When the time comes for you to open this comic, it will suck you in like black hole. You will have no idea what hit you, but man it felt good. Wonton Soup is hot and spicy with just the right dumpling to broth ratio. If dumplings were far out space humor and broth was kick ass story telling. I seriously dug everything about this comic. James Stokoe is hitting it big and Oni decided to bring back his first 2 Volumes of Wonton Soup in all new form. The story revolves around Johnny Boyo. He quit his cush life of cooking school and a hot gf to hit the open space and be what I would describe as a space truck driver. His experiences are hilarious, and the food he creates are highly creative. Johnny reminded me a lot of Scott Pilgrim with his up and down attitude and confusing but cute understanding of the world. I think readers will fall in love with this equally adorable character and may be hankering to do some cooking before the book is over. When we jump into the comic, Johnny is long gone from Plaxos Cooking Academy. We actually don’t even hear about this until later on in the comic. We met him as an easygoing truck driver. He and his friend, Deacon take to the open road. Deacon is the sexually adventurous friend. There is always one in the group. But seriously, he is the one with all stories. There could be a whole comic with Deacon’s stories as well. It is amazing how Stokoe creates these characters that the reader knows in an instant. We don’t need a backstory or even to hear this dude again, but we all know exactly what he is thinking because we all know someone like that. Fortunately, Deacon is Johnny’s main boy, so then go through a lot in just two volumes.
When Johnny’s ship breaks down, the closest planet that he can go to get his ship fixed is back home. Although Johnny is anxious to see what his former school is up too, he is more interested in Citrus, his ex-gf. She is enrolled in the school as well and seems to want nothing more than for Johnny to have never left. She is pretty kick ass and I love these two together in their awkward romance.
The comic makes jokes left and right and holds that sarcastic humor with a unique twist. My favorite parts have to be the cooking though. First the comic is written in a sort of nonsense way where some words aren’t real but still seem to make sense in the scheme of things. Secondly, lots of the ingredients and cooking techniques are so interesting. There is this one ingredient whose only goal in life is too be eaten. If you cooked it wrong through, the food may strangle you. It is very high risk, but Johnny wouldn’t have it any other way...and neither would I. I have a feeling that Johnny being in his roots is going to more than he bargained for. He may have to put back on his chef hat for the ultimate dual of best chef. So he may not only have to cook once again, but face the reason he left, find his feelings for Citrus, decide what to do about his life, or just chillax and roll with it.
This comic has it all with Deacon and Johnny jumping from one adventure to the next. So you can’t really blame the guy for wanting to spice up his life. He may have been top of his class, but life is so much better living on edge of death and the occasional cannibal monsters. I cannot get enough of this pair and wish this comic could come back to life. Stokoe created a recipe for perfect disaster, so take in what you can from this comic because this one you won’t regret.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: James Stokoe Publisher: Oni Press Price: $19.99 Release Date: 7/2/14 Format: Print/Digital