EPTFor those that are unaware, a lot of my free time as well as a chunk of my paycheck goes to comics. Being a huge fan of the creator Jeff Lemire, I have been collecting his works for awhile. A couple of years ago he started a series called "Sweet Tooth" which I was very excited for. I bought the first issue, read it, and then missed getting issue 2, but got every issue after that up to current. Being that I missed issue number 2, I never picked up the story again as I was waiting to just get issue 2 to continue. Every time I would be at a comic shop they either did not have the back issue, or I would forget that I needed it. Finally, I ordered the TPBs of the story that have come out to far (3 of them) and read through them.
"Sweet Tooth" is an amazingly well-told story about a post-apocalyptic world where hybrid human/animal children exist. In the past there was a huge plague that took out most humans leaving only factions who fight with one another over resources. The hybrid children only appeared to have started coming about after the plague and they are hot commodities to various people for various reasons. This story centers around Gus, a hybrid human/deer boy who is left alone in the woods when his father dies and the adventures that are carried out as he is trying being dragged around by "bad men".
An Overview:
+ Show Spoiler +
In book 1, Gus is found by a man named Jeppard who takes him along out of the woods, the only place that Gus has known his entire life, which he claims to be 9 years old. Gus does not want to leave as he was taught that the outside world is evil and there is no reason to leave. He soon finds out that there truly are bad men everywhere, but learns to trust his keeper. Jeppard takes him to a place he calls a sanctuary, but it is really a prison to Gus.
In book 2, you learn about this prison as well as some of Jeppard's life. You find out why he betrayed Gus to the prison camp. Meanwhile, Gus meets the other hybrid children of the camp and befriends them before being hauled off to be studied by a scientist who is trying to find out more about the hybrids the and virus. In doing so, we learn that the hybrids only seemed to occur after the virus came, but that was 7 years ago and Gus is actually 9, so how can that be? Gus tells the men about his father and what he knew of his life which signals something to the men about the possible truth behind the hybrids.
In book 3, Jeppard meets with some people and goes into the city to find an army. He decides to attack the camp that he gave Gus to and end the pain and death that occurs there. He teams up with a group of religious fanatics that want hybrids for their religious purposes. During this time, the bad men from the camp go to Gus's home and dig up some past to Gus's father and truth that Gus might be the first hybrid, the one that caused the virus in the first place. During this time, the hybrids escape with some help from a person in the camp. The book ends with a battle between the men from the camp, Jeppard, and the religious zealots. In this time they learn that to find out more they must now travel.
In book 2, you learn about this prison as well as some of Jeppard's life. You find out why he betrayed Gus to the prison camp. Meanwhile, Gus meets the other hybrid children of the camp and befriends them before being hauled off to be studied by a scientist who is trying to find out more about the hybrids the and virus. In doing so, we learn that the hybrids only seemed to occur after the virus came, but that was 7 years ago and Gus is actually 9, so how can that be? Gus tells the men about his father and what he knew of his life which signals something to the men about the possible truth behind the hybrids.
In book 3, Jeppard meets with some people and goes into the city to find an army. He decides to attack the camp that he gave Gus to and end the pain and death that occurs there. He teams up with a group of religious fanatics that want hybrids for their religious purposes. During this time, the bad men from the camp go to Gus's home and dig up some past to Gus's father and truth that Gus might be the first hybrid, the one that caused the virus in the first place. During this time, the hybrids escape with some help from a person in the camp. The book ends with a battle between the men from the camp, Jeppard, and the religious zealots. In this time they learn that to find out more they must now travel.
The story has been likened to a Mad Max or The Road kind of story and I see that. Really though, I just love if Jeff's beautiful pacing and the respect that he lends to his readers. Jeff Lemire is truly one of the modern masters of graphic storytelling and I cannot wait to read more of his original work. I was disappointed to learn that he is writing like 3 of the new DC reboots. This will take away from his original work. I am not sure if his style really lends itself to the supes, but we will see.
