Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice

Detective Tony Chu is a cibopath, meaning he gets psychic feedback from anything he eats. This means he feels the life of any animal, plant, or anything else he ingests. Well, except for beets. Why? Who knows, but at least he can eat something guilt-free.

In a world where poultry consumption has been outlawed due to an outbreak of avaian flu, Chu is hired on by the Special Crimes Division of the USFDA to use his talents to solve otherwise unsolvable crimes. Teamed with a hulking mass of a man named Mason (who is also a cibopath), Chu is assigned to the most bizarre of cases, including a reporter who's food reviews make people physically ill, an Arctic outpost with a seemingly pointless assignment to audit their spending, and a Yakuza chicken smuggling operation. All the while, clues emerge that question the government's poultry ban.

Fans of bizarro fiction are likely to enjoy the sheer weirdness of the plot, while those used to more conventional stories may not appreciate the storyline. John Layman does a great job establishing the state of this world and makes the characters as believable as possible, considering the absurdity of the conspiracy and nature of Chu and Mason's powers.

The over-the-top artwork by Rob Guillory helps drive home the quirkiness of Chu's world. Chu is drawn relatively straightforward, while those around him are exaggerated caricatures of the traits they represent. It also helps that Guillory doesn't seem to be afraid of backgrounds, which often have little "Easter eggs" if you're paying attention.

All in all, a pretty good read. Check it out if you'd like to add a little strangeness to your diet.

Available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Things From Another World

Title: Chew, Vol. 1: Taster's Choice
Author: John Layman
Artist: Rob Guillory
Year: 2009
Pages: 128

The Cannibals of Candyland

The gist of the story is that there exists a group of cannibalistic offshoots of humanity that live in a subterranean world where everything is made of candy. Of course, evolution happened this way because the Candy People's favorite food is young children, and children are attracted to candy. Franklin Pierce watched one of the candy cannibals eat his siblings as a child and is seeking to expose and motivate the world into ridding existence of the Candy People. When he follows one down to their world, his plan goes awry, and he finds himself becoming what he hates most!

While Carlton Mellick III has a vivid imagination and a knack for thinking his universes through completely, I wouldn't consider this the best work of his I've read. Earlier I read Sausagey Santa, and that was a much more whacked-out and entertaining read. While this has some good moments, it mostly just drives the plot towards its inevitable conclusion.

It's a fun read, but not Mellick's best.

Available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million.

Title: The Cannibals of Candyland
Author: Carlton Mellick III
Year: 2009
Pages: 151

As Fate Would Have It

Michael Louis Calvillo spins a tale of cannibalism and bad relationships, somehow tying the two together into an entertaining yarn.

The story begins with Heather's first date with the city's rising star chef, Montgomery. The date takes a turn for the worse when she finds out Montgomery only thinks of her as a piece of meat — literally. As it turns out, Montgomery and his tenuous girlfriend Liz have eclectic culinary tastes. Things get complicated when Heather's heroin-addicted friend Ashley plays amateur detective and starts following Montgomery around.

While the book ends on a somewhat anticlimactic note, Calvillo shows his talent in creating an excellent character study on destructive relationships amid the absurdity of cannibalism. The true joy of this book is in Calvillo's use of language and the matter-of-fact tone taken by each of the characters. You truly find yourself sucked in, despite the obvious plot holes.

If you liked the TV show Lost more as a character study than the actual story, then you'll enjoy this book.

Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Title: As Fate Would Have It
Author: Michael Louis Calvillo
Year: 2009
Pages: 289