Customer Reviews

Cerebus, Volume 1

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Now that I have read the 300th and final issue of "Cerebus the Aardvark," it seems appropriate to go back and read the beginning again, knowing what the earth-pig's final fate (and word) will be. "Cerebus, Volume 1" reprints the first 25 issues in which Dave Sim figures out what he is doing with his cute and furry aardvark. The starting point, as Sim himself admitted in teh beginning, was to "Look as much like Barry Smith as possible," a point which is never more obvious than in issue #2 "Captive in Boreala," which the opening pages are basically Sim's version of Smith's "Frost Giant's Daughter." But by the end of these 25 issues "Cerebus" has been remarkably transformed, and by this I mean more than the fact that somewhere doing those two years of comics that Cerebus starts to look like Cerebus (it takes until issue #4 to actually start wearing clothing).

In retrospect what is fascinating here is to reconsider these stories and see how a funny-animal comic book, that begins with Cerebus bouncing on top of a horse as he a city to engage in some Conan the Barbarian like thievery. After all, Cerebus is wearing Conan's helmet and has a necklace with large round things on it just link Conan in the beginning. But then in #3 "Song of Red Sophia" and #4 "Death's Dark Tread" two important things happen. The first is that Sim undertakes some parodies of some supporting characters from the Conan comic book: Robert E. Howard's Red Sonja becomes Red Sophia and Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melibone becomes Elrod the Albino who has a tall pointy hat and speaks exactly like Foghorn Leghorn. The second is that these two twisted characters become the first recurring characters in the "Cerebus" world, and from them Sim branched out in other directions for his targets.

Sim did go back and have some fun with turning another of Howard's original characters into Bran Mak Mufin (#5), but ultimately what took "Cerebus" to the next level were three characters. The first was the original character of Jaka the dancing girl (#6), who was clearly intended as a one-shot character. But the pathos of her parting with Cerebus, who has forgotten her once he sobers up, suggested for the first time there could be some pathos in these tales. The second was the ultimate parody character, the Cockroach (#11), who would pop up from time to time in the series and embody whoever was the hot comic book character of the moment. Okay, that makes sense for the Wolveroach but not the Moon Roach, but you get the idea. The third character was Cerebus' greatest foil, Lord Julius, who was first introduced in "Silverspoon" in the "Buyer's Guide for Comic Fandom" (Lord Julius is the father of a spoiled Prince Valiant type son) and then took center stage in the Palnu Trilogy: "The Walls of Palnu" (#14), "A Day in the Pits" (#15), and "A Night at the Masque" (#16), at the end of which we learn that Jaka is Lord Julius's neice. However, what is important here is that Lord Julius looks and talks like Groucho Marx, a coincidence that is explained by the fact Groucho's real name was Julius.

Lord Julius is important because he made it easy for Sim to do stories about politics and to do so with a character whose major strength is his imperturbability and his refusal to be cornered on any point of contention. Add to this the fact that he is running the whole show in Palnu and it is impossible not to take great joy in every scene in which he appears. Every other "real" person who appeared in the 300 issues of "Cerebus," from Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, got through the front door because Lord Julius ripped it off the hinges and threw it on the floor.

The Palnu Trilogy is also Sim's first 71-page Cerebus story, which is what sets the stage for the "books," the first of which is presented in the second volume in this collection "High Society." This is clearly the point at which Sim starts thinking of having a big picture and eventually getting to the point where he can announce he knows how the whole thing is going to end. For the record I consider "High Society" to be the high water mark of Cerebus and the justification for giving this first volume five stars as well is because the historical value of watching how Sim turns his funny animal comic book into a first rate socio-political satire becomes a key part of the equation.

I definitely think that there was a point where "Cerebus," in the current vernacular, "jumped the shark," but before that point (which I hope to pinpoint as I reread all 300 issues) there was a period of time when this comic book was as the one I most looked forward to reading each month. Going back and starting over from the beginning certainly reminds me what that was the case.

After repeatedly having been told I should really give Cerebus comics a try I decided to go for it and started off with this first book (which collects #1-25). I don't regret it. Although it's a little hard to get into it at first it's quite an interesting and good read once you get to (and pass) the point he finds employment with a certain Lord Julius of Palnu (about halfway through the book), not accidently also the point where continuity and follow-up stories in Cerebus comics kick in. Before that it's mostly a funny book with single-issue arcs, a spoof on "warrior-comics" which is a genre of comics that was very popular in the days these issues first saw print. Those issues are also enjoyfull but stand-alone, and I feel the real storylines shouldn't have kicked in any later or it might have become annoying.

The main idea of the stories in this volume is that the main-character Cerebus, a sarcastic wandering mercanary for hire who happens to be an aardvark, swerves around in a fantasy land. He never knows where he's going to be next week and his only things of interest are gold, peace of mind and booze, favorably to be earned in any employment he finds at the time (or just by theft). This gets him in the most awkward positions possible which he has to get out off by cleverly conning his (99% dumb-as-a lamppost) fellow characters. The dialogues in which Cerebus takes part are hilarious if you're a fan of sarcastic humor and sometimes you find yourself amazed seeing how Cerebus finds his way out off things you wouldn't have seen a solution for yourself. Big plus for Simm there because the tales NEVER get predictable.

Overall I'm quite enthousiastic about this volume although I do think it might not be the best one to get to know the character Cerebus. I think it's better if you read one of the later volumes first ("High Society" for example) and THEN come back to this book to see how it all evolved in what it came to be. Because evolve it does, just compare the drawings on the first page and the last page, and see how far story-development improves over time. Once you DO start reading this book I'd like to suggest that you especially take good notice of the characters "Elrod", "Jaka" and "Cockroach". Not only do these characters keep re-appearing in later issues, the stories starring them are also some of the best in the trade (more like "phonebook" really). Also take special notice of #20 called "Mindgame" which is hilarious due to the superb dialoguing and Simm showing off he can draw Cerebus in any position imaginable. Something he doesn't lack in at other issues either, though. In conclussion: go for it if you're looking for a cleverly written "talk-comic" where the action is more in the words than in the images, and stay clear of it if you're looking for a superhero comic or a comic that's all about action-filled art.

Not only the start of one of the best sequential stories ever, this volume also represents a perfect example of an artist learning his craft. Dave Sim writes and draws every issue in this volume by himself (he later gains a creative partner but not until the third volume) and the evolution of his artwork and writing are amazing to behold. Cerebus started out in the late 70's as a simple parody of Conan the Barbarian with single-issue stories of a cute lil' Aardvark (whose name came from a misspelling of the guard dog of Hades' name) who went around beating up people, good and bad, in search of treasure. He was basically Conan at first, and most of the recurring charecters were spoofs of Conan's supporting cast. This didn't last long,as longer stories lasting three or four issues began to show up,and Sim started developing his own art style instead of emulating the artwork of Conan artist Barry Windsor-Smith. This volume collects issues 1-25 of the comic book,and by the end the book has gone from simplistic and amatuerish (frankly, the first issue is terrible except for the twist ending) to hilarious, allegoric, and intellegent. Nevertheless, these stories, while almost all excellent and increasing in quality every issue,pale in comparasin to the larger epic the series becomes in later volumes. Though the story really kicks off in volume two ("High Society," where Cerebus becomes a poltical mover and shaker via an odd twist of fate) volume one is essential to introducing the charecters and thier relationships. All of these stories have some signifigance, and alot of them show up again when you least expect it (issue number two, for example, has ramifications that don't come into play until more than one hundred and fifty issues later!) But more importantly, they almost all entertaining well-done stories in thier own right. Cerebus is a brillaint,mature and though-provoking saga that derseves to be up there with some of the great satiric AND serious fictional works of the twentith century. It's also one of the few serial stories that always gets better with each new story. You owe it to yourself to at least give it a try, and this is the ideal place to start.

Cerebus, originally to be titled Cerberus but for a printing error, is one of the most important comic books ever published. Begun in the late 1970s as a parody of Marvel Comic's version of Conan the Barbarian by an employee of Now and Then Comics in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, it quickly grew into a unique entity. Filled with sophisticated plots, emotional depth and (not counting the earliest issues) exquisite artwork, Cerebus quickly became the standard against which all other titles were measured (that is, by people who had outgrown immature power fantasies about men in tights).

Cerebus is of extreme historic importance. Sure, there were underground comix before, but nothing matching its scope in straightforward storytelling. The undergrounds were pretty much a dying breed and offered few titles representing the unique vision of one artist. Most were just anthologies with short stories whereas Cerebus became a projected 300 issue epic. Cerebus blazed the trail for the modern self-published, independent comics movement, and alternative publishers like Fantagraphics by encouraging increased creator control artistically and financially. Even the mainstream publishers couldn't ignore his influence, creating such imprints as D.C.'s Vertigo. Even Alan Moore's Swamp Thing couldn't have existed pre-Dave Sim. Cerebus was also important for introducing the concept of a comic epic with a beginning, middle and end with a complete creative vision, vs. a title taken over by whatever writer and artist is handy with the characters never aging or developing. Such ideas as Neil Gaiman's 75 issue Sandman story arch are built upon Sim's innovation.

Unfortunately, the earliest issues in this collection (which are still important for introducing the characters) were poorly drawn and written before Sim turned the series into the serious-but-humourous epic it now is, but half-way through, his brilliance begins to show with more complex tales of political intrigue. If it weren't for people like Sim, I would have given up modern comic books many years ago. Sure, some fanboys who do not read novels try to pass off some books such as the Crow as real art, but trust me, even if you don't usually read comics, buy this. This is serious art and serious literature.

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.

Dave Sim developed his very distinctive style of drawing Cerebus across this volume, which means that the art improves by steps - and we get to watch as Sim turns into the most creative artist in comics. (You can't deny that the material where Cerebus was talking with Selentius Po was magnificent, for one thing.) We also see the comic starting to figure out what it is all about, as Cerebus' adventures make him a (failed) king, and then bring him into big-league politics, all while keeping up the oddball satire - like Lord Julius, a dictator who looks exactly like Groucho Marx. This coincides with the beginning of the lengthy storylines that Cerebus would become famous for.

The first volume of Cerebus is parody, but a witty, fun parody. It's fun all around, but you'll get the most out of it if you've read a lot of sword & sorcery. I'm giving the first volume five stars because compared to most comics it's worth it - even though it's hard to say that it's five stars compared to later volumes.

I've been reading a lot of excellent comic books by great authors like: Alan Moore (Watchmen, From Hell, etc), Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Frank Miller (The Dark Knight Returns, 300), Grant Morrison (Invisibles), Art Spielgman (Maus), etc.

One of the works that I've always been remembered to pick up was the Dave Sim's Cerebus. And, unfortunately (now I know), I postponed this for a long time!!

Reading the reviews in the net, I decided to begin by the second volume in the Cerebus Saga (High Society).

Then I had a wonderful surprise! I haven't finished to read the fourth story and I've been already engaged in the aardvark adventures, in such way that I had to make a great effort to stop reading the book (I did not want to stop not even to eat!). I began to agree that Cerebus was not only above the average comic book works, it was far above, it was one of the great works of the medium.

But this review is about the first book, isn't?

Yes, it is (I'm just recommending you to buy the second too, and the third, and keep reading until the end of the saga :) . I hope also that Amazon decides to sell all the books, instead of only the first 12).

It is just to agree with some people that say that it is better to begin reading Cerebus by High Society, and come back to the first book. Thus you'll really enjoy the introductions of the characters that you have already met in the second book - and some that you haven't, but will be important in the next books, like: Red Sonja, who will get "marriage" with Cerebus (and make him to like sex); President Weisshaupt, etc.

In this book we see also: Jaka (Cerebus only one true love) who, surprisingly, doesn't seem to be an important character; Lord Julius, who will introduce Cerebus in the world of the bureaucracy and politics; the completely crazy "cockroach" who will incorporate all the cliches of the mainstream super-hero characters; Elrod the Albino, who will bring us a very funny story when he "dies"!!! :); professor "Charles X. Claremont" and his "woman-thing", together with the "sump-thing", and many others that I could write for hours and hours about.

This is probably one of the funniest books in the series. Here we see Cerebus as a barbarian. He goes in wars, fights with wizards and shows his abilities to con people. Cerebus is always trying to get gold, but when he gets some, he never knows how to keep it, or expend it in games and drinks (which are the things he loves most to do, besides sleep and raw potatoes)!

I rated the first book five stars, because although the stories begin a bit crude (as the author himself recognizes), the artwork and the texts increase exponentially in quality (while the nose of Cerebus decreases :), thanks Dave! ).

Finally, I don't agree with some people that say that the book becomes better when Cerebus meets Lord Julius, I think that, if you did like me and began reading High Society, it is better a little early than this!

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.

This first volume is Dave still finding his true voice, and is more goofy than satirical and incisive, but if you're going to read Cerebus, it's well worth starting at the beginning and following from there. I don't agree with the people that say to start in the middle and then back-track... i think that the story is much more satisfying if you start at the beginning, becuase if you start at volume 1, you can see the artist and the story really staritng to "find themselves", which makes the following volumes even more satisfying.

If you enjoy thoughtful, funny, ironic, and crazy stories about a silly aardvark with strange friends and a bizarre life, then you will not regret the time it takes to read all 15 volumes of Cerebus.

Cerebus is one of those stories (like the Oddessy or the Illiad) that needs space for the tangent storylines to truly unfold. So if you've got (quite) a few hours to kill, start at the beginning and work your way through one of the finest comic book epics ever written... I doubt you'll be disappointed.

This is the worst of the Cerebus books, but still better than most so-called "graphic novels." The first volume of a 6,000-page saga, it begins roughtly and progresses by leaps and bounds almost every page as we see the amazing growth of Dave Sim in his first three years doing his own comic. Yes, Dave Sim. Ironically, Gerhard is credited with one of the few Cerebus books he had NOTHING to do with! (He joined Dave Sim doing backgrounds for Cerebus with issue #65; this volume collects issues 1-25.)

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.

Cerebus is easily one pf the best satire comics of all time. Cerebus lampoons all the classic fantasy conventions, politics as is applies to the human experience, and other noteable comic supremely well. The first volume, while unlike the rest of the series, sets the stage for what is to come by giving us an appreciation of the irony of the main character's role thoughout the rest of the work. If you love fantasy comics, Cerebus volume 1 is a must. If you love a good comic regarldless, read them all.