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Chew Comics, Your Reading Guide to the Cannibal detective Series

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Meet Tony Chu. He’s a cibopath, which means that whenever he eats food, he learns everything about that food, from how it was grown and the pesticides used, to how the animal was killed, and much more. The only food that does not give him these sensations is beets, so Tony eats a lot of them!

Tony Chu is the lead of Chew, a comic book written by John Layman and illustrated by Rob Guillory. It was published by Image Comics between 2009 and 2016. During this time, Tony Chu mostly worked as a cop for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, using his special skills to solve food-related crimes. 

Although Chew is now established as one of the most popular titles from Image Comics, it was not an easy sell to make for creator John Layman. He explained, “Nobody would give me the time of day on this Chew pitch.” Many people did not think it would sell, but Layman decided to go ahead anyway. he said he “did it as suicide.[…] It was almost my last gasp of comics.” (sktchd.com).

When searching for an artist, Layman asked Image’s publisher Eric Stephenson for recommendations. It changed the course of Chew, as the “bird flu cannibal cop comedy” comic finally found a home for his story. Not long after, Layman was paired with Rob Guillory, who was new to the comic industry. It took a few tries, but the two finally clicked, creating the unique visual style of Chew.

And it worked. It worked really well. Chew was an immediate success for Image Comics. The first three issues sold out multiple printings and the series made its way onto the New York Times Bestsellers List and other Best of 2009 Lists! It won two Eisner Awards and two Harvey Awards. Chew ultimately ran for 60 issues and four special one-shots. It was reprinted in 12 trade paperbacks, six hardcovers, three compendiums, and recently one big Omnibus. The series also crossed over with Revival and Outer Darkness, has a spin-off series, and Tony Chu even met Gertrude from I Hate Fairyland. 

And today, we are exploring the Chew Universe, taking a look at the different ways you can collect and read this comic series with our Chew Reading Guide! 

Chew Comics

  • Chew (2009-2016) — The main series. 60 issues. The story is serialized and should be read from beginning to end.
    • Chew: Secret Agent Poyo (2012) — Special One-Shot about the coolest rooster set after issue #27.
    • Chew: Warrior Chicken Poyo (2014) — Second Special One-Shot featuring Poyo between issue #42 and #43.
    • Chew/Revival (2014) — A dual crossover with the comic Revival (2012). It tells two distinct versions of the meeting between Tony Chu and Dana Cypress. Each story is handled by a different creative team and set within the continuity of their respective titles. The story from the Chew creators takes place between issues #40 and #41. Completely optional. 
    • Chew: Demon Chicken Poyo (2016) — Third Special One-Shot featuring Poyo between issue #55 and #56.
  • I Hate Fairyland – I Hate Image (2017) — Free Comic Book Day from Skottie Young featuring Gertrude chopping her way through Image characters, including a cameo from Tony Chu.  Completely optional, obviously.
  • Outer Darkness/Chew (2020) – A 3-issue meta Crossover series with Outer Darkness set after the end of the series (and during Chew #18). It spoils the end of Chew, so don’t read if before!
  • Chu (2020) – A spin-off series about Tony’s sister, Saffron Chu, a cibopar, which means she is able to learn secrets from who she eats with.

Chew Reading Order Guide, the Collected Editions

The Nomnibus Edition

The complete Chew series (including the one-shot) available in one paperback omnibus of 1320 pages. 

The Smorgasbord Edition

A collection of oversized slip-cased volumes jam-packed with extras. The edition could be considered the equivalent of the DC Absolute Edition. 

The Omnivore Edition

An oversized hardcover edition with extras and a little ribbon bookmark.

Chew Trade Paperbacks

This collection consists of 12 trade paperbacks that collects the whole series by storyline, followed by the crossover with Outer Darkness and the spin-off series Chu (these two titles are only available in this collection).

Crossover! Just how does Tony Chu wind up aboard the starship Charon thousands of years in the future? How does Captain Joshua Rigg deal with this cibopathic stowaway?

Spin-off Series! While Tony is a cibopath, his sister Saffron Chu is a cibopars, which means she can learn secrets from those she eats with. Tony is a cop. Saffron is a criminal. They are brother and sister, and they are on a collision course.

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