Chew #31 Review


Chew #31 picks up shortly after the shocking ending of the previous issue, the events of which will have a major impact on the second half of the series, if what we see is any indication. It’s the beginning of a new storyline called “Bad Apples” that sees Tony return to action (in more ways than one). Here’s the short, but not so sweet, official description of Chew #31 from Image:

The second half of CHEW starts here. With a funeral.

As Tony attends his sister’s funeral, his friends and family all encourage him to find her killer and take revenge. John Layman jumps us back and forth between the present burial and that of Tony’s wife, Min, who died years ago. There are some smooth transitions here, and Rob Guillory does some great coloring, with a different palette for each time, but the differences are almost too subtle. Readers who are unfamiliar with Tony’s past (the little we know of it) may get confused. Chew has always required a pretty high awareness of previous events from its readers, and while Layman doesn’t hesitate to provide recaps, he doesn’t always recap the right things. Further complicating the reading is an odd change in background color that should indicate a time shift, but doesn’t actually mean anything.

While at the funeral, Tony and John’s former boss from the FDA appears to reinstate them, and they immediately go to work investigating a series of spontaneous combustions of “big-boned” people. Tony is particularly eager to get back to work, both to avenge his sister, and to escape his grief. Unfortunately, this is the second problem with the story. After spending half the issue at his sister’s funeral, Tony leaps into a case completely unrelated to her death. This is perfectly realistic, and I’m sure the two plot threads will reconnect eventually, but within the issue it creates a major narrative disconnect.

As mentioned, Rob Guillory’s coloring is a major standout, along with the scenes of assorted opera singers and sumo wrestlers bursting into flame. It’s in these scenes that Layman and Guillory include the lion’s share of their customary signage jokes (one panel of a comic convention is both relatable and cutting). There are also some great shots of Tony cutting loose and kicking butt with a ferocity we typically don’t see in him. Guillory imbues him with a confidence here that makes for a refreshing change of pace.

Chew #31 isn’t the great jumping on point I’d like it to be, considering it’s the start of the series’ second half. Overall, though, it’s great to have Tony back in the lead, even if we had to sacrifice his sister in the process.

3.5/5

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