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Sweet Tooth #2

Sweet Tooth, Vol. 2: In Captivity

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Learn the heartbreaking story of Jeppard and how he went from devoted husband to ruthless mercenary. Meanwhile, Gus is held captive with other hybrid creatures in a camp where he meets a scientist studying the plague that's wiped out so much of the world.

Collecting: Sweet Tooth 6-11

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2010

76 people are currently reading
2449 people want to read

About the author

Jeff Lemire

1,393 books3,872 followers
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name


Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.

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5 stars
4,570 (38%)
4 stars
4,725 (39%)
3 stars
1,900 (16%)
2 stars
421 (3%)
1 star
232 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 574 reviews
Profile Image for Anne.
4,739 reviews71.2k followers
June 4, 2021
Oh my, we're getting somewhere interesting now!

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At the end of the last book, the grizzled Jepperd had traded the hillbilly hybrid kid, Gus, to a facility for the contents of a duffel bag.
The End.

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Now we find out that Jepperd has a past and maybe a heart, as well.
But mainly, we find out that Gus is more than he appears to be, and his origin story is steeped less in the woods and more in science than he was led to believe.

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I really didn't think I was going to like this very much, but it looks like (once again) my friends are right and I'm wrong.
Profile Image for Trina.
930 reviews3,869 followers
July 18, 2016
Much better than the first one in my opinion! Explored several aspects of the back story of this world. I had been bored with volume one but this one got me intrigued to find out more. But I do find a lot of the depictions pretty unsettling.
Profile Image for Dave Schaafsma.
Author 6 books32.1k followers
June 20, 2021
This series is grim dystopian stuff, with a sweet hybrid boy-deer as a main character who may hold the key to why the plague has happened, or how they can survive it, because he, at 9, like all the other hybrid kids, seems to be immune as dark chaos ensues everywhere. The first book is intriguing, suspenseful, grim, something like The Road in its post-apocalyptic horror (and hope), but in this book we get more background on what has happened, and also more back story on the guy who sold the kid to the military-scientific compound. Really great work, just electric in places.

Read initially everything eight years ago, and now again in 2021 as the Netflix series is released and Jeff Lemire's fame as blown up and as the pandemic still rages in places on the planet.
Profile Image for Rachel (TheShadesofOrange).
2,887 reviews4,798 followers
June 6, 2021
4.5 Stars
This second volume is much dark as it brings elements of horror into this science fiction dystopian. The backstories were quite emotional while the current timeline kept the narrative moving forward at a good pace.
Profile Image for Sam Quixote.
4,801 reviews13.4k followers
September 19, 2011
The second book of Jeff Lemire's apocalyptic sci-fi horror "Sweet Tooth" sees our hero Gus in a concentration camp with fellow human-animal hybrid kids who are being experimented on in a Dr Mengele-like fashion. But wait, the yuks just keep on coming! Jepperd, the Judas of the first book, is given his day in court also and we learn of his tragic relationship with his now-deceased wife, and we find out clues about the origin of the mysterious plague that has ruined this reality.

Lemire expands on his world-in-ruins that we caught glimpses of in the first book. We see what's become of society and the survivor camps. We find out how the survivors are coming to terms with this massive shift in life and how they are trying to reverse the plague. What's interesting is that through some weird hypnosis sequence involving a plague doctor and Gus, we see Gus' father differently as well as Gus' own origin.

Things are left unresolved on all storylines though as there are several more books in the series planned. It's a tantalising setup though which initially felt like it was a Road-Warrior mashup with Cormac McCarthy's "The Road but is turning out to be something totally original.

Lemire's art is as strong as in the first book but the overall tone of this second book is far more depressing and darker than the first. Nonetheless it is compulsively readable and I enjoyed it a lot. The setups in Book 2 mean that Book 3 promises to be really exciting.

Comics fans looking for something a bit different will do well to check out this original series.
Profile Image for Chad.
10.3k reviews1,060 followers
June 17, 2021
Gus is a human/animal hybrid living in a world destroyed by a deadly plague. He's now in captivity in some kind of Dr. Mengele-style camp that experiments on hybrid children in order to find a cure to the plague.

Jeppards is the man who left behind Gus at the camp. We explore his origins going through the beginnings of the plague with his wife. We see what turned him this former hockey enforcer into the cold-hearted badass he is today.

It's a great volume that sets up the rest of the story with some very good character moments as well. I'm not typically a fan of Lemire's art but his crude, scratchy artwork works well with the dreary setting.
Profile Image for Urbon Adamsson.
1,938 reviews99 followers
July 28, 2025
PT Depois do desfecho explosivo do primeiro volume, este segundo mergulha um pouco mais no passado das duas personagens principais, Jeppard e Gus, revelando as motivações por trás das decisões de Jeppard.

Enquanto isso, Gus e os outros híbridos continuam a ser vítimas de experiências humanas numa tentativa desesperada de encontrar a cura para a doença que devastou este mundo.

Uma leitura fantástica, à semelhança do volume anterior — não é por acaso que esta série conquistou o estatuto de culto que tem hoje.

--

EN After the explosive ending of the first volume, this second one dives deeper into the past of the two main characters, Jeppard and Gus, revealing the motivations behind Jeppard’s actions.

Meanwhile, Gus and the other hybrids continue to be exploited by humans in a desperate attempt to find a cure for the disease that has ravaged this world.

A fantastic read, just like the first volume — it’s no surprise this series has earned the cult status it holds today.
Profile Image for Paz.
549 reviews216 followers
June 19, 2019
Re-read: 06.18.19
My thoughts are the same as before. I love every piece of backstory and the little clues to the origin of the sickness. Such a well-written volume.

Original Review:
4 Stars
Do you remember when I said in my review of volume 1 that I was intrigued by this graphic novel?
Well, now I'm just fascinated by this world and this story.
Volume 2: In Captivity is a darker volume. I feel like Vol. 1 was more heavy on the ambiance and in building up the setting, but this one is a much better crafted volume. Not only it expands a lot on the history of this world and the plague (also, Sweet Tooth possible involvement in its origin), but there are excellent character moments. It provides a perfect balance. There are many emotional and scary scenes for both Gus and Jepperd; and with the way things ended in volume 1, it was such a nice treat getting to know Jepperd. His desperation, his motivation.
Through a mix of flashbacks and present story, that interlocks perfectly, we learn about the tragedies in Jepperd's life.
It's extremely emotional seeing him trying to finally complete his quest and the sense of loneliness and utter loss after coming back home, but it is the perfect way to redeem his character.
I must say, I adored some parallels in his storyline. I can help but root for him, he's our broken antihero.

Not Yet, you bastards. Not Yet.

Just like with Jepperd, we get to learn more about Gus. Although Jepperd's is a much mature, tragic story, Gus's story is still a fascinating one. There's a great moment where Gus explores his childhood and the lessons of his father. Oh, what a lovely fellow.
Gus's innocence and the hopelessness of the other hybrid kids breaks my heart, but it is one of the things that grounds this story, that makes me more emotionally involved.

The artwork, like I said in my previous review, is perfect for this series. It's gritty, crude, it's one that won't let you forget the kind of world and the kind of people present in this story.

Overall, this series gets better and better with every issue and Lemire writing is just great. He is definitely one of my favorite writers.
Profile Image for Lashaan Balasingam.
1,475 reviews4,623 followers
December 17, 2020
An emotionally-heavy story-arc giving away Jeppard's heartbreaking story while drawing brilliant parallels to Gus' captivity. The attempt to further explore the world in which evolves this story makes this a fantastic story-arc that offers readers the chance to familiarize and connect to these characters, leading them to the cliffhanger ending that makes this a series that is simply unputdownable.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Profile Image for Sema.
244 reviews36 followers
April 22, 2019
İlk cilddən daha çox sevdim. Oxuduqca yeni suallar yaranırdı. Və nə olduqlarını öyrənmək üçün 3-cü cildə elə bugün başlayacam :D
P.S. Çizimləri hələ də məni narahat edir.
Profile Image for Leo.
385 reviews52 followers
January 17, 2015
Finally I had the chance to read the second volume of Sweet Tooth!
Lemire gives us the backstory of Jepperd which keep surprising me, not exactly by what happens but by interlocking it with events from the present.
Sweet Tooth is also being held by a bunch of men who want animal-children to investigate how the plague came to be and stop it. Or at least that how they justify their deplorable action. We learn more about Sweet Tooth past and some interesting things (and questions) arise. This volume was more well-rounded than the first one showing us a much darker world while setting the groundwork for more to come and revealing enough to keep us interested while still keeping the mystery.
What are you waiting for? Go read it!
Profile Image for Licha.
732 reviews124 followers
March 22, 2018
In this volume: ***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***STOP IF YOU MUST***

2nd WARNING: ***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***


--Gus sees other hybrids in captivity.

--We learn about Jeppard's past, his pregnant wife, and how they were tricked into captivity by the same people who now have Gus in captivity. His wife died in childbirth and Jeppard must bring a new hybrid (which is where Gus comes in) in exchange for his wife's remains.

--While in captivity, Doctor tries to hypnotize Gus to see if he has any memory of how he came to be. All Gus remembers is his Dad was writing his own version of the Bible.

--Gus has no belly button.

These are reminders of what was in this volume. The series continues strong.

Profile Image for Stewart Tame.
2,475 reviews120 followers
November 6, 2015
It's flashback time as we learn more about Gus and Jepperd's respective pasts. Jepperd's in particular will remind Lemire fans of his Essex County stories, what with the hockey and all. This series reads quickly, or maybe that's my eagerness to find out what happens next ...
Profile Image for Stay Fetters.
2,506 reviews199 followers
January 14, 2018
Some parts were a lot better than others but it was a great volume. I loved the backstory to Jeppards life and we got to see what was in the duffle!!!

Fantastic series so far!
Profile Image for Ish.
28 reviews134 followers
June 5, 2017
Got to find out more about Mr Jepperd and his backstory. Great installment to the series!
Profile Image for Michael Church.
682 reviews4 followers
June 15, 2013
Oh the FEELS in this book.

I had my doubts about Jeff Lemire drawing this by himself, but that has LONG GONE. Is the art perfect and clean and digital? No. But it's not supposed to be. It's gritty and dirty and a little f*cked up because that is what this book is.

The ride that this volume takes you on is intense. Learning about Jeppard's past and his motives is incredibly moving. I had tears welling up in my eyes more than once. I also really like how well-paced the book is. There's none of the typical "wait 3 volumes to see why this happened" stuff at play here. Sometimes that's good and it's really nice to see that happen over longer series, but knowing this was always planned as a limited run means this is just moving at the right pace to keep it interesting and meaningful.

There's a bigger focus on Jeppard in this book. He was certainly a main character in volume 1, but he's really at the forefront, possibly even more so than Gus this time. I loved it. There are some great moments showing what a powerful character he is and his motives are just so strongly communicated. You don't have to agree with them, but they're established with such conviction that you can't fault him for it. There's also an AWESOME couple of pages where you see him in a pose some 8 years ago and then again in the same pose, with the same intent, in the present, and it's just awesome. He's emanating power and you know he's going to be a major catalyst.

There's also some really great plot development overall as you understand more about what's happening at "The Preserve" and why they have an interest in Gus. There's a sweet flashback/hypnotism sequence that delves into Gus's past a bit, and what you learn about his dad is gripping and chilling at the same time. Can't get over how well Lemire has constructed and narrated this story so far. Loving his style.

Back to the art - after two volumes I see how it's really coming into it's own. Like I said, nothing is real world perfect. There's a truck that looks just terrible in one panel, but that's not the point. These could be stick figures for all that matters. The shapes and the composition and the color convey emotion and setting more than details. That doesn't stop them from being detailed at times, though. You can tell where Jeff took a little more time in some of the bigger splash pages. It looks great when he does. Some of the cityscapes and other post-apocalyptic scenes are pretty epic looking. The strangeness and imperfection of the art also really lends itself to the unique look of each characters. There are a lot of artists today who rely too much on making things look "perfect" and wind up with the same face for everyone (I'm looking at you Pacheco - you're lucky all your characters have differently colored hair). That's not even close to an issue here.

Bottom line, this whole title is epic and will go down in history as one of the greatest graphic novels ever. Do yourself a favor and get on board while the trades are relatively inexpensive.
Profile Image for Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈.
2,031 reviews6 followers
February 6, 2017
More on Mr. Jepperd's backstory as we get more information on what goes on in the militia camp. Now, I'm starting to understand the comments that this series is reminiscent of The Walking Dead.

I get the reason for showing us Mr. Jeoperd's backstory. Doesn't make me any happier with him. He's clearly punishing himself, as he should be. Clearly, he guilt is eating away at him.

Back at the militia camp, Gus finds out that the animal hybrids get taken to the lab and never come back. Gus' age makes him special and the doctors think he's the key. The big reveal about what Gus' father was writing is super, super interesting if it goes the way I think it will.

I'm hooked.
Profile Image for Bram Ryckaert.
137 reviews2 followers
November 11, 2018
This volume fleshes out the characters of Jepperd and Gus. Jepperd's tale in particular is gripping and heartbreaking. Sweet Tooth is a very addictive read and a real pageturner, fantastic story.
Profile Image for Kiarash.
117 reviews30 followers
June 6, 2022
جلد دوم کمیک عشق شیرینی از جلد اول بهتر بود. در این جلد داستان یکی از شخصیت های مهم سری مشخص شد و اطلاعات بیشتری درباره جهان داستان و آخرالزمان به مخاطب داده شد. طراحی ها هم همچنان در عین سادگی یک جاذبه خاصی دارن که پنلینگ های قوی این کمیک هم در القا کردن این حس بی تاثیر نیست. عشق شیرینی تا به اینجا کمیکی است به ظاهر ساده، اما با لایه هایی پیچیده و درون مایه ای دارک و ناراحت کننده که آخرالزمان و واکنش مردم به این پدیده رو به همون هولناکی که باید باشه نشون میده
Profile Image for exorcismemily.
1,448 reviews356 followers
June 14, 2017
The first was good, and I thought this one was even better!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 574 reviews

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