cover image Starve Volume 1

Starve Volume 1

Brian Wood, Danijel Zezelj and Dave Stewart. Image, $9.99 trade paper (120p) ISBN 978-1-63215-546-7

In the first two pages of this story, Gavin Cruikshank appears to be little more than a narcotics-fueled trainwreck. Readers soon learn, however, that the drugs are just his escape. His real passion is Starve, a reality cooking show of his own making that, in the words of Emeril Lagasse, cranks things up a notch%E2%80%94by having competitor chefs kill live animals or engage in close-quarters hand-to-hand fighting. Gavin's ex-wife, Greer, furious that Gavin concealed his homosexuality from her for years, now has control of Starve, but he's about to make his long-awaited reappearance on the show. Wood (DMZ), Zezelj (El Diablo), and Stewart (The Massive) have put together an intense, driven story that's carried by the realism of the character interactions. This is a must-read for those who love a pinch of reality cooking, a dash of evisceration, and a liberal dose of strong graphic storytelling. (Jan.)