Jessie Robertson reviews Chew: Warrior Chicken Poyo Special…
“Poyo was exposed to a near-lethal amount of radiation as an egg during the first stage of a government experiment to create mutant super soldiers……trained in exotic martial arts techniques by Tibetan Kung Fu Fightin’ Monks……and given strange bio-enhancements during a rash of farm animal abductions by extra-terrestrials. Nah. Just Kidding. None of that shit is true. Poyo is just really, REALLY Bad Ass.”
Poyo is just that. A Bad Ass. One Bad Ass Chicken. And if you want to see how much ass one chicken can kick, this is the book for you. If you want a hero who does not stick around for the glory, but always on another mission to save someone in need, Poyo is your hero. Your chicken. Your chicken hero. Yeah, that works.
This book is exactly as advertised; complete and utter fun in the style of Chew. You have your pop culture references (Lord of the Rings, Narnia), jokes written all over the pages and panels and generally hilarity as Poyo kicks every butt he comes across and in amazing, astoundingly bad- ass ways. Man I’ve used that term a lot but there’s not many more ways to get colorful with what Poyo does. He jumps, wings, kicks, Ba-kaw’s, flies, rips, claws, tears, beaks and beats down everything in sight all for the good of humanity.
Poyo is pulled into another dimension along with 23 other warriors to defend the kingdom of Yoek from mutant killer vegetables attacking all the kingdoms at once. They are under the spell of the malevolent Groceryomancer. I think my favorite one if the Gourd of the Rings. Anyways, battles ensue as the group makes their way to the Groceryomancer’s stark ominous fortress to stop his evil vegetable controlling ways.
As always the writing is funny, goofy and very clever in how it places its jokes around the panels, and the art is always dropping little details around the panels as well to bulk up the humor quotient. If you like Chew or its style even a little, buy this book. And if you’re like me, and Poyo is your favorite martial art master luchadore farm animal, buy this book.
Jessie Robertson
Originally published August 1, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
