This volume is the first in a series that began in 2009; it contains episodes 1 to 5. John Layman chose to create a series based on a police frame. To distinguish the innumerable series of the same genre, he has taken care to incorporate several original elements, starting with the extraordinary talents of Tony Chu and the illegal character of chicken meat. Subsequent episodes also contain other surprises that create an atmosphere that's out of the ordinary. In particular, Tony Chu familiarize Amelia Mintz, a food critic, too unusual. In addition to these atypical items, Layman takes his narrative in a direction away from that of the police investigations. The reader shuddered every time Tony Chu must use his gift of dishes increasingly filthy. Layman took advantage of the Chu discover the environment at the same pace as the latter who takes office at the FDA (an environment that does not know). Layman chooses locations that out of the ordinary: a major newspaper offices, several restaurants and a space observatory (international telescope Gardner-Kvashennaya). Finally, some details suggest that Layman had to serve in a restaurant or working in a fastfood because they breathe the experience (must always be polite to a server).
The illustrations are made by Rob Guillory which also handles color layout. John Layman made himself lettering. Guillory uses a slightly cartoon style with simplified forms that sometimes flirts with a slight abstraction. He has a remarkable gift to give for a body and face characteristics of each character. It is also nice to see that depicts individuals of various body sizes and morphologies. He sometimes uses graphic conventions belonging to the cartoons, such as unrealistic blood spurts or small hearts to evoke the birth of a feeling of love between two characters. This style makes very pleasant reading and has a light scent of derision. It also implements some visual discoveries that accentuate the strangeness of Chu power. The first squirt of memories born of food intake is based on a double page that takes time to decipher and which evokes the complexity of the phenomenon and the concentration necessary for Chu to digest this information transfer. Exaggeration representations also used to transcribe disgust when the detective must swallow the little things pleasing to advance the investigation.
In reading this first volume, I was torn between two attitudes. On one hand, this is a series with great originality, a strong dynamic fueled (no pun intended) by intriguing investigations, colorful characters and unexpected places. On the other side, this first volume includes many elements which most of them are only set some consistent mouth. To begin with, none of the characters have real personalities; each is reduced to 2 or 3 stereotypes. It is therefore difficult to feel something for these superficial individuals. On one hand, the idea of playing with food and to associate the act of eating to death constitutes a disturbing provocation. On the other, this aspect is currently underdeveloped and also the author only superficially brave the ban. On the one hand, Rob Guillory already has a distinctive style that blends skillfully exaggerations and meaning of the relevant detail. On the other, the dosage is sometimes at the wrong scenario.
