Editorial Review

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Reviews (5)

Darkly Humorous and touching
I loved this book so much. Cerebus is an odd character, as Dave Sim never tries to make him likable. His entire mindset is mercenary, and he only desires ale and the money to buy it with. And yet we still love him. Cerebus matures
The overall tone in script and art, on the surface, appears drier and less fun. The length of the written passages and the frequent use of cityscapes and room interiors for backgrounds makes the whole book seem as fun as a three hour course in industrial toothbrush manufacturing.
The High Point
In my opinion the two volumes that comprise Church and State are the best of Cerebus. No longer Prime Minister and no longer caring about anything Cerebus is nominated to pontiff and decides everyone should give them gold. His object lessons with the young and old will give you a heartattack theyare so funny.The underlying statements on religion, politics, andhumanity is thought provoking and intense. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - General   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (6)

Aardvark Evolution
***This review contains spoilers***
A much Darker Cerebus
Others have commented on how , with this volume, Cerebus is no longer funny. And they're right. In this book, there is much less humor than in previous ones. How I'm differing from these others is that I don't see that as a problem. There are several sequences in this book which I truly admired. I liked how the rape scene was portrayed (Dialogue against pitch black panles), and also how it was handled: as a horrifically bad and immoral act. I also loved the Trial scene, though I'm sure others were disoriented by it. These two scenes, as well as the various conversations between Astoria and Cerebus in the jail cell made me much more sympathetic to Astoria, who before this mostly came off as a self-centered, self-righteous, passive-aggressive, manipulative and dispassionate person. It is here where we begin to understand her driving force, and in the trial scene we understand that Cerebus could be in her position. This book seems to capture the utter bottom of Cerebus's hero cycle (yes, I'm a Cambell nerd), and I thought Dave Sim explored this in an interesting wayt. Now, to see if Cerebus will rise to continue his journey, or fall once again.
A Major shift in character and tone
I've been avidly devouring Cerebus trade paper backs over the past few months.I think most readers agree that the first volume starts slow and unevenly, but that the story explodes into wonderful complexity, visual detail, and outragious humor with High Society.In Church & State I, the story becomes far more complex and Cerebus's character begins to change.The amorale anti-hero begins to do things that are just plain wrong (throwing old men off of roofs, babies off of front steps, and using his religious status to tell people that if they don't rob their neighbors to give him gold, they are going to hell).Still, Sim manages to keep the tone relatively light, forgiving, and humerous, so we stick through these parts with a guilty chuckle, still enjoying every bit of the journey.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Graphic Novels   

Reviews (1)

Next to Scripture, the Most Important Text You'll Ever Read
What Dave Sim and Gerhard have accomplished within these pages is of monumental value, both to yourself and to the history of art, theology, and human society.Studying this book has changed my life in several important and positive ways.It is a remarkable introduction to perceiving the shackles and underpinnings of our civilization's warped and manifold ideologies."Latter Days" may possibly lead the reader to the straight and narrow path of redemption and salvation.Plus, it's extremely funny and beautifully rendered.Possibly the most well-invested $30 you'll ever spend.It's demanding material (thought-wise), but the notes are very helpful and Dave Sim is one of the most lucid, seamless, and orderly writers of English ever.Although it's volume 15 of a single story, I would argue that it's self-contained, and can be enjoyed without additional books.(Of course, I had to start studying the Bible to see for myself...)CONTEMPLATE.THIS.COMIC.BOOK.BEFORE.IT'S.TOO.LATE. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Graphic Novels    2. Graphic Novels - Fantasy   

Reviews (1)

"I Hate this part"
David Sim and Gerhard have flawlessly created a storyline of a doomed relationship. Everyone I know who has read "Going Home" and "Form and Void" has identified with these books. The presentation is sublime and mesmerizing. Even though you know how it will end, Sim and Gerhard draw you in with a perfect script and impeccable paneling. This book is well rounded with plenty of the "Classic Cerebus" humor and with Dave Sim's relentless literary research into F. Scott Fitzgerald. Read this book you will come away with a renewed understanding of personal relationships and a superb reading list of American writers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Humor   

Reviews (1)

Second part of a great story.
This book continues the storyline that began in "Going Home." Dave Sim turns his literary lens to Ernest Hemingway, using entries from Mary Hemingway's journal as script and inspiration. Beware. This is not the glowing review the most give 'Poppa', but a critical look at deeply troubled writer and his equally disfunctional wife. Dave Sim puts forth a well-documented argument to support his ideas. You could take him to task on his opinions, or enjoy this terrific Cerebus story without ever looking at the notes included in "To Ham or Ham Not" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Humor   

Reviews (2)

THE LAST DAY AT LAST
...i was first introduced to Cerebus back in 1987 (when i was still in high school)from a friend who let me read a few of his back issues. I quickly became quite the "Cerebus fanatic" buying up all the issues i could find. Eventually i bought a couple of the phone books "church and state" "high society" and was blown away by the creative genius of Sim in both his storytelling and his almost "animation cell" like artwork (thanks to his background artist Gerhard)...
And in the end....
This is the last volume in the series of paperbacks collecting the entire run of Cerebus.This is a very complex series, so you really need to read the previous 15 volumes to understand what is going on here.A lot of people gave up on this series long before it got to this volume, due to Dave Sim's controversial viewpoints and some often infuriating plot developments.But I'm not going to go into what happened in previous volumes.This particular volume consists entirely of Cerebus' last day of life.It starts off with a dream Cerebus has, which is really Dave Sim's explanation for the Origin of Everything (this is the sort of thing that has alienated so many Cerebus readers).Then Cerebus wakes up, and we witness the rest of his day, until he dies.I won't give away too much, but Cerebus is a decrepit old man at this point.Anyway, if you read the previous 15 volumes of Cerebus, I'm sure you'll want to find out how it ends.If you haven't read Cerebus before, this isn't the place to start. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Humor   

Editorial Review

Welcome to Estarcion, the wildly absurd and funny world of Cerebus the Aardvark. This initial volume collects the first two years of stories from Dave Sim's 300-issue magnum opus (still in progress after 20 years). Don't be discouraged by the initially crude artwork or the silliness of the stories. It gets better--even noticeably within this volume. This first installment is the most valuable in preparing for the larger stories ahead.Read more

Reviews (15)

One of the finest stories i've read
I am not much of a comic / graphic novel reader, nor have i ever been, but i must say that the Cerebus series is one of the finest stories i've ever read in any medium.
start reading
this may not be the best of the cerebus volumes, but it's essential to understanding the subsequent 15 volumes, which is well worth the (fun) time you'll spend reading this first phone book.I only discovered Sim's work two years ago and had to read the whole series from the beginning quickly in order to beat him to his final publication in march of 2004.The experience exhausted me but reminded me why comic books are worth reading.so buy volume 1 and get reading -- you've got several thousand pages to go after you finish this one.

An Earth-Pig is Born
Cerebus was a lot of things in his 300 issues of comic life, but he started out as a parody of Robert E. Howard's Conan right about the time that low-grade sword & sorcery was hitting the big time.Ironically, with the possible exception of some of the Marvel Comics material, Cerebus was leagues better than most of the stuff from that era that was pawned off as Conan (such as the wretched pastiches that Carter and de Camp passed off alongside the REH stories in the paperbacks).Particularly ingenious is the character of Elrod of Melvinbone, a knockoff of Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone who you sense is making fun of Elric's popularity more than the angsty character himself.From his sword Seersucker (which Cerebus smashes in their first fight) to his Foghorn Leghorn voice, Elrod's banter with Cerebus is a great source of comedy, and the alterations in their relationship as the book goes on are ever weirder and more intricate.
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Subjects:  1. Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

Volume two of the Cerebus the Aardvark series, Read more

Reviews (14)

"High Society" is my favorite "Cerebus" graphic novel
I started reading "Cerebus" when Dave Sim's independent black & white comic book was on the cusp of the "High Society" story line."Cerebus, Book 2: High Society" (issues #226-50) constitutes the first "novel" in the history of the book and the point at which Sim had clearly moved beyond the idea of Cerebus the Barbarian stage, where it was basically a strange animal walking around in a world that was drawn in the style of Barry Windsor-Smith.I first became aware of Sim for the work he did with funny animals, beavers in particular, for "Quack."Actually, what got me reading "Cerebus" was not just that the comic book was getting a reputation for being one of the best of the alternative comic books put out by the independent press, but more importantly that there was a character in it who looked and talked like Groucho Marx.
The torch burns brighter
After reading the first I was hooked and this second volume game me the only thing missing from the first, a solid plot. With Cerebus trying to move up into high society and gain the role of prime minister his character becomes even more diverse and you love the little ardvark more and more. Best comic series I have ever read.

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To my mind, High Society remains a high point in the Cerebus epic. Like the much later "Guys," it is a (relatively) self-contained chunk of the story, and takes place largely in a single locale. The political parody, which normally would not be my cup of tea, works incredibly well here because of the *detail* Sim injects it with. I never would've imagined that an electoral process could be so much fun to read in graphic novel form. Unlike later books, in High Society, Sim manages to remain focused on the story itself, sparing us the pretentious trappings and scattershot, heavy-handed meanderings that would mar later segments of Cerebus. In other words, this is when Dave Sim was still doing Cerebus, as opposed to his "Hi, I am Dave Sim and I am very clever and here is what I think about the world and here is what I look like and here is my latest experiment in the comic medium and oh, by the way, this is a comic book called Cerebus and yeah, it has something to do with him, when I'm not writing about whatever famous author I just finished reading and when I don't have anything arrogant and irrelevant to share with all of my fans" -- work. I like a lot of what Sim's done, but he's at his best when he leaves himself out of it and concentrates on coherent chunks of actual story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

Cerebus is a 6,000 page comics novel about the life and death of a warrior aardvark. But what started as a Conan the Barbarian parody has evolved into a brilliant commentary on politics, gender roles and the creative urge. Read more

Reviews (6)

Uneven, interesting graphic novel
After exploring politics and religion in the previous three volumes of the Cerebus series, Dave Sim wrote and illustrated this personal story. It's all about Jaka, Cerebus's true love, and the men around her. Cerebus is there along with Jaka's husband Rick, Oscar Wilde, and Pud the tavern owner. read the first ones
I first started reading Cerebus over 20 years ago, carefully collecting the older editions from a used comic store.Jaka's Story, like the later Cerebus stories, moves away from the spof of major comic books, but tells a story in its own right.Giving the history of the world of Cerebus along with many realistic characters, Jaka's story is well worth reading.Though you do have to read the first ones to understand Jaka, who pops up every now and then in the stories before.

The best of the best
It's just a comic book...Read more

Subjects:  1. Graphic Novels   

Reviews (1)

The earthpig saga
Much more than most comics, each issue of Cerebus has been one small slice of a long-lived story arc. It's never been easy to pick up one issue and jump into the flow of what's happening. This allowed Sim a lot more freedom in developing his stories and characters than has been available to mainstream writers, who need to hook attention-deficient new readers no matter what issue they start with. This collection, issues #163-174 of the eventual 300, shows just how well and how poorly that approach can work.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

More than 11 years into a 25-year project of chronicling the life of a single main character, Dave Sim took a small detour (of sorts), put his main character Cerebus on the sidelines, and told this story of the last days of Oscar Wilde. Some Read more

Reviews (6)

Every good story needs a break!
I've seen a lot of reviews about Melmoth and I think most people are wrong saying that this is not an important story for Cerebus. Must read
All of the previous reviews have very good points. This is a departure from the main storyline, Cerebus does not do a great deal in it, and the story was written before Dave Sim ever set his pen to his easel. But look at the other side of the comments, not one of them really regrets reading the story. This is one of the shorter chapters of the saga, and as a result it displays an agility and a skill level from both artists that is truly inspiring. This departure into the life of Wilde works very well with the trauma that Cerebus is going through and adds a greater depth to the storyline as a whole.

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Certainly a well-done piece of work and a skillful depiction of the final days of Oscar Wilde. But it's true -- this has nothing to do with Cerebus. Sim's fluctuation between all-out whimsical fantasy and heavy-handed realism always struck me as a bit awkward and grating. Why is Oscar Wilde important to the world of Cerebus? Why should his death be a part of the Cerebus storyline? Is there an important metaphorical parallel? Read more

Reviews (6)

Not for the uninitiated
Later Cerebus volumes such as this are not for the uninitiated. Collecting as they do issues from the late 100s (of a total proposed 300 issue series), they require a knowledge of a large majority of the previously published issues of volumes. Cerebus itself is not necessarily enjoyable by those without some familiarity with its peer comics, fantasy novels by Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock, the Marx brothers' films, and the writings and lives of Oscar Wilde, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards, to enumerate only some of its influences. .
Boasting some of Gerhard's most breathtaking work, which contributes to a remarkably stark visual atmosphere, 'Minds' is the best book in the tiresome, if occasionally entertaining, "Mothers & Daughters" portion of the Cerebus books. It paces itself nicely, refraining from jumping around at random (as was the tendency in "Flight" and "Women"), staying on a single track, with Cerebus and Cirin reeling through space, confronting God. A dark, inventive, and fascinating piece of work. I almost busted a gut when Sim drew himself into the comic, shedding a tear if I remember correctly -- I'm sorry, but the man has issues, and his need to constantly include HIMSELF in his own book is extremely irritating and aesthetically retarded -- but, this can be forgiven in light of the book's overall merits.

Well
Some of the reviews here have interesting points. One point I have to dispute to let the reader understand where this is going. Cerebus WILL DIE.Sim has stated this time and again.Cerebus, the series, is a life. Cerebus will die.The big gaping questions is: "Will anyone LOVECerebus?" Will he die unmourned and unloved?Or will he learn tochange enough to have someone love him when he dies? I think perhaps itwill simply be 'resolved'. I don't think he will be loved.I think he willbe content with that though....but we have a way to go yet so my opinionmay change. Minds is Sims way of getting right to the point and MAYBE justmaybe opening Cerebus' eye(s) enough to see that he has to change his selfserving ways. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Movements - Humanism    2. Philosophy    3. Graphic Novels   

Editorial Review

The counterpoint to the impressive foundation of the two-volume, 1,200-page Read more

Reviews (6)

The plot thickens
This is the seventh volume of Cerebus, and quite impossible to read/understand if you haven't read the first parts (not all, but at least 1-3) That said, I love this volume, it brought back some of the crazy "regulars", and Cerebus is a bit more active than he has been.
Awesome!
After High Society, Church & State, and Jaka Story, this book is an achievement in the graphic novels medium. The Worst Cerebus to Date
This is the last Cerebus tale I have read and my least favourite to date. Its not bad, but its not of the same quality that I have come to expect from Dim Sim, who is one of the most under-rated creaters in comics. I liked the scenes with the roach, but the bits with Cerebus in it seem to go on forever. Unlike, say Jaka's Story, which is also quite drawn out, its just not that interesting. This instalment basically follows Cerebus's meeting with some kind of Ardvark ancestor who has acheived god-like status. It is also basically setting the scene for a confrontation between Cerebus and Cirin, who seems to be becoming the main antagonist in the series. I am not suggesting that you skip this book, however. It is, of course, an integral part of the overall storyline. Just don't expect too much from it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy    2. Graphic Novels   

Reviews (1)

Masterful integration of text and images
With "Rick's Story," Dave Sim and Gerhard created a chapter in the story of Cerebus that deserves a place with other respected graphic novels. The story carefully studies the two main characters, Rick and Cerebus, as they suffer a purgatory unique to each but shared by both. The episodes expose the characters' dilemmas with well-crafted storytelling and inventive graphic devices. At certain points, Cerebus struggles to subdue his mania by quietly arguing with the many different and distinct voices in his head. This allows Sim to show off his effective expression of dialect and tone within his drawn script. At other points, Rick slips into a martyr fantasy as expressed in friezes from stained-glass windows. As the typeset narrative continues in the margins, the windows act both as illustration and backdrop for the characters' actions.Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Humor   

Editorial Review

The ninth volume of the Cerebus the Aardvark series, Read more

Reviews (13)

deal breaker
not only did the tone of this book totally turn me off, but - let's be honest - if i want to read a book, i will buy one.i have heard there are millions of them; some quite good even.but when i buy a comic book, i would like words associated with pictures - not just words for many, many pages.stopped reading cerebus after this one - which is a shame, as i liked it a lot up to here.

not what it claims to be, yet far more interesting:
If you are selecting something as relatively obscure as Volume Nine of Dave Sim's masterful Cerebus series then I have an idea that you are somewhat familiar with "the controversy" (or, to paraphrase Sim, the Controversy or controversy).Certain statements, unquestionably harsh, are taken out of context of what is, no matter what else, part of a much broader story ("Reads" is this volume's title, after all, with all the meaning Jaka's Story and Melmoth give to that term in this universe).
got a paper-knife?
volume 9 of the "cerebus phonebook collection" - so don't even think about it unless the eight first are already standing on a shelf...
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Graphic Novels   

Reviews (6)

Where i truly started.
Cerebus began with issue one, but that was before i was born. Therefore, my initiation into comics came later as did my interest outside the superhero genre.Well, as it happens, Guys was the first full book/chapter/volume of Cerebus that i ever read; that is, i read this as it came out monthly. Previously i had bought and read the first volume in which Cerebus is actually just a Conan parody, but Guys was my first taste of real Sim and the magnificent background art of Gerhard. Yet another masterpiece
It's not the best of the Cerebus books, but - maybe except for Reads - any of them deserves five stars. .
Although Sim's misogynistic agenda was pretty clear by the time "Guys" hit the shelf, this volume remains, to my mind, one of the best books in the series. After the rambling, pretentious, scattershot, tedious nonsense that weighed down Mothers & Daughters (composed of Flight, Women, Reads, & Minds) -- Guys revitalized my interest in the book as a whole. Guys stands up pretty well as a self-contained work, and the art is some of the best. The writing is top-notch, and the parodies of the gender roles and attitudes are extremely effective. Given that the entire book takes place in a tavern, with the characters drunk half the time, it encapsulates what you'd expect from a volume called "Guys" pretty well. Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Graphic Novels