Written by John Layman
Illustrated by Rob Guillory“FLAMBÉ,”Part Two – Bullied nerd Peter Pilaf goes all “food-Columbine” on the students of Francis Bacon High. Plus: fun with astronauts!
The fourth major arc of everyone’s favorite food-related crime comic continues! This book has been on a steady incline with its innovative concepts, bright characters and intriguing plots and this issue shows no signs of that stopping. Click on down for musings on this latest issue.
The way in which this books turns such a simple actions like preparing and eating food and makes them seen like entirely new concepts and not things organisms have done to survive for millions of years is astounding. This issue gives us yet another food related ability on top of the myriad of ones we’ve been introduced so far. However, unlike in past issues, there was not a panel explicitly explaining this one, though “making food that explodes and seduces” aren’t particularly hard to grasp concepts.
The man wielding this unwieldy ability happens to be Peter Pilaf, a fellow student of Olive, there previously unknown (until two issues ago) daughter of Tony. As our heroes question Tony’s honesty-challenged daughter, we learn a lot more about her and her personality. Finally, they abandon all tact, burst down the door, beat the holy hell out of Pilaf and save the day from his explosive concoction. All this, and they managed to fit a brief space-based interlude and the return of one of Tony’s stranger (and most despicable) enemies too. While the mystery of the space writing is no closer to being solved, the earthbound adventures of our heroes are heating up.
On the other side of the creative table, Rob Guillory’s art just gets better and better. The level of symbiosis between writer and artist on this book is astounding, to the point that I am prepared to say the book could not exist without them both…and that type of creative relationship is rare in the industry today. Simply put: I can’t imagine anything but Guillory’s angular, uniquely warped and sharp illustrations inside an issue of Chew and still have that comic be as engaging, entertaining and unique as it is with his work inside. Let’s hope we never have to find out what such a book looks like.
Overall, this book deserves every bit of praise it receives. All comics should be as hilariously innovative, intriguing and balance both soft-hearted personal moments and uber-violent like this book does. Hell, it’s even making people try Beets…and THAT is a feat I never saw coming.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
