Comic Info
Comic Name: Sweet Tooth
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Jeff Lemire
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2010
Sweet Tooth #1
Reprints Sweet Tooth #1-5 (November 2009-March 2010). Something has happened…a disease has destroyed the world and the survivors are slowly dying. A new breed of humans called Hybrids have been born that are a mix of animals and humans. Gus and his father have lived alone in the woods for years, but now Gus’s father is gone. When hunters come for Gus, Gus is saved by a man named Jepperd…now Gus is leaving the woods for the first time and having to learn to trust.
Written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth Volume 1: Out of the Deep Woods is a DC Comics Vertigo release. The series was critically acclaimed and released in six graphic novel collections. The issues in this collection were also collected as part of Sweet Tooth: The Deluxe Edition—Book 1.
Jeff Lemire has a definite style and Sweet Tooth is a great example of the style. The look and feel of Sweet Tooth not only shows Lemire’s skill, but also is in general a great comic book and a fun read.
The story for Sweet Tooth gets a lot of comparisons to Mad Max in reviews, but it doesn’t have the same tone as Mad Max. The book feels more to me like Y: The Last Man but with less pontificating. Gus and Jepperd don’t spend much time thinking about the causes of the plague or what it means for the world and the future. The characters live much more in the now than many other post-apocalyptic characters and it gives the comic less of a heavy handed feel than many post-apocalyptic comics. As a result, the comic moves rather slow and that could be a bit off putting to readers who want more to happen.
Sweet Tooth #5
Lemire’s story is aided by his great, but simplistic art. Lemire doesn’t get caught up in detailed backgrounds, and his character designs are in general very simplistic and raw. While it doesn’t always stylistically work in mainstream comics, it works great in these series where he has complete creative control. Despite the designs, the characters in Sweet Tooth feel very real very quickly.
I waited to pick up Sweet Tooth until it was finished. The style of series lends itself to a rather quick read and doesn’t work as well as an issue-by-issue storyline. With lots of potential, I look forward to reading more of the story and seeing where it is going since Lemire is laying some mystery down. Sweet Tooth is well worth the read and a fun series worth checking out. Sweet Tooth 1: Out of the Deep Woods was followed by Sweet Tooth 2: In Captivity.
Related Links:
Sweet Tooth 4: Endangered Species
