Comics Review - Get Jiro

It's not every day that you read a comic book written by a celebrity chef, but that's just exactly what Get Jiro is.  This graphic novel written by Anthony Bourdain is definitely offbeat.  Get Jiro takes place in a dystopian future where America's economy is stagnating and the only sector with any kind of growth is food.  Thus, the food industry becomes very important and as a result chefs wield strong political power.  The main character is a master sushi chef who gets entangled between two warring restaurant factions. Sounds strange enough?



Despite its futuristic dystopian setting, the story here is an old one.  Fans of Akira Kurosawa will recognize the story right away from Yojimbo.  Anthony Bourdain not only pays tribute to Japanese food culture, but also to Japanese movies as well.  He also manages to draw the  parallel between sushi chefs and samurai - the work ethic, the discipline, and above all, the skill with the blade.

Jiro is justifiably angry

This is a very fun read, and the art compliments the writing very nicely.  I love satirical works, and Get Jiro does a very good job of satirizing foodies while celebrating them at the same time.  If nothing else, this comic will tell you what to look for in good sushi.