Sweet Tooth is the latest upcoming comic book adaptation from Netflix, but unlike many recent shows, it's not based on a superhero story. Starring Will Forte and produced by Robert Downey, Jr., the dark, post-apocalyptic fantasy is a lot less innocuous than its name and main character would suggest. Featuring creepy animal/human hybrids and with characters and concepts based off of other comic book sources, the concept has a lot more in common with The Walking Dead than Invincible or Jupiter's Legacy.
The original comic ran for almost four years, though a revival began last year that will conclude this August. But with the show now on its way and having released a trailer, it's a better time than ever to check out the comic book. Here's what Jeff Lemire's Sweet Tooth is about and where eager readers can get a hold of one of Vertigo's biggest modern success stories.
What Is Sweet Tooth?
Sweet Tooth began back in 2009 at the DC Comics imprint Vertigo and was written and drawn by prolific creator Jeff Lemire. The story has a dystopian setting and follows a young boy named Gus, who's a cross between a human and a deer. Gus is taken away by mysterious men after the death of his religious father, only to be saved by a hulking man named Jeppard. They brave the hazards of their cruel world, one in which humanity has suffered extreme causalities from a pandemic that seemingly spawned from the animal-human hybrids.
From there, Gus and Jeppard have a series of harrowing experiences that test the resolve and morality of human nature, both in actual humans and the various hybrid children. The setting was inspired by Lemire's own home town of Essex County, while the premise was influenced by comic books such as Scout: War Shaman by Tim Truman and The Punisher: The End by Garth Ennis. Jeppard, in particular, is based off of an even more grizzled, older version of Frank Castle. When combined with its less than conventional art, the series provided readers a macabre and unsettling story that feels particularly topical now more than ever.
Where to Read Sweet Tooth
Given the increase in interest that the show will bring to the revived comic book, it's a good thing thing that the series is fairly easy to track down and read. One way to read the get caught up with the series is by checking it out through Comixology, where individual issues, collected volumes and omnibi can be purchased. They also have the sequel series, Sweet Tooth: The Return, which is still running and being collected.
Brick and mortar retailers like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, have the book in stock, namely newer printings reflecting the upcoming show. The series can also be found through Amazon, where the collected physical trades can be bought. Comixology purchases are also available through Kindle, allowing consumers to read them digitally that way. Sadly, stock at the moment of the trades is somewhat low. So, with the show likely to increase demand for the original stories, the time to get into the Sweet Tooth comic book is now.