Altilis-738

I really like window shopping. Even more so when I have money and the window shopping has the potential to turn into actual shopping. Today I was pleasantly surprised by one of my impulse purchases. And so it happens that

I have a tasty piece of comic review on the menu today (puns fully intended) 

Chew, Volume 1: Taster's choice is bizarre in a way you rarely see published. The events take place in the alternative reality where bird flu pandemic was so bad that government prohibited chicken. Eating chicken, buying chicken, owning chicken is illegal. The black market for poultry is blooming. Conspiracy theorists are having a blast. Oh, and some people have inexplicable abilities that more often than not relate to food. Other than that life is pretty much as it is, which only makes the few oddities in the Chew funnier in comparison.

Our protagonist is a copper called Tony Chu. He is Cibopathic. He eats stuff and gets psychic impressions from what he ate. His ability comes in handy at detective work, as long as he doesn't mind tasting murder victims and their dogs every once in a while. (He does mind, but he'll do it anyway) It takes only one case where Chu bites suspect's face off and he is enrolled into government's Special Crimes Division and the rest is stuff of the legends. 

I really enjoyed Rob Guillory's art, his bold lines and caricaturesque style. His style also goes really well hand in hand with John Layman's bizarre humour. Chew: vol 1 has left me hungry for more, and I'm only a bit miffed to be hooked on a comic that is next to impossible to find from stores in Helsinki. Do I have to (gasp) order something from internet?!