Chew / Revival #1

If there were 2 Image titles you’d find in a cross-over, who figured it Chew / Revival #1 would be the outcome? It’s certainly different, but will fans of either series find anything to enjoy?

The official description from Image:

TWO GREAT TASTES THAT TASTE REALLY WEIRD TOGETHER! Tony Chu heads to Wisconsin in two all-new original tales by the creative teams of both critically acclaimed titles! A great jumping-on point for readers who’ve heard how damn good these titles are on their own, and a twisted delight for those already in the know!

This one-shot is really two, since it’s split into two parts. What I like is the change in styles – the first half has the artistic style of Chew and reads as such, while the second half takes after Revival. It pleases both sides and offers a taste of the other at the same time.

However, I can’t help but question the writing process. Both stories offer a first meeting between the two titles yet, in the Revival story, Colby doesn’t even make an appearance. It almost seems rude that Tim Seeley would include so little from Chew, whereas John Layman’s story brings in so much of Revival‘s elements. This might, however, be because both take place in Revival’s setting, meaning it’s themes have to be involved along the way. That said, either both offer a similar experience – dead people come back to life and this guy gets visions from food – so it recaps the very basic essence of each title.

Visually, this issue simply gives you both. If you’re read Revival, you’re more than familiar with Mike Norton’s art style and cold, winter visuals. Similarly, Chew keeps its own style with the more vibrant and abstract aesthetics of Rob Guillory. If this issue aims to introduce audiences to new work, you can’t argue with the original styles. It highlights the differences between the two and provides an honest account of each title.

All in all, this isn’t bad for a one-shot. I see it more as a glorified advert than a well-crafted piece of work, as it is essentially a compendium of two, smaller crossovers. While there are references to other Image works in here – suggesting future crossovers – I’m not sure this is something Image should mass-spam the market with.