Chu vol. 2: (She) Drunk History

Vol. 1 of this series was another one of those collections where it felt like it was one big first issue, setting the stage for future stories involving professional criminal Saffron Chu.  In writer John Layman and artist Dan Boultwood’s defense it was all good setup, which is why I’m writing about vol. 2 now.  Now that Saffron is free of her brother Tony’s interference, but not of her two-bit partner Eddie’s, she’s ready to take the world for all it’s worth.  Starting with the cruise ship she’s on with Eddie, and her doddering grandpa (and legendary bastard) Ong Chu.  While her ability as a cibopars – someone who can gain knowledge and skills from those they share the same meal with – gets her into the ship’s security room, that’s where everything goes wrong.  Not for very long, though.  That’s because Saffron gets a lead on an even bigger, and crazier, heist than she had originally planned.

Said heist involves wine theft, art theft, Saffron winding up the subject of a legendary painting, a vengeful ex-partner, a current partner who can’t be trusted, and cupcakes… OF DOOM!  It’s all very ridiculous and irreverent, but not without its own demented brand of logic holding it all together.  That’s what Layman brings to the table, and if the story reads like a less insane version of one of his recent projects, I’d say that’s actually for the better.  Boultwood also continues to bring the goods as the artist with his delightfully cartoonish cast and willingness to draw any craziness that the writer asks of him.  It’s a great self-contained story that also doesn’t give much of an indication of where the series is going from here.  I’d certainly like it to continue as the series still feels like it has more to offer than two volumes of further food-related nuttiness.