Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Image Comics (2009), Edition: Illustrated, 128 pages
Description
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.
User reviews
LibraryThing member schatzi
I'd heard a lot of good things about Chew, and I was happy to discover that the comics are worthy of the hype. Chew is nothing like I've read before - part dark humor, part crime mystery, and part something else entirely - and it was a lot of fun to read. Tony Chu is a cop and a cibopath (he can
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eat anything and discover what had happened in its past), and he eventually joins the FDA once his unique gifts are discovered. The story is made more interesting by an alternate history involving avian (bird) flu and its repercussions. Great stuff here; I can't wait for the next trade. Show Less
LibraryThing member titania86
Meet Tony Chu. He is a cibopath, which is a fancy name for his ability of getting psychic impressions when he eats things. For instance when he eats an apple, he sees where it was picked, what pesticides were used on it, what tree it came from, etc. You can probably see why he doesn't like to eat
I really love this graphic novel. I first heard about it from a friend a while ago and was intrigued about the cibopath concept. I had no idea that it was actually a dystopic story. (I am such a sucker for those.) The story starts off in a very funny way. Tony and his idiotic police partner are staking out a chicken speakeasy to capture a murderer. The fact that chicken is outlawed really cracked me up, until later in the book when you find that they probably killed millions of people. There were so many things that made me laugh and were also very dark. If you have a twisted sense of humor, this is definitely a read for you.
This novel was a mixture of so many things: crime drama, futuristic dystopia, romance, comedy, and action. This mix really makes this graphic novel stand out about most others that I've read. The story moved fluidly and I read it in about an hour. The art of Rob Guillory really complemented the story very well. It was surreal and cartoony, while still being beautiful and surprisingly detailed. The book ended with a surprising revelation. I can't wait until the next book comes out!
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meat, considering what he would see with every bite. The only food that doesn't leave a psychic impression is beets. After being caught eating a serial killer that killed himself instead of confessing his crimes, Tony was roped into working for the FDA, investigating some of the most bizarre crimes. This isn't the FDA of today; it has become the most powerful government law enforcement organization. This is because there was a bird flu that killed literally millions of people. This, of course, means that chicken is outlawed. Many people, including Tony's brother, believe this flu is just a cover for government nastiness. Will Tony stumble onto the truth behind the flu? Will he be able to restrain himself from killing his horrible, horrible boss?I really love this graphic novel. I first heard about it from a friend a while ago and was intrigued about the cibopath concept. I had no idea that it was actually a dystopic story. (I am such a sucker for those.) The story starts off in a very funny way. Tony and his idiotic police partner are staking out a chicken speakeasy to capture a murderer. The fact that chicken is outlawed really cracked me up, until later in the book when you find that they probably killed millions of people. There were so many things that made me laugh and were also very dark. If you have a twisted sense of humor, this is definitely a read for you.
This novel was a mixture of so many things: crime drama, futuristic dystopia, romance, comedy, and action. This mix really makes this graphic novel stand out about most others that I've read. The story moved fluidly and I read it in about an hour. The art of Rob Guillory really complemented the story very well. It was surreal and cartoony, while still being beautiful and surprisingly detailed. The book ended with a surprising revelation. I can't wait until the next book comes out!
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LibraryThing member RoboJonelle
When at the comicon in my city (Spokane), I met John Layman and even though I had heard about Chew before, he described it to me and ultimately, made me buy it. I am very glad I did. Layman writes with such humor, wit and the reader can tell he did some research for this comic series. It's very
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smartly written and the illustrations will catch your eye. An original take on the lives of the FDA agents, one that any lover of comics, food or just smart humorous writing will enjoy. I can't wait to read more of this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member callmecayce
This definitely isn't something to read before you've eaten or during a meal. It's definitely gross, but at the same time it's disgustingly and oddly awesome. I kind of loved it and desperately want to read the next volume.
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Tony Chu can taste details of the lives - and deaths - of everything he eats, much like the protagonist of Aimee Bender's The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. That's where the similarities to anything you've ever read before stop, however.
Tony's a cop in a world where a bird flu pandemic
Review: Chew has temporarily put me at a loss for words. Wait, here's some: Gross. Morbid. Bizarre. Twisted. Disturbed. Here's some more: Hilarious. Imaginative. Unique. Clever. All of that first set of words again, but in the best way possible. Chew's not quite like anything I've ever encountered before, and very little I can say is going to do it justice. Calling it "black humor" doesn't go far enough, but I was laughing out loud more than once.
Volume 1 is more than a little bit manic, as it's mostly set-up, and for a while it seemed like each of the five included issues was mostly independent. For a while I was expecting the whole series to be a procedural - Tony uses his talent to solve unrelated cases as they come. Only as the volume ends do you get the sense that each of the very disparate pieces are part of a larger whole - although what that whole is can't even be guessed at yet.
The art is great, and really well-suited to the story: thoroughly gross in places, and zany and overblown throughout, but generally bright, fun, and interestingly-panelled, with the full-page depictions of Chu's tasting ability being particularly wonderful. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Not for the squeamish or weak-stomached, those about to eat dinner, or really, those interested in ever eating again. But if you can handle the grossness, and you like your comics bizarre, twisted, and funny, then Chew's a hell of a ride.
Tony's a cop in a world where a bird flu pandemic
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has caused the U.S. ban chicken. On a stakeout of an illegal chicken speakeasy, Tony tastes the soup, and realizes that the chef is a wanted serial killer. The F.D.A. gets wind of his talents, and they snap Tony up as a special agent, one who can see victims' last moments and know their secrets... if he just engages in a little bit of cannibalism first. However, he's not doomed to be working cold cases forever, because there's a conspiracy afoot: not everyone believes that the bird flu is what killed all of those people, and somehow a missing health inspector, a beautiful but bored food writer who has the power to cause mass projectile vomiting with the power of her words, the Japanese mob, and a bunch of Russian astronomers that have spent the past several years staring at a far-away planet are all connected... and that's just Volume 1.Review: Chew has temporarily put me at a loss for words. Wait, here's some: Gross. Morbid. Bizarre. Twisted. Disturbed. Here's some more: Hilarious. Imaginative. Unique. Clever. All of that first set of words again, but in the best way possible. Chew's not quite like anything I've ever encountered before, and very little I can say is going to do it justice. Calling it "black humor" doesn't go far enough, but I was laughing out loud more than once.
Volume 1 is more than a little bit manic, as it's mostly set-up, and for a while it seemed like each of the five included issues was mostly independent. For a while I was expecting the whole series to be a procedural - Tony uses his talent to solve unrelated cases as they come. Only as the volume ends do you get the sense that each of the very disparate pieces are part of a larger whole - although what that whole is can't even be guessed at yet.
The art is great, and really well-suited to the story: thoroughly gross in places, and zany and overblown throughout, but generally bright, fun, and interestingly-panelled, with the full-page depictions of Chu's tasting ability being particularly wonderful. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Not for the squeamish or weak-stomached, those about to eat dinner, or really, those interested in ever eating again. But if you can handle the grossness, and you like your comics bizarre, twisted, and funny, then Chew's a hell of a ride.
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LibraryThing member clstaff
Another amazing graphic novel. Agent Chu has premonitions about something when he eats it. To solve crimes he needs to sample varios things from weird fruits to dead dogs. Funny, gory and amazingly drawn. Would make an excellent movie or computer game.
LibraryThing member LaneLiterati
Funny, unique, entertaining, but at times extremely disgusting. Can you imagine having the power to taste what would essentially be, your food's history, every time you took a bite? Meet Chu, he has just that power and loves to eat beets.
LibraryThing member Jynaxx
Terrific idea for a GN. I really love the art work in this book and hope they don`t go changing the illustrator (like some series I know....that`s right - I`m looking at you Walking Dead).
Eyeing the second in the series now. Yep.
Eyeing the second in the series now. Yep.
LibraryThing member Shirezu
I saw this one come up on a friend's review and it struck me as a really different idea and something that I just had to read. So I picked it up ASAP and was very happy with what I got.
Chew is the story of Tony Chu, a cibopath. That means whatever he eats, literally whatever, he gets psychic
Chew is the story of Tony Chu, a cibopath. That means whatever he eats, literally whatever, he gets psychic
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impressions from it. Names, places, numbers, etc. In the vein of others, like Garth Ennis, this book is disturbing and in-your-face, but so far not as dark as Ennis. I look forward to what comes next and finding more people with strange food powers. Show Less
LibraryThing member theforestofbooks
The single issues of this series have been a revelation, with the first printing a sell out. Reading the trade it isnt difficult to see why. It’s smart, funny and highly original all at once. Tony Chu is a cibopath, a person who receives the history of anything he eats. This leads detective, Tony
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Chu into some very weird eating scenarios which manages to be both amusing and a little unpalatable (for the reader if not Tony Chu!) This is a book of wonderfully dark and twisted storytelling supported with colourful characters and some intriguing plotlines. The comicy feel of the artwork is bright and punchy and fits the story perfectly. Very much looking forward to seeing where the storyline goes next. Show Less
LibraryThing member brianjungwi
Chew Volume One: Taster’s Choice combines the first five issues of the Chew comic which is funny, disturbing, and overall enjoyable. Tony Chu is cibopathic, meaning he receives psychic impressions from the things that he eats. Tracing contraband chicken at a chicken speakeasy Tony discovers a
As a special agent for the FDA, Tony Chu is partnered with another cibopath, Mason Savoy, who acts as his mentor. Chew plays the clichés of the typical buddy cop detective drama with the yelling boss, banter between partners, and strong streaks of sarcasm. While tracing a murder, Tony falls in love with a food reviewer whose power is in her pen. She can make people taste what she writes, and her current mission is to sicken people by visiting the worst restaurants in the city. The other supporting characters are interesting due to the book’s premise, and several story arcs are launched by the end of this volume.
Brief scenes of cannibalism and munching on other non – delectables combined with a twisted sense of humor define the tone for Chew. The dystopic future is rife with conspiracy. Chicken is outlawed (leaving only outlaws with chicken), but is there a sinister reasoning behind this? Was bird flu responsible for mass death or are there other forces at work? While investigating a case, Tony is brought back to his partner, the hulking Mason, who has his own agenda. They know each other’s ability and the information that can be obtained from a nibble of one another. They part as enemies, and Chew looks to be a promising detective comic with an overall conspiracy arch.
Rob Guillory’s art is outlandish, but he is able to convey complex emotions through facial features and body language despite the cartoon style that dominates much of the book. The most impressive thing about the art in Chew is Guillory’s colouring. Different pages will have a dominating tint making the book vivid while maintaining a noir feel. Occasionally gruesome with a playful silliness, the art actively contributes rather than distracts from the story, and remains engaging throughout.
Chew Volume One: Taster’s Choice is both completely ridiculous and engaging all at once. It pushes the envelope, and the scenes of eating to solve crimes will not appeal to every reader. Violence, vomit, and the grotesque are played for shock value, but progress the story nonetheless. Readers looking for something new and different while adhering to the themes of government conspiracy and police drama will be delighted. Chew has a strong charisma and this first collection will leave readers wanting to munch on some more.
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serial killer who he repeatedly bites into to discover where missing bodies are buried. The consequence? He is recruited by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which has become the most powerful law enforcement agency after bird flu devastates the population.As a special agent for the FDA, Tony Chu is partnered with another cibopath, Mason Savoy, who acts as his mentor. Chew plays the clichés of the typical buddy cop detective drama with the yelling boss, banter between partners, and strong streaks of sarcasm. While tracing a murder, Tony falls in love with a food reviewer whose power is in her pen. She can make people taste what she writes, and her current mission is to sicken people by visiting the worst restaurants in the city. The other supporting characters are interesting due to the book’s premise, and several story arcs are launched by the end of this volume.
Brief scenes of cannibalism and munching on other non – delectables combined with a twisted sense of humor define the tone for Chew. The dystopic future is rife with conspiracy. Chicken is outlawed (leaving only outlaws with chicken), but is there a sinister reasoning behind this? Was bird flu responsible for mass death or are there other forces at work? While investigating a case, Tony is brought back to his partner, the hulking Mason, who has his own agenda. They know each other’s ability and the information that can be obtained from a nibble of one another. They part as enemies, and Chew looks to be a promising detective comic with an overall conspiracy arch.
Rob Guillory’s art is outlandish, but he is able to convey complex emotions through facial features and body language despite the cartoon style that dominates much of the book. The most impressive thing about the art in Chew is Guillory’s colouring. Different pages will have a dominating tint making the book vivid while maintaining a noir feel. Occasionally gruesome with a playful silliness, the art actively contributes rather than distracts from the story, and remains engaging throughout.
Chew Volume One: Taster’s Choice is both completely ridiculous and engaging all at once. It pushes the envelope, and the scenes of eating to solve crimes will not appeal to every reader. Violence, vomit, and the grotesque are played for shock value, but progress the story nonetheless. Readers looking for something new and different while adhering to the themes of government conspiracy and police drama will be delighted. Chew has a strong charisma and this first collection will leave readers wanting to munch on some more.
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LibraryThing member swampygirl
This one really grew on me as I read it. The art is really fun and the expressive speech bubbles and typography were really well done.
LibraryThing member catya77
Tony Chu sees information about people, places, things whenever he eats something other than beets. Beets are safe and don't cause visions. In this volume, Tony joins the FDA and begins to learn the ropes.
The graphics are fun and detailed adding to the story and often humor.
A crisp yet somewhat
Without giving too much plot away, I will just say this:
Overall, a fun read.
The graphics are fun and detailed adding to the story and often humor.
A crisp yet somewhat
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formulaic in the realm of "superheroes" narrative leads Tony's adventures.Without giving too much plot away, I will just say this:
Overall, a fun read.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
Tony Chu is a detective who can taste an organic object’s history when he eats it. As you can imagine, this has some grisly applications. In a world where the FDA has dictatorial powers and chicken has been banned after the death of millions of people from, ostensibly, bird flu, Chu is forcibly
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recruited into an elite FDA unit, where he sees various crimes and conspiracies. Though it was an intriguing premise, the art was too spiky for me and the Russian secret agents in G-strings too pneumatic. Show Less
LibraryThing member cendri
This is cutely gross.
No seriously. I don't know how they managed it but they made something that is adorable and also something I have to read long after dinner. I pretty much love every character so far, LOVE the art style, and the storyline is both fun and adventurous.
Also Tony Chu is my hero and
If your stomach can handle some (cute!) grossness, read this.
No seriously. I don't know how they managed it but they made something that is adorable and also something I have to read long after dinner. I pretty much love every character so far, LOVE the art style, and the storyline is both fun and adventurous.
Also Tony Chu is my hero and
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I want to send him beets.If your stomach can handle some (cute!) grossness, read this.
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LibraryThing member Serenity_Tigerlily
Loved every second of this graphic novel. It's disgusting, action-packed, and hilarious. Can't wait to get the next volume!
LibraryThing member Kellswitch
A graphic novel about a government agent who can pick up psychic impressions from anything he eats...and the weird, weird world he inhabits.
An interesting premise and an interesting world, it's a bit darker than I usually am comfortable with but there are signs of whimsy and weirdness here and
The art matches the feel of the story and does a good job of showing the rather gross unpleasantness of the overarching theme without being overwhelming graphic gory, what violence there was was kept to a minimum of blood and gore which I felt benefited the story all the better.
Dark, twisted and weird but with an odd touch of whimsy (I hope they eventually explain the frogs...) I was intrigued and want to read more.
An interesting premise and an interesting world, it's a bit darker than I usually am comfortable with but there are signs of whimsy and weirdness here and
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there, enough to keep me from being completely turned off. The characters I've been introduced to so far aren't particularly likeable but feel grounded and real and so far I am curious to see what becomes of them. The art matches the feel of the story and does a good job of showing the rather gross unpleasantness of the overarching theme without being overwhelming graphic gory, what violence there was was kept to a minimum of blood and gore which I felt benefited the story all the better.
Dark, twisted and weird but with an odd touch of whimsy (I hope they eventually explain the frogs...) I was intrigued and want to read more.
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LibraryThing member Saretta.L
Tony Chu è un cibopatico: appena mangia qualcosa acquista memoria di tutto quello che è avvenuto al cibo fino a quel momento.
In un futuro in cui l'influenza aviaria ha colpito e i polli sono banditi il talento di Tony è ben apprezzato, purtroppo sarà costretto a addentare cibo ai limiti del
Tony is a cibopathic: when he eats something he gets the memory of everything happened to the food until that moment.
In a future when the avian flu spread and the chicken are banished Tony's talent is quite welcome; unfortunately he will have to eat also barely edible food.
In un futuro in cui l'influenza aviaria ha colpito e i polli sono banditi il talento di Tony è ben apprezzato, purtroppo sarà costretto a addentare cibo ai limiti del
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mangiabile e oltre.Tony is a cibopathic: when he eats something he gets the memory of everything happened to the food until that moment.
In a future when the avian flu spread and the chicken are banished Tony's talent is quite welcome; unfortunately he will have to eat also barely edible food.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Chu is a police detective with the police until he's caught taking a bite out of a suspect. Of course no one understands that he's taking a bite b/c he is a cibopath, he can tell everything about anything he eats (except beets). After Chu's incident he is recruited by the FDA and his first job is
I love the detective work and the whole chicken being banned thing is just crazy to me. However there is a definite gross out factor here, when you think about all the different things he ends up eating and what's actually going on. I am very curious about the grand scheme so I'm going to keep reading. I definitely wasn't expecting the twist at the end of the story. I am also hoping that in the end Chu will get the girl, even though she has disappeared. A girl who can describe how food tastes so that other's feel like they are eating it is perfect for Chu!
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to figure out who's finger turned up in a sandwich and what happened to that person.I love the detective work and the whole chicken being banned thing is just crazy to me. However there is a definite gross out factor here, when you think about all the different things he ends up eating and what's actually going on. I am very curious about the grand scheme so I'm going to keep reading. I definitely wasn't expecting the twist at the end of the story. I am also hoping that in the end Chu will get the girl, even though she has disappeared. A girl who can describe how food tastes so that other's feel like they are eating it is perfect for Chu!
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Chu is a police detective with the police until he's caught taking a bite out of a suspect. Of course no one understands that he's taking a bite b/c he is a cibopath, he can tell everything about anything he eats (except beets). After Chu's incident he is recruited by the FDA and his first job is
I love the detective work and the whole chicken being banned thing is just crazy to me. However there is a definite gross out factor here, when you think about all the different things he ends up eating and what's actually going on. I am very curious about the grand scheme so I'm going to keep reading. I definitely wasn't expecting the twist at the end of the story. I am also hoping that in the end Chu will get the girl, even though she has disappeared. A girl who can describe how food tastes so that other's feel like they are eating it is perfect for Chu!
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to figure out who's finger turned up in a sandwich and what happened to that person.I love the detective work and the whole chicken being banned thing is just crazy to me. However there is a definite gross out factor here, when you think about all the different things he ends up eating and what's actually going on. I am very curious about the grand scheme so I'm going to keep reading. I definitely wasn't expecting the twist at the end of the story. I am also hoping that in the end Chu will get the girl, even though she has disappeared. A girl who can describe how food tastes so that other's feel like they are eating it is perfect for Chu!
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LibraryThing member allriledup
I think this series has a lot of promise and I look forward to reading further volumes-curious to see how this idea develops. I'm most in love with the illustrations.
LibraryThing member capriciousreader
Gross, but good.
LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
from the back of the book: "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." Weird, huh? But it grabbed me in, and I picked it up! And it got weirder! Chu and his partner work in a world in which chicken
Then, Chu goes to work for the special crimes division of the FDA, where he is told, "in the course of this job, you're going to eat terrible things, all in the name of justice." Human finger anyone! Eww... AND lol! Turns out, he can "take a bite of human flesh, and learn many of the secrets of the person who wore that flesh." And, in this story, blood, and even dog flesh, can "tell" him things!
It's gross, but totally fun to read! And I'm looking forward to reading more
Woo hoo to Chew!
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is outlawed because of the bird flu! So there are chicken "speakeasys" where a person can eat this outlawed food, ala alcohol during the Prohibition Era! Lol!!!Then, Chu goes to work for the special crimes division of the FDA, where he is told, "in the course of this job, you're going to eat terrible things, all in the name of justice." Human finger anyone! Eww... AND lol! Turns out, he can "take a bite of human flesh, and learn many of the secrets of the person who wore that flesh." And, in this story, blood, and even dog flesh, can "tell" him things!
It's gross, but totally fun to read! And I'm looking forward to reading more
Woo hoo to Chew!
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LibraryThing member Traciinaz
This is a great comic so far and really original. :-)
LibraryThing member -Eva-
Tony Chu is Cibopathic and gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats, which means that, as a detective, he has to, literally, take a bite out his victims to find out whodunit. This is quite original, which isn't something I often come across, so I enjoyed Layman's peculiar spin on the genre.
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The characters are also interesting; especially Chu is an appealing mix of strength and vulnerability that can make for a great hero. Unfortunately, the story premise and the world building didn't quite catch my imagination, so I'm not going to continue the series, but I would recommend that any comic-reader who don't mind a bit of gruesome give it a try, just in case the storyline works better for you than for me. Show Less
Awards
Eisner Award (Nominee — 2010)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten — 2011)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
128 p.; 10 inches
ISBN
1607061597 / 9781607061595