Mission: Books 21/25
I'm determined to finish this challenge before the end of the year. Because it's been excellent at getting me to read things. I have some graphic novels, some new recommendations and some sequels. I'm going to get it done.
A Book That Scares You: Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory.
Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunnit, and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.
It took me ages to work out how I was going to find a book that scared me (and before I'd read it as well.) I've read things that have creeped me out before, but I can't remember the last one that scared me (the last story with implications that unnerved me was the fabulous short story The Jaunt by Stephen King.) But Chew, a graphic novel based on a cop getting psychic impressions from things he eats (often dead, festering, grotesque things.) I wasn't sure I wanted to read that, not in graphic novel form. So I figured it was perfect.
I liked the art, it's simple but it has lots of character. Some of the things Tony has to put in his mouth to get impressions from, some of the evidence he has to eat is disturbing. In a 'please staple my mouth shut forever' sort of way. And the splash screens of those impressions are impressive. It's a good idea and it's both drawn and written well. Just enough detail to give you all the implications without an obvious and vivid picture of how gross what's going on actually is.
I didn't like it enough to pick up more in the series. I need a little bit more humour, fascination or compulsion to go along with my gross. But it was definitely unique and it had its own charm, and I liked all the little twists.
A Book That Scares You: Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory.
Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunnit, and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.
It took me ages to work out how I was going to find a book that scared me (and before I'd read it as well.) I've read things that have creeped me out before, but I can't remember the last one that scared me (the last story with implications that unnerved me was the fabulous short story The Jaunt by Stephen King.) But Chew, a graphic novel based on a cop getting psychic impressions from things he eats (often dead, festering, grotesque things.) I wasn't sure I wanted to read that, not in graphic novel form. So I figured it was perfect.
I liked the art, it's simple but it has lots of character. Some of the things Tony has to put in his mouth to get impressions from, some of the evidence he has to eat is disturbing. In a 'please staple my mouth shut forever' sort of way. And the splash screens of those impressions are impressive. It's a good idea and it's both drawn and written well. Just enough detail to give you all the implications without an obvious and vivid picture of how gross what's going on actually is.
I didn't like it enough to pick up more in the series. I need a little bit more humour, fascination or compulsion to go along with my gross. But it was definitely unique and it had its own charm, and I liked all the little twists.