Church & State Volume I (Cerebus, Book 3) [Paperback]

Dave Sim (Author), Gerhard (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Aardvark-Vanheim; 1 edition (June 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0919359094
• ISBN-13: 978-0919359093
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #384,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The High Point, January 11, 2000

By 

PowerManG4 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Church & State Volume I (Cerebus, Book 3) (Paperback)

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 they are so funny. The underlying statements on religion, politics, and humanity is thought provoking and intense.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Aardvark? hmm . . ., June 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Church & State Volume I (Cerebus, Book 3) (Paperback)

Church and State is a fascinating introduction to the modern comic book, especially for those who are still expecting tights and superbreath. It is a compellingly complex political intrigue, as Dave Sim constructs his elaborate world in detail in this 3rd installment of his decades long work. Rather than being an illustrated history, the story moves from moments of remember to breathe humour to tenderness to satire to byzantine machinations and back to laughs. I'm especially fond of the end sequence when Cerebus has a cold: one of the chapters is entitled "na shid hids na fan." And every once in a while, you have to stop and slap yourself and say, "hmm . . . it's an aardvark."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Darkly Humorous and touching, August 25, 2005

By 

David Lev "generic fantasy nerd" (king of the world) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Church & State Volume I (Cerebus, Book 3) (Paperback)

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.
In this book, Cerebus (through much political maneuvering) goes from being a cynical ex-prime minister writing his memoirs/ how to be a prime minister ("Don't listen to Lord Julius") to being an even more cynical (and married) Pope. As soon as he becomes Pontiff, he declares that the world's going to end and that everyone's going to die horribly if they don't give him gold. Lots of it. And forget about benevolence: annoy him with pleas or prayers and he'll throw you off a building.
Besides being a quite good satire of religion and religious leaders (I wish I'd have read this when Pope Benedict was appointed), this also includes quite a lot of just plain funny humor (Sophia's mother, the bit at the end where Lord Julius starts popping out of hidden compartments all over Cerebus's room), geniune emotion (The conversation betweeen Cerebus and Jaka especially), and a great and complex story. Now, to get to Church and State 2...