2009 was a great year for Vertigo, as it saw the start of many big things at the imprint, including CraveOnline's Best New Series The Unwritten, Greek Street, and the launch of Vertigo Crime. But Sweet Tooth, a new ongoing series from The Nobody's Jeff Lemire, is probably the most odd and quirky title that Vertigo has published in quite some time.
The first trade paperback volume, collecting issues #1-5 and titled Out of the Deep Woods sets the stage for what is sure to be a long, strange journey for our main character Gus and his macho savior Jepperd. In many ways, Sweet Tooth is a twisted take on a "road trip" story, as Gus is rescued by Jepperd after the passing of his father to be taken to The Preserve, a safe haven for kids like Gus - kids that are half human and half animal.
And there in lies the rub. Sweet Tooth's quirk is really only on a superficial level. Kids with antlers and a strange alternative future in which some sort of disease has struck and killed off most of the population, turning America into an essential wasteland; in the grand scheme of this first story arc, those things are irrelevant. Other than providing a great pitch to a potential reader, these story traits are less plot points and more a stepping stone to explore Gus' brittle humanity. And on the same token, the crude humanity of Jepperd.
Lemire's artistic style seals the deal in terms of giving this book a unique look. He's got an eerie acclimation to use rigid closeups of the eyes of the characters, often using those panels for a beat in the pacing as well as an effective glimpse to the character's thoughts. Lemire's layouts are just as important to his work as his rigidly awkward lines are, providing a distinct visual appeal that differs even from some of Lemire's other works. Coming from the world of indie comics, Lemire presents Sweet Tooth with a distinct "indie" feel, but scaled up a bit to fit the expectations of a Vertigo title.
This first collection of Sweet Tooth is a great hook into this new series, and contains the best piece of the story thus far. The relationship between Gus and Jepperd amongst the chaotic world (with antlers!) is endearing, and what initially led me to keep Sweet Tooth on my pull list. Lemire no doubt has big plans in store for this title.
