Sliced Review: Pizza Chefs vs. Mafia – Who Gets the Last Slice?
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Sliced” showed up so many times in my ‘graphic novel’ search query on the Kindle library that I finally decided to read it. I’m glad I gave this book a shot because it turned out to be an engaging read, despite the first few pages throwing me off with their weird palette, which included some soft violet/mauve shades mixed with peachy and yellow tones. The colors seemed bizarre, considering the opening scene was about two men from the mafia striking some sort of shady deal. And even otherwise, I didn’t like the color scheme, but thankfully, except for the first few pages, the rest of “Sliced” looked a lot more visually engaging, even though the coloring is too loud in some sections.
Set in a fictional world, “Sliced” largely unfolds on a street once famed for its rows of pizzerias. But in the story only two rival restaurants remain, the La Napoletana, run by a cheery Silvio Zampini, known to be the ‘best pizzaiolo’ (Pizza chef) in town, and the Pizzeria di Napoli, headed by the bitter Pietro Pizzutti. When a dreaded mafia gang tries to buy out both businesses, the owners refuse. However, their resolve falters when a shiny new pizzeria suddenly opens overnight right across from them, driving away all their customers and squeezing them down to their last penny. Silvio and Pietro must find common ground – and maybe a miracle – to take on the flashy new outlet, whose pizzas taste fishy and awful at first bite, yet strangely addictive!
Created by Rafael Scavone, Guilherme Grandizolli, and Cris Peter, “Sliced” is an interesting mix of the culinary world and the underworld. Both Silvio and Pietro deeply care about their pizza businesses, which have been in their family for generations, and while Silvio is helped by his smart, teen daughter Sofi, Pietro has his mom Marta to keep him company. The antagonist in the tale is the Canolli family, the mafia who want to buy out the pizzerias to make way for a big architectural project. Rocco Canolli, the son of the mafia mob boss, comes up with a wicked ‘start-up’ plan to bleed Silvio and Pietro dry, forcing them to sell. Luckily, Sofi comes up with a plan to expose the new competition, but it’s not easy.
At its heart, “Sliced” is all about small businesses, food, and the very real struggles that authentic traditional restaurants face against cheap, quick, and unhealthy fast-food chains. There’s a running gag in the novel about how the mob boss loves his pet dog more than his own “good-for-nothing” son, and this humorous element proves to be a lasting and entertaining ingredient in the story.
“Sliced” has the usual ‘David versus Goliath’ theme, the pizza chefs of course have a hard time fighting the mafia, but they also learn a lesson or two about the importance of family, friendship, and unity along the way. Overall, I thought this was a pretty fun graphic novel.
Rating: 4 on 5. ‘Sliced’ is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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