REVIEW: Chew #26

Tony is still recovering from his injuries in the hospital, so we have time to catch up with other characters. Lets find out what his siblings are up to.

Chew #26
Writer: John Layman
Artist: Rob Guillory
Letterer: John Layman
Color Assists: Taylor Wells
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $2.99

Previously in Chew: Tony was kidnapped and force-fed the remains of deceased baseball players in a sick plot by Amelia’s ex to write a tell-all sex book. Amelia was able to rescue Tony before Dan could auction him off to the highest bidder in a room filled with Nazis, Satanists, Civil War Reenactors, and Elvis fans. In other character news: Agent Colby has a new partner, Olive is still with Savoy, and Tony’s brother Chow well…

…HE’S STILL A DICK.

In a signature Chew fashion the issue starts with the two parts that accompany almost every issue: a panel from a previous issue in the credits and a prologue. I love the panels before the new story start because it always gives you a little background info and also shows you how deep the continuity is in the series. The panel for this issue is from a couple volumes ago when we are introduced to the entire Chew family, which is good here since they play the main roles this time around.

The prologue sets up the rest of the story by showing Chow at an art auction ready to spend big money, but is out bid by another chef whom he has bad blood with. Not appreciating being publicly shown up, Chow recruits his NASA agent and cibovoyant (bites living things and can see their future) sister Toni to help him settle the score. He concocts a story about the rival chef making duplicates of the paintings in an attempt to collect insurance money off them. Of course what he wanted all along was to get access to the kitchen to destroy his competition’s recipes.

And if you have a prologue you of course need an epilogue. In this quick, one-page epilogue a previous antagonist is brought back into the light, which is exciting and should bring good stories to come.

IT’S ROB F%*#&$(^ GUILLORY

What can be said about Rob Guillory that hasn’t been said already? Perhaps these. Rob Guillory is the Supreme Chancellor of the Comic Artists Federation. Rob Guillory once used black magic to channel the talents of artists present and past, but after two minutes of drawing decided to, and I quote, “Screw it. I drew better in the 7th grade.” Now I can’t necessarily confirm those two statements, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they were accurate. What I’m trying to get at is with out Rob Guillory Chew wouldn’t be what it is.

BOTTOM LINE: BOTTOM LINE: PLEASE NEVER END

With both creators on this book saying that Chew will end at issue 60, there is a time coming when I will no longer be able to look forward to new happenings in this crazy, cybernetic animal, chicken-less world. While this saddens me, I know that it will be a great ride to the end. I mean this issue, and the whole last arc really, was pretty Tony-less, but the story never falters and is continually funny. Chew #26 is a continuation of greatness by both Layman and Guillory and earns 4.5 out of 5 stars.