| Title | : | Chew, Vol. 7: Bad Apples |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1607067676 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781607067672 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 128 |
| Publication | : | First published August 21, 2013 |
Tony Chu – the cibopathic federal agent with the ability to get psychic impressions from what he eats – is back in action, just in time to face a cult of egg-worshipping terrorists who’ve declared holy war on the chicken-eaters of the world.
Collects CHEW #31-35.
Chew, Vol. 7: Bad Apples Reviews
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only three more to lazily review before i'm DONE! so, this again:
i burned through all ten published volumes of this series in a matter of months, and while i managed
a fairly coherent review of the first volume, i am overwhelmed by the thought of going back and reviewing volumes 2-10, trying to recapture that innocent mindset that didn't know what happened in subsequent volumes and trying to stay within the lines of the volume i'd be reviewing.
my hat is off to you serial comic book/graphic novel reviewers who are able to consistently churn out smart, comprehensive, and entertaining reviews that manage to discuss the book itself as well as its place within the larger universe of the series or character's existence.
i can't do that. i read these so compulsively and so quickly - like jamming cookies into a mouth that was already crammed with cookies - that it's just too much road to backtrack and too many metaphors to mix and since i have so many other books that i have to review, i'm going to take a totally cheap opt-out review path and just post pictures from each book that i enjoy for reasons pertaining to the plot, or just cuz i like the damn pictures.
and maybe now that i have to wait a couple of months until volume 11 comes out, i'll be able to do that one proper review-style, but right now - too full of stress and anxiety and just wanting to make this stack of books needing reviews go down LGM.
first off, this is the book that followed the book that almost ruined me, so i can totally relate to the sentiments herein
and i LOVE that tony is just as angry as i am
many things happen in this book. it's kind of the best. i'm frothing over this series.
i myself am not. bring 'em on!
come to my blog! -
Aw, man, this is a tough review to write because I love Chew - but this book is the first one I would say is average at best instead of out and out fantastic like the rest of the series has been. I suppose it had to happen, no series is flawless (except for Jason Aaron and RM Guera's Scalped).
The story so far: Tony's sister Toni has been killed by the cibopathic vampire who seems to be preparing for a full-on war, and Tony is out for revenge. Meanwhile the egg worshippers who're somehow connected to the fire writing in the sky, the Divinity of the Immaculate Ova, also seem to be knuckling down for some crazy combat and won't shut up about the end of the world. Meanwhile Tony and Colby are back with the FDA and ready to kick some ass! LET'S DO IT!...
...except they don't.
John Layman could explore at least one of those interesting storylines in this book but chose instead to spin his wheels - that is, do nothing. Instead Tony throws himself into his work so there are numerous episodes of Tony taking on the egg worshippers (who've taken hostages at food places more than once in this book) and he takes them out using the baseball skills he honed earlier in the series (also more than once in this book).
There's a tense and abstract dinner scene between Tony and the head vampire who murdered his sister Toni though that's as far as Tony gets in pursuing his sister's killer. Fair enough, if we're saving the vampire for a later climax, what about the egg worshippers or the fire writing - can we get more into that? But no, it's teased that we'll find out about them in this book but don't. The high priestess of the cult pops up more than once, says some more doom prophecies, and then disappears again. It's so infuriating that Layman just won't commit to any one of these storylines, instead leaving this book to be about... nothing.
Well, that's not fair, there is plenty of stuff happening in this book, but they're small pieces here and there. The case of the energy drink that was designed to burn fat cells to help you lose weight and instead sets you on fire; the guy who makes ninja stars out of tortillas; Tony standing up to Applebee; and some brief panels showing Poyo fighting a giant gingerbread man and Pengthulu, a Lovecraftian penguin monster. All that stuff is great but they're oh so brief (though I'm definitely on board for a Wild West Chew spinoff!). Also I felt Layman went overboard with the number of food-related weirdos in this book. We go from one per issue to somewhere near 12 in the second to last issue - it's just too crazy and again feels like more wheel-spinning.
Colby's subplots aren't that great either. There's the ongoing thread about him and Applebee as lovers which feels like its run its course, but then factor in Director Penya too so that they're this weird love triangle, and that whole thing just doesn't feel very funny really - I kind of wish Layman had played it down instead of going into it nearly every issue. And the whole thing about Colby and Caesar in cahoots with Savoy was a dead end - it ended far too easily for a thread that got played up throughout the entire book.
Of course it's not enough to stop me reading the series, I'm committed until the end, but Bad Apples felt like a lot of plate-setting rather than the more substantial book I was expecting. To use an appropriate food analogy, it's like eating a series of delightful and well-made appetizers - and then discovering there's no entree and that's all you're getting.
Here's hoping the next book is more filling! -
4 stars – more of the same, but not a bad thing!
I continue to be entertained by Chew. It is silly and irreverent. The plot is bizarre. But, it is what it is perfectly. I laugh and I am entertained, I don’t think I could ask for much more.
The over-the-top cartoonishness has stayed the same since the beginning. I am not sure that this book would be as good if it looked any other way. The art portrays the bizarre silliness in just the right way and I love taking in every frame. It is also fun to look for hidden jokes throughout.
If you have read and enjoyed Chew up through volume 6 – move on to volume 7. You can’t go wrong! -
I was looking forward to reading another volume of this series. "Marsh Apples" is a bit undertone than the others, it seems a volume of transaction, to prepare the ground for the following events.
Chew is shaken by Amelia's loss and throws himself deep into the work, focusing on a number of cases hoping to find clues about the "Vampire." Here we see a tougher and bitter version of Chew, more inclined to violence and blinded by the desire for revenge. The numbers in this edition are also an opportunity to present a whole series of powers related to food and bizarre individuals.
There are also many hilarious scenes such as
Colby, Caesar, and Savoy carry out joint investigations that could cast light on the truth behind the chicken flu. There is then the “wild card” Olive, still on the side of Savoy. What will happen if there is a confrontation with her father? A final that leaves stunned, at least seeing the last bizarre scene
The artwork is always excellent, the main thread with Chew is full of action, and the secondary ones with Colby and the other characters provide new narrative subplots. We’ll see how it will develop in the next numbers. Always one of my favorites. -
Bad Apples is slightly an inferior Chew collection compared with others. It may be a choc full of small details like Poyo's ridiculous spreads or Colby's unorthodox love trio with Penya and Applebee. But it seems like Layman has rendered these good stuff in favor of Chew's 'meeting' with the Vampire villain. To be honest, Vamps never really appealed to me. His panel time for character development is insufficient, save for volume 6.
That Lying Cat cameo is so rad!
Despite a change of tone, a darker Chew still retains all the fun and crazy stuff from its previous chapters. The growing tensions and mysteries are still worth the read. -
Donald Barley is a Hortmagnatroph, whose skills in the garden allow him to grow fruits and vegetables to enormous sizes. See the Pumpkin House. Arghhh, seriously! The main protagonist goes on an avenging, take no shit, spree, after the gruesome death of a major female character? Seriously in 2013? I can see why I haven't really got any Layman in my top 100 graphic novel reads.
Anyways nothing much changed dark humour with some slap stick, great art, weak characterisations. Strong world and concept building. Weak plotting. It's pretty much the same volume to volume... quite funny but lacking enough power for to care about any of them that much. 8 out of 12. It's the art, world building and food concepts that kick ass! -
While this book has plenty of funny moments, the tonal shift is noticeably serious. After the climactic events of the last book it's entirely appropriate, and as these things go it's been damned well earned in my view.
Tony's back to work with his partner John Colby, Cyborg (who wouldn't want to have a supercomputer wired to your head all day? Wait, wouldn't that just be bolting a current smartphone direct to the cortex?), and they're all about getting shit done. Immaculate Ova, the Vampire, and some increasingly bizarre food weirdos give our guys a lot to chew on (I can't believe I never used that pun in these reviews before now - I must be slipping).
Guillory and Layman have laid down enough foundation with these characters that they're now free to start playing around with out expectations, and that. Is. Wonderful. Somehow, even as ridiculously exaggerated as this cast is, there's enough heart in them that when they do something unexpected, I actually sit up, take notice and care. What the fuck guys? I thought this was just a funny book. I wasn't prepared to feel like this.
Best moments of this series are always hard to choose, but I gotta vote in this volume for Pengthulu. And maybe the contents of the crate. And Senator Eccles. Like I said, it's hard.
Where this ends off is freakin awesome. Tony faces a left-hook revelation that should completely change his mission and how he chooses to resolve the avian mystery ('cause you know in the end it's going to come down to him). I (only slightly) peed myself when I saw this unfold - this gonna get good Hoss!
A couple of my respected GR friends find this book spinning its wheels, but I didn't feel like that (though I'm not entirely sure why not). For me, this book took a nice serious turn and amped up the tension on a number of fronts. As of this morning (just finished), I like it, and I'm ready to see this series go from "fun, lighthearted" to "these guys are facing some serious shit that's also pretty ridiculous, and makes me laugh while I increasingly care about these characters". If we get *both* fun and the depth that this volume hints at, I will now down to these dudes forevermore. -
The side stories keep getting a little wackier and distract from the main characters. All the food-gifted people are popping out of the woodwork, and that's not necessarily a good thing, in my opinion, because it makes Tony's talent less unique.
In this volume:
--Everyone wants vengeance for Toni's death. (add me to the list--her death is still affecting me)
--Penya and Applebee are still fighting for Colby (or are they?). I don't know whether to pity Colby or laugh at the trouble he's gotten himself into.
--Tony makes an attempt to bond with Olive. (I'm so rooting for these two.)
--Vampire is back and either he or Tony will have to conquer the other. The two cannot coexist. Unless Tony decides Vampire's offer to work together.
--Tony has been saving a very special gift for Olive. As gross as it might be, I can't wait to see what comes from this. -
Vol. 7 in this crazy series continues with the crazy but hugely entertaining plotline of trying to find the Vampire. Along the way we follow Tony Chu as he works on various cases to help solve how to catch the Vamp.
This volume was super fun and a very quick read (as all of Chew is). I have to say I liked seeing the bad-ass side of Tony as he comes back with a vengeance in this volume compared to how he was in previous volumes. I definitely think Tony will be able to crack this case soon and with the series drawing slowly to a close, it should be exciting.
As always it's bizarre, colourful and pretty greusome. Just a wonderful series and I will have to save up my pennies to buy the next volume soon so I can read that one too :) 4*s overall. -
Finally!! We're back to the type of story I like from this series. Really pleased with this instalment.
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There is so much going on in this series and I love it!! I'm enjoying the art work and the plot. I can't say much about what's going on because of spoilers but I will say that Tony has gone completely rogue and I'm loving it
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I don't take a lot of time to talk about the art in comics. What can I say, I'm a words guy. But I just wanted to take a second to talk about how much I like Rob Guillory's art in this book.
Amount: One "A Lot."
Guillory has a great style. I really don't think anyone could draw this book the way he does, and at the same time as you read, you never get lost in the page. It's easy to see which dialogue balloon comes next.
People who are unfamiliar with comics will sometimes tell me their hesitance comes from the fact that they don't know how to read comics. How to know which balloon comes next. I tell them that they're reading the wrong comics.
A good artist/writer duo knows that the art has to serve the story. The story has to progress through the art, and as much as an artist might love a splash page here and there, they have to grind through those scenes of two characters talking in a warehouse. Lots of comic book stuff seems to go down in warehouses. If you wanna be big in comics, draw warehouses, docks, and if you can draw a great forklift, you're in.
Dave McKean is an artist who, while I think his work has great atmosphere, I have no idea what's going on. Try 'Cages' if you want to see what I mean.
On the flipside, sometimes you read something where the art does a fine job moving things along, and that's it. It doesn't blow me away.
I talked to a friend about Saga, the current "It" series at the moment, and my friend made a good point that the art rarely has backgrounds or other interesting things in the panels other than the main focal points. I see some awesome line work in Saga now and then, but I had to agree. Sometimes the panels feel fairly joyless.
Guillory puts little stuff into everything. It's a little bit like a Mad Magazine or a Simpsons episode where every billboard, every food package, every t-shirt is another opportunity to add a little something to the reading experience.
Style and skill. Guillory forever. -
Something of a tonal shift here. Only to be expected, after the previous volume. Tony has become a much more grim and driven character. Again, only to be expected. It seems like there will be more focus on the overarching story, instead of more or less random stuff happening here and there with bits of story arc thrown in. There's still random stuff, and I'm glad for it. The world would be the poorer without Pengthulu. But much as it seems like there's greater focus on the overarching story, there isn't much forward momentum on that point. That said, the series is just past the halfway mark, so there's obviously still a lot more to come. And maybe later, in retrospect, it'll feel less like spinning the wheels. But make no mistake, this is some really good wheel spinning.
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This series is going to have to work harder than that to get back in my good graces. Also, cut it the fuck out with the fatphobia. Seriously.
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Bad Apples mostly feels like a filler issue which tries to cool things down from all the heat generated by the previous volume, but also generates enough curiosity to give readers a feeling of anticipation for what is to come.
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My favorite thing about this volume? The Director Penya/Colby/Applebee love triangle!!! Had so much laughs on that one. And still sad because of Toni....love her.
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2,95/5
I’m low key waiting for the series to finish already 😕 -
So good haha. The randomness continues and the artwork is as strong as ever. If youve got this far youre definitely a fan of the series
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Yine heyecanı bitmek bilmeyen bir ciltti.
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Another fun, unpredictable, and ridiculous volume with the return of Tony in action and a lot of mayhem that ensues.
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The last volume of Chew
Space Cakes was upsetting enough that I didn't read any further last night. It wasn't
V.C. Andrews or
Cormac McCarthy level upsetting, but it left me with a hollowness that I genuinely didn't expect I'd feel reading this comic series. The books had been disturbing, yeah, but more of a Preacher level madness than much else. Nevertheless,
Space Cakes managed to leave me feeling a bit lost and hollow. Yet still, we travel on...
Bad Apples picked up where
Space Cakes left off and kicked things into high gear almost immediately. The amusement, the lull that was present in
Major League Chew and
Space Cakes, slight though it was, is now fully absent. Tony is on a mission, and nothing is going to stop him. Even Colby fully comes into his own and comes through. Olive is now a full part of the story, and the Vampire is confronted for the very first time. You can almost feel the electric excitement as everything begins to fall into place. This is story-telling, and this is a startling pace that is so immensely satisfying after the end of the last book. Character development, confrontations, and a cliff-hanger of an ending I didn't see coming. Perfect.
Chew continues to astonish and deliver and I'm both happy things are speeding up since there's only 5 volumes left and this means it will all wrap up well (theoretically) and devastated since it means I'm nearing the end.
I guess after this I'll have to delve into
Saga... -
I really enjoyed this (shock!). Colby and Caesar start working together, albeit reluctantly, and Colby is able to even the score on someone from way back. Mostly this is about the new badass Tony Chu going after 'The Vampire' who killed Toni. I kind of like seeing Tony able to kick ass now, though I worried it would make him a bit dumber...then I read a sequence where baseball and vomiting rendered an opponent useless. Three Cheers for brainpower!
There's some fun on Colby's love life(lives) and how they get caught up with each other as well.
I think I'm going to re-read this whole series to get the side jokes and little things written on background stuff...seems to be quite a lot.
This final showdown is going to be something! Didn't see a lot of Olive here, but Savoy does appear and I'd say things ought to be coming to a head pretty soon.
I feel like I'm already wondering what happened, but I realize it really was Chu just chasing the Vampire and shit kicking along the way (there's also some stuff about the Cult of the Ovum/Ova and Tony being the saviour...)
There's even a joke about the Poyo/Turducken joke page from last volume, when we (and Tony) are expecting Poyo to show up and help defeat some baddies...nicely done!
Ready for Vol. 8 whenever it appears. -
Second Read
I am re-reading the series after about 8 years and also when I read it first the series was still ongoing so I could never finish the series earlier and now that the series is completed I can finish reading this wonderful series. Tony and John are re-instated to FDA. Tony has put himself on the hunt for the vampire completely and now he's a badass and after the loss from the last issue, he is so full of rage that bad guys beware. Did I tell you, that I love this series? I freaking love this series.
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First Read
Continued greatness .. loving every bit of this series. I love this series. One of the best series ever.
I have always loved comics, and I hope that I will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics or Diamond Comics or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on the international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I can. I Love comics to bit, may comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just
Keep on Reading. -
After one of Tony's family members is abducted and eventually murdered by someone known to the FDA as The Collector, Tony is hellbent on getting revenge. Good installment.
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Reread - love it. After what happened at the end of the last volume Tony was run out of fucks to give!
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This graphic novel series is wacky and creative, but it's just not really my favorite. I really liked the initial volumes, and I don't know--12 volumes isn't even that many (I thought there were 10, but there are 12 lol)--but I feel like this story is dragged out a little.
Anyway, I feel like I'm far enough in that I want to know what happens and I'll probably slowly read the rest when I'm in the mood for some graphic novels, but these just aren't necessarily my favorite. -
Tras un par de volúmenes más flojitos la historia vuelve a coger fuerza, las tramas empiezan a cruzarse.
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Chew remains one of those over the top books that I enjoy, but I'm beginning to wonder if having hit around the halfway point (per Layman himself) if there isn't going to be some floundering before matters accelerate towards the conclusion.
Tony Chu returns, and because of the previous volume's events Tony is back with the FDA. For some reason it appears his beating and vol. 6's events have sharpened Tony's abilities or he is channeling his inner anger towards catching "The Vampire"? Mason Savoy plays a larger role than he has in a while, and Tony's partner John appears to not be as dim as I previously thought he was.
I'm not dropping the series, and vol. 8 has some nice character beats (started it last night). I retain questions about Layman knowing how he is going to get to the end point. -
Yesss! The volume I've been waiting for. Bad Apples starts to culminate the crazy, fun mess of ongoing storylines into a hilarious cohesive romp. I felt Layman's humor much ramped up here more so than in the previous couple of volumes and at times it's just flat laugh-out-loud surreal. Also, the panel flow in this volume gave Guillory room to stretch out and do some great full page artwork. At times previous volumes have felt a bit exposition heavy, but this one seems to have hit a perfect balance of text/art. I loved the nod to Brian Vaughan's Saga as well! This is definitely my favorite Chew collection so far.
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Another delicious volume of culinary insanity. After the gut wrenching conclusion of volume 6, Tony is on the war path and taking no prisoners. I love the detail lavished upon every panel, such as the epic POYO battle, random notes on posters and even Olive's Lying Cat t-shirt. So very awesome.
