So, why aren’t you reading Chew yet? I mean, honestly, is there any good reason to not read Chew? It is expertly written, spectacularly drawn, ridiculously hilarious, and chock full of cyborg lions, chocolate assault rifles, Russian vampires, murderous chickens, and, of course, chogs ( a.k.a. chicken-frog hybrids). In the middle of all of this craziness is Tony Chu, a detective whose life is turned upside down because he’s a cibopath, which means when he eats something, he learns everything about its past.  His ability is incredibly important, because, in the world of Chew, chicken has been banned because of the bird flu, food crime is rampant, and the FDA is the last line of defense.

Chew is probably the most unique comic series I’ve ever read. Nothing out there can compare to the wild stuff that Layman and Guillory create for this book. John Layman has crafted an excellent story that, despite all of the weird ideas presented in the book, is really about characters in the end. Tony is a single father who has issues with his family and just wants to find someone he can date who understands his weird life. So, no matter how crazy Chew gets, Layman always brings the focus back to his characters and what they’re experiencing. Then, we have poor Rob Guillory, who must just want to strangle Layman every time he gets a new script filled with even more weird, new creatures or disturbing images than the last issue. Guillory brings this book to life with colorful, expressive characters and a great sense of pacing and layout. Layman had a great story when he created Chew, but Guillory’s art turns it into a must-read, instant classic.

Each issue of Chew is a stand-alone story, but to get the full experience, you should read the full arc. The first 25 issues of Chew have been collected in trade paperbacks, so that you can easily catch up. Jump aboard and read one of the funniest and expertly crafted books out there.