Review - Chew: Warrior Chicken Poyo One-Shot

Review by Paul Fiander
This book has the hardest to read ending of all time, just read the bottom right hand corner of the last page and you will understand why.

The Chew universe is one of the richest in the whole world of Image. It spans over eight trades and in its time has introduced us to some rather amazing characters not least the stories from the lead Tony Chu. This however is a story about a rather unique character that if you are unfamiliar with the Chew Universe may seem a little odd. His name is Warrior Chicken Poyo and is probably best described as a Bad Ass a title he more than earns by the end of the issue.

The issue is set in a fantasy land complete with wizards, peasant’s trolls and most importantly vegetables. The ins and outs of Poyo’s appearance in this land are never explained but you do not really need to know the ins and outs, just sit back and let Rob Guillory’s art (assisted by Taylor Wells on colours) bathe your retina’s with some rather stunning imagery. The visual representation is in the familiar Chew style and is unmistakable. By now the team are masters of their creation and they never miss a beet (or an Okra) in any of the panels that are presented. It is perhaps the sly winks in the art that make this such a satisfying visual experience, keep an eye out as some are quite subtle but inside the issue you will find references from Fantasia to Tolkein.

The story is designed to make the reader smile, the comedy is pretty much spot on from the inside cover to the last page. As we follow Poyo in journey to become a king we will see many intrepid warriors, as well as the chicken’s share of bad guys. The whole fantasy set up is used but this is a story about a warrior chicken and he is clearly the star of the show.  My biggest gripe with the issue is that the story feels like it whizz’s by with the blink of an eye. Thankfully the artistic depth in each panel helps rescue this but expect a quick read and more than one reread.

The world/universe of Chew feels like a playground of the imagination for creators Layman and Guillory. Thankfully with titles like this it shows they are still able to pull the chicken from the hat and produce stories that are fun to read and visually alluring. If you have yet to taste the delights of Chew this is a great introduction, if you love the world of Chew then I’m sure you have already purchased this one shot (but if not why not?).

Rating; 4.5/5

The Comic is available in both print and digital from Image comics. Follow this link for more details.

More from Chew

Picture

Chew Volume 1; Tasters Choice

Images courtesy of Image Comics
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