Holy shit, what a great issue. If I was to explain to anyone why Chew is such a great book (this month), this would be an excellent issue to show someone. It has everything that makes this comic so damn good. So you may ask what are those things? (Or you might be thinking about that itch in the middle of your spine, I don't read minds, I write reviews) First reason: Artwork
This book is fucking delicious. This is one of those books you devour, panel by panel, with your eyeballs. It is a visual feast that can rarely be digested in one sitting. It requires you to go back and savor each morsel until you’re beyond satiated.
Second reason: Story
The story that John Layman has been laying out over the last 48 issues is like a seventeen course meal. Each arc is its own delicious course which could be a meal in its own right. Eaten, enjoyed and discussed without needing to sign up for the banquet. If however you do dine at the head table, each course adds to the experience.
Third reason: Sight Gags
Rob Guillory is a master (chef), he knows exactly how to season each panel with jokes and sight-gags. Chew is one of those rare books where the background is as interesting as the foreground.
Fourth reason: Hints at the rest of the story
It's super rare these days to read a comic that feels so cohesive. Most just grab a couple of ingredients and throw them together each month, leaving your palate feeling unfulfilled. Never with Chew, with Chew you feel like the Chefs have had the whole menu planned since the beginning. This issue hints at issue 60, which is like the waiter offering a hint of the desserts. Done wrong it could spoil the plate you have in front of you, done well and it makes you even more ravenous.
Fifth reason: Food-related super-powers
If you wondered why there were so many metaphors about cooking and eating, it's because this book revolves around characters who attain super-powers that are related to food (it also shows you haven't nibbled on (read) this culinary (literary) masterpiece (masterpiece)). It is genius of the highest degree. Just like waiting for plate number eight to arrive, salivating and wondering, you wait with baited breath to see what awesome/hilarious new power is going to be revealed.
If none of these reasons get you interested in checking out what has to be one of the best books on the shelf right now, I genuinely feel sorry for you. Buy it, read it, cherish it, read it again.
Score: 5/5
Chew #48 Writer: John Layman Artist: Rob Guillory Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 4/22/15 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital