Eat the Rich

Eat the Rich #1-5

by Sarah Gailey, Pius Bak (Penciller)

When the rich and powerful are literal cannibals, how can regular people avoid being on the menu?

WELCOME TO CRESTFALL BLUFFS! With law school and her whole life ahead of her, Joey plans to spend the summer with her boyfriend Astor at his seemingly perfect family home. But beneath all the affluent perfection lies a dark, deadly rot… something all the locals live in quiet fear of. As summer lingers, Joey uncovers the macabre history of Crestfall Bluffs, and the ruthlessness and secrecy lying in wait behind the idyllic lives of the one percent. Who can Joey save? Who wants to be saved? And can she even survive to tell the tale? The bold, horrifying psychological thriller from Hugo Award-winning author Sarah Gailey (The Echo Wife, Magic For Liars) and artist Pius Bak (Firefly, The Magicians) with colorist Roman Titov and letterer Cardinal Rae. Collects Eat the Rich #1-5.

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Graphic Novels Comics

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 18, 2021

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels like a horror movie Blumhouse would put out. The title pretty much gives away the plot.
Joey is headed to meet her rich boyfriend's family for the summer. This island is full of one percenters and Joey is struggling to fit in. Then they go to a retirement part where she sees something horrific. Now she has a choice to make...

The ending was really rushed, as if Boom pulled the plug during the final issue. I thought the art was OK. Some of the close up shots were hard to make out. The coloring was just alright.

[A.J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

File this one under the “I enjoyed this immensly up until the final issue”, which sadly looks like a trend among a lot of indie books I’ve read this year. This one does have a really sweet love story at the center that I enjoyed, but the last few pages of this book completely “jump the shark” as one would say.

The ending is rushed as fuck, way too on the nose, and it just doesn’t stick the landing in the way the writer wanted it to. It sucks too because with a title like the one this had, I went into this expecting some hot ass garbage from your average twitter user, but color me surprised when I got 4 genuinely great horror issues before a letdown of a finale. Cool concept, sadly shoddy execution. My girlfriend LOVED it though, so hey, maybe you will too! This just wasn’t for me at all honestly.

[Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé]

Really bloody story about the greed of the 1% kind of like squid game

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joey is off to meet her boyfriend's parents for the first time, and she's dreading it. First of all, they're super-rich; like, owning-Congressman-and-Titans-of-Industry rich. She isn't sure she can measure up.

No worries, though, because when she gets to their super-rich community on an island, she discovers that there are far worse things than being super-rich, such as being super-rich cannibals. Like, literal eating-people-in-a-much-lower-income-bracket cannibals.

Best-selling and award-winning horror/sci-fi author Sarah Gailey's "Eat the Rich" is a deliciously clever and gory look at classism in this country. Jonathon Swift would love this...

[Danika at The Lesbrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This an over-the-top, gruesome, funny, anti-capitalism, queer graphic novel that I enjoyed from beginning to end. In just a few pages, I completely fell for Petal, who wears a “Loud and Queer” t-shirt and assures Joey that yes, she knows how awesome she is. I think I can safely say that if you like the title and cover, you’ll love this book, and it’s such a fun one-sitting Halloween read.

Full review at the Lesbrary.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5

Total review score: 2.55 but I'm rounding down because the ending was bad and rushed.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A half-baked high-concept book where wealthy people literally eat their servants with their servants' consent. Full benefits and health insurance come at a high cost now, you see, but the revolution is coming, you know. I dig the sentiment, but was bored by the silliness of the execution.

[Ostrava · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rushed and a bit on the nose. Should have been longer but I wonder if its briefness played a role in my overall tolerance. Would not recommend, sadly.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Instead of just telling a story the desire to be of so clever and 'say big things' gets in the way.
A better tale is told when politics is left behind.

[Daijah · Rating 5 out of 5]

actual rating: 4.5/5 stars

i lovedddddd the commentary in this one so much but i didn't love the art style which is why it was not a 5 star for me but everything else i adored and i HIGHLY recommend it!

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eat the Rich collects issues 1-5 of the BOOM! Studios series written by Sarah Gailey, illustrated by Pius Bak, and colored by Roman Titov.

Joey has decided to travel with her boyfriend to his family home in Crestfallen Bluffs to meet his parents and spend the summer. As Joey gets acclimated to the coastal community, she learns of the horrifying traditions of the rich and powerful.

I loved this book! I think it would make a great campy horror movie. It seems a lot of people were expecting something deeper, but I really enjoyed the story told. The book is an extremely quick read and I wish it had one more issue to flesh itself out just a bit more, but at the same time, I liked how the book didn’t drag itself out with a lot of repetitive scenes and needless exposition. The art is sharp and vibrant and does a fantastic job of adding to the tone and atmosphere of the world. If you like a good blood-spatter filled book, this comic is for you!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

C/W:blood, gore, alcoholism, cannibalism

Eat the Rich was everything I could hope for from a Sarah Gailey read -- insightful social commentary, excellent queer rep, complex female characters, and a story that hooks you from the very beginning. This was a dark, gory read that was highly enjoyable.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gailey took the leftist joke about eating the rich, and made it literal. It was a disgusting, horrifying delight to read.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good, but not as good as I was hoping it would be?

[Bri Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one! It was creepy but funny and had a fun ending. The romance came a bit out of left field to me, but overall I felt like the story was complete, which I usually don't feel with comics.

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
it’s very… rushed and surface level? but it’s okay. enjoyable. queer.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this graphic novel a woman goes to meet her rich boyfriend’s family and shit goes down. The almost pop art style was great and I think it went well with the story. Highly recommend this really great horror graphic novel!

[Naja · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly just kinda boring.

[Estibaliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5?

This certainly is a mix bag. There's really a lot of food for thought within the main plot and ideas behind it, with 'Eat the Rich' being such a gory metaphor of Capitalism, especially in the United States (where access to healthcare and other wellness programs and resources is not always easy, and unions are more the exception than the norm).

However, the execution is quite poor at times, with the first issues being much better in quality and pacing than the rushed conclusion provided by the final two. One almost gets that feeling of being watching a fine show that suddenly gets axed by the broadcasting company, so everything has to be quickly wrapped up without the proper development or the satisfactory ending that was once promised, but something that just seems to be there for shock value.

Still, quite fun and thought provoking...

[Jordan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bloody, heartfelt story.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the work of director Jordan Peele, here we have over-the-top horror with a keen eye for social issues.

What if your desire for health care and education for yourself and your family meant paying the ultimate price to your wealthy employers? And how easy is it to go along with things you know are wrong in the name of conformity, status, and family harmony? Real-world issues we grapple with daily are taken to extreme ends in EAT THE RICH.

We have increasing numbers of people who are recognizing and articulating what’s broken in our society. The big question is, will that be enough to change it?

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You can’t eat the rich if they’re already eating you."

Thoughts:
- This graphic novel offers an interesting spin on wealth and power dynamics between the ultra wealthy and their employees.
- It also highlights the arbitrary nature of privilege. The ultra wealthy are not better than anyone else because they are rich, they just happened to be born into the right family.
- The most interesting part of the plot was that the employees know they will be sacrificed. Their reasons for doing it vary but it ultimately comes down to the system being so exploitative that the oppressed are consumed by the oppressors before they can act.
- I appreciated the explanation that this is a practice that all the ultra wealthy engage in and that they cannot survive without it. All over the world, in every boardroom, the rich eat the poor. Not very subtle but no less true.
- The ending didn't exactly land for me. I agree that the workforce greatly outnumbers their ultrawealthy employers so if we organized we could take back power. However, the way it went about in the story was anticlimactic.

Characters:
Joey: Joey was a great avatar for the reader. She is educated but not wealthy, and has never interacted with the ultra wealthy. Her clueless boyfriend offers her no real support or advice of social etiquette so she feels constantly judged and out of her depth. She wants to belong to their world without fully understanding what that entails and through her eyes the reader can see the otherworldliness that extreme wealth creates.

Astor: Where do I even begin with this guy? He offered Joey no help or support in fitting in with his friends and family. He didn’t warn her that there would be murder and cannibalism where he was taking her. He let her consume the meat with no warning and knowing that once eaten there was no going back.

Kitty: Kitty offers a glimpse into the mindset of the ultra wealthy towards the ritual. Kitty didn’t come from wealth and was horrified by the custom once she married into the family. She explains that she is behind the contracts employees sign so they now know what they are signing on for and do it willingly. She sees their willingness as a way to keep her conscience clean. She is either unwilling or unable to examine that many of these employees are in circumstances that are easy to exploit.

Petal: Petal offers a glimpse into the mindset of an employee that willingly signed the contract knowing she would be killed. Petal has lupus, psoriatic arthritis, and fibromyalgia. She couldn’t afford insurance or her medications and she was in constant pain. In signing the contract she had access to good pay and the best doctors and medications. She considers it a fair trade off so that her last years are comfortable.

Favorite Quotes:
"There is no such thing as a self-made man. There are only people who have used others to make themselves."

"Power doesn’t corrupt people. Power reveals people."

"Revolution doesn’t look like what you think it will. It looks like hunger. It looks like anger. It looks like people who are tired of being fed lies."

Recommendation:
I do, but only if you are left leaning in your political ideologies.

Plot Summary:FULL SPOILERS
Joey and her boyfriend Astor are headed to his family’s summer home. His family spends their summers in Crestfallen Bluffs - a Hamptons-esque retreat for the ultra wealthy. Joey is nervous because they are old money and she is not. She wants to impress them. But she’s on her way to becoming a lawyer, so she’ll be joining the elites soon. She’s up to the challenge of learning how to blend in.

At the first event, Joey feels judged and out of place. The various families are frequently throwing lavish retirement parties for their help. Joey quickly discovers that at these parties the staff member that is retiring is ritualistically killed and the community feeds off the body. Joey is upset and in order to convince Astor to leave she goes looking for proof to show him.

She is seen by Astor’s stepmom Kitty who explains she wasn’t from money either. She explains that all the staff know they will be killed and eaten when they sign their employment contracts. She says that the staff are extremely well compensated and have excellent benefits during their tenures.

Joey attends more events and eats the meat served. Over the next five weeks Joey begins to fit in with everyone and her behavior begins to mirror those of the wealthy elites around her. At one of the events Joey learns that once the meat is consumed, there is a physiological change that occurs. People who eat it must continue to eat it or else they will starve. Joey feels betrayed by Astor who never warned her about the rituals or the consequences of eating the meat. She now will die without the meat.

Joey visits Petal, the family nanny, who she befriended when she first arrived. Joey wants to understand why Petal would willingly sign a contract where she will be killed. Petal explains that she has lupus, psoriatic arthritis, and fibromyalgia. She couldn’t afford insurance or her medications and she was in constant pain. This way she has the best medications and doctors and she is paid very well and lives comfortably. She considers it a reasonable trade off because she was dying anyway. She and Joey share a kiss and Joey remarks that Astor never kissed her that way.

At a retirement party for Astor’s family housekeeper, Joey interrupts the killing. In a rage, Astor’s father chases Joey with a machete through the party. When Astor hears she’s coming he proposes to her before realizing his father is chasing her. Joey angrily confronts Astor about his father trying to kill her. Kitty injects Joey with a tranquilizer.

Joey wakes up and can’t move her limbs. As she waits for the medication to wear off Astor tells her what her options are. She can marry him, become a lawyer in their family firm, and live with the type of wealth that can make a difference. Or she can die. He tells her that this ritual is practiced everywhere that the elite hold power and that there is nowhere she can go that they would not find her.

Joey attempts to attack Astor but is still weak. Petal comes in carrying a rare and coveted sculpture the Hadley family acquired. She hits Astor over the head. She and Joey decide that there are way more help than wealthy and if they team up they can eat the rich instead of the other way around.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this read. It’s a great reflection on the boring dystopia we live in, in which the rich basically get to decide on who lives and who dies.
There’s some great parallels that can be drawn from this story, such as people being selfish as long as they can live comfortably, but their comfort goes - quite literally - over poor people’s dead bodies.

The ending could have been stretched out a bit more. I could easily see this story have a few more issues, but I feel this story is more an exploration of the way things are and that the resolution is less important than making that comparison to the real world healthcare system and capitalism.

[Valéria. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really do not know, how to rate this.. I guess I liked it, especially that gory side of it. On the other hand - it was very predictable, very simple and ugh, the rushed ending ruined it for me so much. And the romance. And.. ugh, I just do not know. I guess I have to go with two stars because I have read better stuff in the last year and they still got 3 stars as "good". Even though this was good. In a way.

[Yana Cherchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark.

I love the concept of Eat the rich. The story is compelling and the art style is beautiful. It's the first comic that I have ever read and I'm not disappointed.
However, I will say that the ending was rushed. That's why this is a four star review.
Eat the rich can start a conversation and definitely an interesting one. It's worth it to give it a try

Hugs,
Yana

[Alex Sarll]

It was handy having something with this title to hand after last week, but as Joey sets off to spend the summer with her boyfriend's obscenely wealthy family, and sees something untoward on the first night, my initial concern was: is this Get Out for the white squeezed middle? I mean, yes the modern left can be prone to overlooking class as an axis of inequality, but even so... Well, not quite. The twist is - and it feels weird flagging spoilers for a comic whose denouement is also its title, but here we go - that the domestic staff here know their employers are ultimately going to kill and eat them, but in the meantime they get job security, and healthcare for themselves and their dependants, so it doesn't really seem like that bad a deal compared to what's on offer back in the allegedly normal world of 2020s America. Which is horrible, and brilliant. Plus, art team Pius Bak and Roman Titov, aside from having excellent names, give the thing a look that reminded me of both Cliff Chiang and Fiona Staples, which as such is clearly an excellent look. There was one biological bit that made minimal sense, and reminded me of the similarly puzzling detail regarding poison resistance in Gailey's earlier American Hippo, but frankly I could even forgive that when it led to blood-splattered making out.

[Vikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently I'm enjoying books about cannibalism right now

[meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

communist cannibal lesbians 👍👍

[Mike Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this, it is kind of like Get Out but more about classism than racism. Well written, the conclusion was a tad rushed, but it also didn't get hand holdy with the commentary or conclusion which I really appreciated.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOBSMACKED
REELING
JAW ON THE FLOOR