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Church
& State I (Cerebus, Volume 3)
by Dave Sim
Church and State is volume three of the Cerebus the Aardvark series
and picks up right where High Society leaves off. To compound matters further,
this reprint volume is part one of a two-part story that is self-contained
within the larger framework.
A face from Cerebus's past returns with an offer he can't refuse. But
the gray one has learned a few lessons from the powers that be and turns
the tables on the would-be puppet masters. This volume also marks the addition
of Gerhard as a background artist, and the artwork begins to create a visual
impact equal to the creative impact of the comic book's ideas and stories.
The storytelling also becomes subtler, the beginning of a stylistic trademark
in Cerebus that leads the reader to believe more action is taking place
peripherally than in the actual pages. High points include a two-part dream
sequence, which is visually unparalleled in the history of comic art; a
pee-break which is unrivaled in length in the history of comic art; the
return of Jaka; and "the baby incident." Don't forget to pick up Church
and State, Volume Two , as volume one ends with the cruelest of cliffhangers.
This is the Ivan the Terrible of graphic novels, both in terms of its subject
matter and the creative peak it represents for the author.
from Aardvark-Vanaheim
Paperback: 592 pages
Publisher: Aardvark-Vanaheim; 1 edition (June 1987)
ISBN: 0919359094 |
Church
& State II (Cerebus, Volume 4)
by Dave Sim
from Aardvark Vanheim
Jaka's
Story (Cerebus, Volume 5)
by Dave Sim, Gerhard
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. Jaka's Story is the fifth book in the series, and it tells the story
of a dancer (Jaka) stranded in a deserted town surrounded by her carefree
husband, a lecherous bartender and Oscar Wilde. Rich and satisfyingly complex,
this is well worth your time. Amazon.com
from Aardvark Vanheim |
Melmoth
(Cerebus, Volume 6)
by Dave Sim
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 Cerebus readers think this book is a needless
distraction from Sim's master epic; others think this is one of Sim's finest
achievements, and that by combining and slightly altering the very real
letters of Robert Ross to More Adey (originally printed in the Collected
Letters of Oscar Wilde), Sim was able to add a depth and breadth to his
fiction never before possible. Either way, Sim and exquisite background
artist Gerhard are in fine form as they weave this tale of Wilde into their
fictional landscape of a new matriarchal establishment. Amazon.com
from Aardvark Vanheim
Special Order |
Reads
(Cerebus, Volume 9)
by Dave Sim
The ninth volume of the Cerebus the Aardvark series, Reads, is the
penultimate chapter of the larger Mothers and Daughters story. This is
one of the most powerful editions in the series and one of the most ambitious
narratives that Dave Sim has ever attempted.
In addition, Reads is the most controversial volume of the Cerebus series
to date because of a parallel narrative involving two characters--Viktor
Reid and Viktor Davis--who are both alter egos for Dave Sim. This controversy
is a shame because the offensive section in Reads--which explores the relationship
between men and women--represents only one possible view of this subject.
When read as part of the whole series, the passages that may have seemed
shocking to some, appear (like all points of this narrative) to question
and provoke rather than offend. Viktor Davis is far from a reliable narrator,
an idea that is reinforced by the final paragraphs of his narrative and
demonstrated by the scariest of all Cerebus practical jokes. Are Viktor
Davis or Viktor Reid representative of Dave Sim or simply aspects of his
persona? The ending suggests the answer.
Meanwhile, Cerebus, Po, Cirin, and Astoria debate the important stuff,
including our aardvark friend's genitalia, the history of Illusionism,
the nature of power, and the fate of Astoria's child. Despite the bad rap,
Reads is Cerebus at its finest. Like the best of art, Reads has the power
to shock, surprise, amuse, and offend--and it even has a whiz-bang fight
scene. What more could you want? Amazon.com
from Aardvark Vanheim |
Rick's
Story (Cerebus, Book 12)
by Dave Sim, Gerhard
from Aardvark Vanheim
Guys
(Cerebus, Book 11)
by Dave Sim, Gerhard
Paperback: 408 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.75 x
10.00 x 7.75
Publisher: Aardvark Vanheim; 1 edition (October 1997)
ISBN: 0919359175
Special Order |
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Flight
(Cerebus, Volume 7)
by Dave Sim, Gerhard
The counterpoint to the impressive foundation of the two-volume, 1,200-page
Church & State is the equally impressive, equally complex Mothers &
Daughters, the first volume of which is Flight. This graphic novel concerns
the fight between the newly established matriarchy and the opposing "daughterarchy."
Cerebus, trying to regain the power he lost when the matriarchal Cirinists
took over, heads down a fateful, blood-soaked path. Dave Sim is often reviled
as a misogynist because of the radical politics and philosophy laid down
in his books, the groundwork of which begins here and builds toward the
climax of Mothers & Daughters, which was so explosive that when it
was initially released it cost Sim several close friends. Amazon.com
from Aardvark Vanheim
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