Graphic Novel Review: Chew Vol.1: Taster's Choice by John Layman and Rob Guillory

Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice by John Layman

If you have a weak stomach, do not read Chew. It is a foodie's worst nightmare drawn and spelled out in vivid, disgusting detail. It is, plain and simple, gross.

With that warning out of the way, I sit here enjoying my shrimp fried rice while my husband makes yummy hamburgers and I can happily inform you that I love the entire concept of this comic and continue to be impressed with Image Comics for their promotion of such amazing, off the wall creator-owned books.

Chew is a detective story starring Tony Chu, a cibopath. Tony can read psychic impressions from anything he eats (except beets). Such a "gift" could make a solid vegan out of anybody, but Tony's line of work ensures that won't be happening any time soon. The story occurs during a time when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the most powerful authoritative body. Poultry products have been banned due to avian flu epidemic threats, creating a black market for chicken and chicken substitutes. Many radical groups are up in arms against the government and the FDA, serving as a backdrop to Tony's personal adventures that all start when he takes a bite out of a serial killer to track down his victims.

It is black comedy at its finest. Hilariously dark situations are peppered with just the right amount of witty one-liners and commentary, with Guillory skillfully complimenting the words with his images.

The cast of characters is spectacular, each uniquely brought to life by Guillory's art. I love that Tony is the typical new kid on the block when he joins the FDA, but he isn't completely green. He's a good and capable detective with morals and conviction and, despite the personal inconvenience of his ability, he's reasonably willing to do what he has to do - from eating bad sushi to munching on decayed fingers - to catch the bad guy.

What's a lonely guy without a potential love interest? She comes in the form of Amelia Mintz, a food critic with a special gift of her own that makes her perfect for Tony, but that doesn't mean their relationship will be an easy sale. She falls into the Lois Lane category of strong, outspoken women who really don't need (or even notice) the guys who are pining after them.

The different food related powers (link contains spoilers) are like characters themselves and should not be overlooked as mere plot devices.

But let's not forget that this is a detective story. All the characters and interesting abilities are fascinating, but there actually is a story here and I appreciate the way Layman brings in all the extra details, without weighing things down or venturing too far from the unraveling main plot. There is a mystery to solve and in typical detective story fashion, a seemingly inconsequential case grows into a much, much larger conspiracy that leads to a pretty impressive cliffhanger ending to the first arc.

I am sad to learn that Chew will not appear on television as originally planned, but I'm secretly still holding out hope for a special guest appearance on Hannibal.

5 of 5 stars

Film Review: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

What is a movie review doing in a book blog, you might ask? Well you see, I would reply conspiratorially, I cheated.

Persepolis - the graphic novel - was the topic of discussion in our recent Ladies Night Comic Club meeting, but procrastination various distractions and priorities got in the way of me reading it. Since the film is so close to the source material, I decided to check that out instead.

This is an autobiographical story about Marjane Satrapi's coming of age during the Iranian Revolution. The  majority of the animation is in black and white, which gives the film a more universal appeal. The simplicity of the imagery manages to convey so much complexity and emotion. Often times as I watched it, I forgot when it takes place (1980s) and that it takes place in Iran - which was the author's intent. It was easy to realize how alike we are and to wonder about the potential for such events to occur within our own cultures at any time. I recently walked away from The Handmaid's Tale thinking that, while frightening, we are not quite there yet with some of the political and religious movements in North America. But, watching Persepolis made me realize just how close other nations are to that kind of dystopian future. And maybe we're not so far away here either.

Marjane's story begins with her as a rebellious child who wants to be a prophet and idolizes Bruce Lee. She is outspoken and throughout the story I often thought her rebellious moments would lead to her own punishment, like her Uncle Anouche who is imprisoned and later killed for his left-wing ideals. Undoubtedly, her greatest influence and my favourite character is Marjane's grandmother, who provides moral guidance for Marjane and admonishes her when she forgets to stay true to herself or takes for granted the sacrifices others have made. Her parents are depicted in a quiet, subdued manner, but it is clear that their love, encouragement, comfort and support are also an important part of Marjane's life. I loved the way they were always willing to stand behind her without questioning her or her mistakes, while her grandmother represented an unapologetic view that has no time for the indulgence of self-pity.

I expected Marjane's life story to result in some sort of epic anarchistic moment where she firmly takes up the cause to fight the powers that be. Instead, we see a gentle coming of age story where Marjane goes through many of the trials and tribulations, loves and losses of any normal person - only, this life is set with the backdrop of war, political strife, revolution, repression, sacrifice and more. And then I realized the obvious: this film is the result of her life. This film is the moment of epic anarchy where she firmly takes up the cause. Only, she's done it in such a way that nothing is forced on you. Nothing is preachy. It's interesting to note that Persepolis was banned in many places, including Iran, of course, only to have the bans lifted (though with some restrictions still imposed in some places).

4 of 5 stars