Sweet Tooth #18

by Jeff Lemire

I never get bored with Sweet Tooth.  Jeff Lemire's been telling a pretty brutal story with this comic (most people are dead, small human/animal hybrid child gets betrayed, more people die), yet has, at the same time, been very playful in his approach to storytelling and visually communicating his story through a monthly format comic.  I loved the issue where Gus was hypnotized and explored his memories, which were portrayed to us as he and Dr. Singh walking around on top of his own head.

Now, with this issue, Lemire has given us a sideways comic, much of which is written as if it were a storybook.  Now, neither of these things are new - but it is still a nice change of pace, and makes the comic, (now two pages shorter!) feel more dense and packed with story.

Gus, Jeppard, and their group are heading to Alaska to see if they can figure out where Gus came from, and what his connection with the disease and hybrid children is.  But first, they need to go to the mall and get supplies.  Oh, and it snows.  That's about it in terms of plot in this issue, as Lemire gives over the entire book to character development.  Gus and Jeppard have not spoken to each other since the rescue from the militia, and their strained relationship is shown beautifully, especially when Gus finds a candy bar machine, and is reminded of how Jeppard lured him out of his woods in the first place.

This is a great issue for a new reader to jump on with.  Yes, we're quite a ways into the story, but everything is nicely recapped, and I think it would be hard for someone to read this book and not begin to care about these characters.  This issue ends with a happy scene - perhaps the first in this book's whole year and a half run to date.