Chew #21

Written by John Layman
Art by Rob Guillory

I love Chew.  I'm pretty sure I've written about that before, but it's still true, so there you have it.  It's a hard comic to keep writing about, because as a reviewer, I have to wonder how often I can use phrases like 'gets better with every issue', despite the fact that it's a true statement.

This issue begins a new arc, 'Major League Chew'.  The interesting thing about arcs on this comic is that they are almost always a series of done-in-one stories (at least lately) that could just as well fit with the previous arc.  I guess every writer has to keep one eye towards the eventual trade these days, and that helps provide the structure of the book.

In this issue, Tony starts his new job.  After the disaster of his last mission for the FDA, he's been fired.  Actually, he's been reassigned to the city traffic division, but Applebee, his former boss, prefers to use the word 'fired'.  (He also gets a dance number, which opens the issue).  Being a traffic cop means that Tony has to wear a helmet with a light on it, and a kilt.  He also has to ride around on a Segway, marking him as one of the lowest of the low in the world.

Strangely though, the job gives him the opportunity to shine, and actually get appreciated for his talents for a change (at least, until the last page).  Layman and Guillory give us a fun issue which focuses mainly on Tony, although it does raise the questions of what happened to his daughter, and where his former partner Colby has been reassigned.  Great stuff.