was a series for me. Seeing that there was an extensive amount to get through, I had the choice between the standard volumes, these Omnivore editions, and the even more epic Smorgasbord editions. The Omnivore won out as they were more readily available.
Tony Chu has had a right old time of things! His Philadelphia PD partner has been hospitalised after taking a meat cleaver to the face, his new job involves nibbling on corpses (not always human), and his new boss has it out for him. When secrets come to light about his new partner, a fellow Cibopathic, things are pushed up another notch and a nemesis is born.
Meanwhile the world is still recovering from the avian flu which killed millions, leading to the consumption of chicken being outlawed. Tony has to battle nefarious forces who claim that the flu was a conspiracy, gangsters who peddle chicken on the black market, and a Russian Cibopath, known as 'the Vampire'.
There are also hints to an extraterrestrial involvement, which are expanded on in this volume, and we meet the wider Chu family, who, it would seem, are going to become more involved are the series continues.
Packed full of dark humour, this is a riot! Volume 3 is on order, I can't wait. 5 stars.
November 16, 2022
Delightfully entertaining. Fast-paced, light-hearted and comedic, Chew is a one-of-a-kind series.
Chew is a choice comic to have two whole volumes stirred into one collected Omnivore edition because of its aforementioned inherent characteristics. This is a series I can just sit back, shut off my brain and enjoy as the words and imagery whisk me away after a stressful day. It is an easy read with art and scripts that are quickly registerable to the brain.
In fact, the only part that feels like any real work is reading the little scrawling on posters, cans, etc. Often dished in one-liners, these are sprinkled in abundance throughout every issue and aren't required reading but they do provide something in the way of jest. They are simple jokes that don't take themselves seriously, sometimes even nodding to Layman himself. These tidbits are a unique feature that is unlikely to be as effective put in any other comic but they are just the right temperature for the tone of Chew.
My only qualm with this series was the constant drawing of women's shirts being 'sucked' under their breasts. Real tshirts don't work that way except for the specific moments when a certain movement for boobs of a certain size entrap the material underneath them. I was willing to let that slide but then came along the issue introducing the USDA and I lost it. Every. Single. Agent. Was disproportionately busty, it was ridiculous. I understand the stylization of Guillory's art in Chew and it doesn't chalk up to the same even when you compare these bodies to the stylized men. As a female comic book reader, this is something that pisses me off with comics so I hated seeing that in Chew, where I thought we would be shielded from the world of compromising poses, unrealistic anatomy and skin-tight clothing of female superheroes.
Chew is a choice comic to have two whole volumes stirred into one collected Omnivore edition because of its aforementioned inherent characteristics. This is a series I can just sit back, shut off my brain and enjoy as the words and imagery whisk me away after a stressful day. It is an easy read with art and scripts that are quickly registerable to the brain.
In fact, the only part that feels like any real work is reading the little scrawling on posters, cans, etc. Often dished in one-liners, these are sprinkled in abundance throughout every issue and aren't required reading but they do provide something in the way of jest. They are simple jokes that don't take themselves seriously, sometimes even nodding to Layman himself. These tidbits are a unique feature that is unlikely to be as effective put in any other comic but they are just the right temperature for the tone of Chew.
My only qualm with this series was the constant drawing of women's shirts being 'sucked' under their breasts. Real tshirts don't work that way except for the specific moments when a certain movement for boobs of a certain size entrap the material underneath them. I was willing to let that slide but then came along the issue introducing the USDA and I lost it. Every. Single. Agent. Was disproportionately busty, it was ridiculous. I understand the stylization of Guillory's art in Chew and it doesn't chalk up to the same even when you compare these bodies to the stylized men. As a female comic book reader, this is something that pisses me off with comics so I hated seeing that in Chew, where I thought we would be shielded from the world of compromising poses, unrealistic anatomy and skin-tight clothing of female superheroes.
May 6, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
All of the initial promise and potential of the first volume is more fully realised in this, the second volume of the series. Rob Guillory's art is superb, and is stylistically unique and humorous and evocative all at once. John Layman certainly knows how to craft an interesting and engaging story, with these characters coming to take on a life of their own that far supersedes the novelty of the premise or the usual pitfalls of independent comics. This really stands head and shoulders above most other creations in terms of the thought and care placed into every single issue, as well as its polished and professional execution. The series may have started over a decade ago, but quite frankly I'm surprised I don't hear more continuing buzz about Chew. It's certainly one of the best Image titles I've read in quite some time. Definitely recommended. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
All of the initial promise and potential of the first volume is more fully realised in this, the second volume of the series. Rob Guillory's art is superb, and is stylistically unique and humorous and evocative all at once. John Layman certainly knows how to craft an interesting and engaging story, with these characters coming to take on a life of their own that far supersedes the novelty of the premise or the usual pitfalls of independent comics. This really stands head and shoulders above most other creations in terms of the thought and care placed into every single issue, as well as its polished and professional execution. The series may have started over a decade ago, but quite frankly I'm surprised I don't hear more continuing buzz about Chew. It's certainly one of the best Image titles I've read in quite some time. Definitely recommended. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
August 16, 2017
I'm so happy I discovered this series now, since the next volume is available and I can't wait to get to it. I thought Tony was a fun character, but more people are being introduced and it's getting complex. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Toni (Tony's twin sister), but she's really growing on me, and now that I need to find out more about here.
This story is becoming deliciously complex and there are more plot threads being woven in to create a wonderful tapestry of interesting characters, food-related powers, and an alien invasion? (I'm still not 100% sure about that last one, but there's something sci-fi going on here.) This book is difficult to predict, and I think that's one of the top things I appreciate about it.
This story is becoming deliciously complex and there are more plot threads being woven in to create a wonderful tapestry of interesting characters, food-related powers, and an alien invasion? (I'm still not 100% sure about that last one, but there's something sci-fi going on here.) This book is difficult to predict, and I think that's one of the top things I appreciate about it.
June 29, 2017
Chew is not your everyday comic book: it's about a guy who can get psychic impressions off of what he eats...sounds cool? You bet it is.
Now, with this being the second Omnivore edition, I will skip the overview and jump right into the book. With this massive second volume, we get surprises at every turn, enough to throw off even the most diligent of readers. That's one of the reasons why it's awesome. Layman crafts some amazing stories here: butt kicking masked chickens, aliens, and some of the strangest things that poor Agent Chu has ever taken a bite of. Guillroy provides the artwork, and brings more of the in your face action that we have come to love from Chew.
Now, with this being the second Omnivore edition, I will skip the overview and jump right into the book. With this massive second volume, we get surprises at every turn, enough to throw off even the most diligent of readers. That's one of the reasons why it's awesome. Layman crafts some amazing stories here: butt kicking masked chickens, aliens, and some of the strangest things that poor Agent Chu has ever taken a bite of. Guillroy provides the artwork, and brings more of the in your face action that we have come to love from Chew.
April 28, 2021
In this second omnibus, the creative team throws everything and the kitchen sink at the plot. However, some of the unresolved threads can be a little overwhelming. Detective Chu has to deal with mutated space babies, a corrupt faux chicken company breeding half-poultry/half-amphibian cuisine, space letters mysteriously appear over the sky, and an egg worshipping cult gaining in popularity. What does this all add up to? No idea! Chew was established as a 60+ issue run from conception, but I sometimes wish it had more room to breathe. Some cringe-worthy ethnic stereotypes aside that haven’t aged well, it’s still an addicting read from cover to cover.
October 24, 2020
Chew just gets better in this second Omnivore Edition. Layman has created a really clever and entertaining storyline from a quilt of crazy patches. Nothing feels accidental, everything feels tightly planned even thought each piece is more unlikely than the last. Additionally, in this volume we are introduced to more members of Tony Chu's family, which adds some depth to his character.
Not only is the writing excellent, but the artwork provides excellent texture to the story. Each scene contains visual gags and other detail that makes each panel a delight to read.
Not only is the writing excellent, but the artwork provides excellent texture to the story. Each scene contains visual gags and other detail that makes each panel a delight to read.
June 22, 2024
By now this series has left its mark on being different. However, each issue manages to tell an entertaining, distinct and funny story. Fantastic art, impeccable writing and a perfect flow make this one comic you do not want to skip out on. This remains a fun, weird series, one worth checking out if you are looking for something different, wacky, and slightly gross all at the same time. I definitely recommend this book.
June 20, 2020
Chew continues to be one of most entertaining and imaginative comics in recent years. The near future world of the super-policed FDA with agents who are cybernetic and others who have the ability to glean information from food, as well as others who have other food -related powers is a constant surprise.
March 21, 2019
On the fence about this series after this volume. It seems silly to have problem with story details in a series as gonzo as this is, but there’s something about some of the plot developments here that take me out of CHEW’s reality.
December 11, 2019
Managed to be even wilder than the first! Less humor, but I don’t mind that as much as I’m interested in the plot as well. Also, Toni and Olive are great editions to the cast! Can’t wait to learn more about Olive as I move on to the next volume!
October 8, 2021
4.5
Still really enjoying the story and the art, but the way the plot is heading has me a little bit disinterested. There's A LOT going on and I wish we could slow down for a second and focus on a few things. Great nonetheless.
Still really enjoying the story and the art, but the way the plot is heading has me a little bit disinterested. There's A LOT going on and I wish we could slow down for a second and focus on a few things. Great nonetheless.
January 20, 2022
Improving as it goes but still too many short cuts taken on the art, waaay too many blank faces.
Still not sold on this but it its developing characters more and has become less about the childish jokes, while still being a ridiculous overall.
Still not sold on this but it its developing characters more and has become less about the childish jokes, while still being a ridiculous overall.
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