Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Deep Woods

A dark, atmospheric story set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fatal disease. Since the advent of the plague, no children have been born, except for the rare exception of "hybrid" children that share physical traits with animals. These children also seem to be immune to the plague and are thus sought by all both for their rarity and their potential to be some cure to the disease.

Gus is a nine year old boy who lives in a cabin with his father in the remote woods. Gus is a hybrid and has been raised by his father to remain hidden and isolated lest he be "burned up" by the evil that exists outside the bounds of their home. But shortly after Gus' father dies of the plague, a group of hunters comes and tries to capture Gus. He is show more recscued by a huge, violent man named Jeppard. He tells Gus about a safe haven for hybrid children called "the Preserve" and promises to take him there.

Although all of his upbringing has taught Gus not to trust this man, he follows Jeppard out of his woodland home. As the travel together, they see many horrors and escape from many dangers. Gradually, Gus grows to trust Jeppard and begins to think of him as a replacement father.

But when they eventually reach the Preserve, it appears to be a brutal research and containment facility where hybrids are experimented upon by military doctors. Gus begs Jeppard to save him but he turns and leaves without a word.

This world is brought to life by evocative artwork and a minimalist writing style. Gus' voice is so clear and pure and it really drives the narrative in an otherwise bleak and heartless universe. show less

I've been wanting to read this one for a long time, so when I saw the Netflix adaptation was about to drop I leapt into action (I'm always a fan of reading the book first, when I know there's a book anyway). I've become a big Jeff Lemire fan, and I'm happy to say this has everything I wanted it to: his realistic-adjacent sketching, a grim and intriguing storyline, and wonderfully well-rounded characters.

There are hints at a much larger story here, and I'm very excited to continue the series. I mean this one ends on a panel with a grizzled old guy saying "I'm going to kill them all," so it's not like I can just stop reading now haha. It's a post-apocalyptic tale in the vein of The Road, with young innocent thrown into companionship with show more older world-weary survivor. No characters are clearly good or evil here (with the exception of the protagonist, possibly) which I absolutely love, and I'm very interested to see where the story goes next. show less

Gus is a strange kid, not only because he's never been out of the woods and never seen any other humans besides his aging and sick dad, but he also happens to have antlers growing out of his head. Gus's father has taught him 5 cardinal rules, and one of them is never leave the woods, so it's a given that by page 3 he's already broken all of them, though it's not like he has too many options. When his father dies, some hunters discover the boy and are about to snatch him to sell him, because there's a big demand for mixes like Gus, who are the only 'humans' who can resist some terrible disease which is killing all humans. Then the big bad Jeppard ("like leopard") shows up, saves the boy and off they go on the road, but is the show more candy-toting saviour really out to help our young hero?

This is no children's book. It's violent, it's coarse and rough and rude, and I didn't think I'd like it, but I just got sucked right into the story and now am off to beg the librarian to order Vols. 2 & 3. show less

Gus has antlers. He lives in the woods with his pa. He can’t remember meeting anyone else. A disease is killing all the people. It took his mother many years ago. It will take everyone eventually. When pa also dies Gus is all alone. Until the bad men come – and then mister Jeppers, doing bad things to the bad men, and saving Gus. Which makes mister Jeppers a bad man of sorts, but not entirely. Mister Jeppers tells Gus that for some reasons, hybrid children like himself are safe from the Affliction. He knows of a preserve, a place where the animal children can be safe. He promises to take Gus there. For the first time ever, Gus leaves the woods.

This is a well-told post-apocalpyse. But not a very original one. Gus and Jeppers show more encounter more or less who you think they’d encounter. And bond in the way you would expect a hardened wasteland bad-ass and a boy with antlers would bond. It’s solid, it’s emotional, but it never quite finds it’s own voice.

Also, Lemire’s favorite thing seems to be showing Gus’ anxious, open face with huge eyes staring right at us. It’s an emotional image, absolutely, but so over used it borders on annoying. The layout of the start of the book is a joke: The cover shows Gus (with antlers) staring at us with huge, anxious eyes. First page is Gus’ head (with antlers) mounted on a plate, wearing the exact same expression. Second and third page is a spread, showing Jeppers lifting Gus by the antlers. Gus is wearing the exact same expression. Page four is another picture of Gus (with antlers), this time standing in the woods, staring right at us, wearing the exact same expression. Page five is the cover picture once again.
Then the actual story starts. The first three pages carefully hide the fact that Gus has antlers. However, three panels are close ups of his anxious, staring eyes. The fourth page shows us that – surprise! – Gus has antlers. He is standing in the snow, staring right at us. He is looking very anxious.

A blurb on the cover describes the book as “Mad Max with antlers”. Oh, really? show less

The Basics

Meet Gus. He’s the survivor of an apocalypse he doesn’t fully understand, mainly because his father has protected him from the world his entire life. There was a virus, and those who are left like to hunt, kill, or use in any way they see fit kids like Gus. Meaning kids who are part human and part animal. When Gus’s father dies, his story really begins.

My Thoughts

This first batch of issues mostly consists of setup. It’s great setup that showcases a fascinating world, a couple of engaging characters, some harsh dystopic/apocalyptic fare, and promises more greatness to come. But like any story, this is the part you have to get through to get to the good stuff. The reassuring thing is it starts getting to the good stuff show more about halfway through. There’s no need to wonder if the second volume will be better, because it’s practically assured it will be.

I’ve read a lot of “after the end” stories that use a virus as their catalyst. Refreshingly, this one brings something new to the table: Gus. The mere existence of Gus and the hints that there are others like him (though they take other bestial shapes) is very intriguing and unlike anything I’ve seen done in this genre. An argument could be made for everything else being done or seen before, but certainly not that, and I think it’s enough to sustain a story, especially with the hints of the virus and Gus’s kind being linked.

The artwork lies more on the cartoon side of things than the photo-realistic, but it works. The grisly moments are no less grisly, the emotion no less affecting, and there is a lot of surprising beauty here. Lemire left me staring at certain panels, just trying to absorb and memorize, flipping through more than once to revisit his art.

This is only the beginning, and the beginning was enough to make me want to pursue more.

Final Rating

4/5 show less

I finished this graphic novel in about an hour. Oops.

Obviously, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was really engrossing. I liked that the art style really evoked the mood and atmosphere of the story. Gus, the protagonist, is a sheltered human/deer hybrid who discovers there's a world outside his cabin for the first time. It feels very grim and post-apocalyptic but I thought the writing was very powerful, because I got attached to the characters and instantly involved in the story.

I like how detailed the art is - I'd love to read it again just to look at each panel and pick up all the little posters, hints and subtler features. I loved how some of the panels were done, too - panels fell away when Gus passed out and one image spanned two show more or more panels. Those artistic choices really led the eye across the page and made it easier to read.

In terms of atmosphere it does feel a little Mad Max-eseque, if Mad Max wore plaid and were set in somewhere like Western Canada. It also feels like the first part of The Road by Cormac McCarthy (I haven't finished the book, but I've read the first few chapters.)

I am really excited to continue on with this series - I wish I'd borrowed the rest of the series from the library. c: A definite 4 stars. show less

Gus is a quiet withdrawn nine year old. He also has antlers and deer-like ears. Do not be mislead, this is not Bambi or Pinocchio. It is much closer to Neil Gaiman or Tim Burton, doing their own twisted version of McCarthy’s The Road.
A large portion of the American population has been wiped out from something called the “Affliction”. The only children now being born are hybrids, like Gus. These children are coveted and there is a large bounty on their heads.
After Gus’s father dies, the boy is left alone, in a cabin, deep in the woods, but is soon rescued by a big drifter called Jeppard. As they make their way across a desolated landscape, facing many dangers, Gus begins to question Jeppard’s shady intentions.
This is the 1st show more of a graphic post-apocalyptic series. It is dark, violent and well-drawn. The writing is spare but effective. I’m looking forward to reading Book 2. show less