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riverwise's review
3.0
It's taken me a while to get to writing this one up, maybe because it's the first volume of this reread that I've come away from with a slight feeling of disappointment. In memory it was really exciting, as the four main characters (Cerebus, Cirin, Astoria and Po) embark on individual courses that finally bring them to the great throne room, and the promise of confrontation and the Final Ascension. That does all happen, and the convergence in the final pages is expertly handled, but it's only about the final twenty per cent or so of the book. Most of the rest is taken up with lengthy dream sequences. While this fits well with the Roach's latest incarnation as a Sandman parody, such sequences have never been my favourite part of Cerebus. Of course, without the dreams we wouldn't have as many wanking jokes - the bit where dream Cirin is chastising Swoon / the Roach is laugh out loud funny - so I guess you pays your money and you takes your choice.
As befits a book called Women, the main focus characters here are Astoria and Cirin. This is where Dave really expounds on their political movements. Throughout the book there are facing text pages from each's manifesto, spelling out the Cirinist and Kevillist viewpoints on all kinds of subjects. Up to now we've seen Astoria as a very clever arch manipulator, but we've never really known what such manipulation was in aid of. It's interesting to learn in and of itself, but it also indicates just how much effort Dave had put into the building of Estarcion, and how much work lies under the surface of the story, like an iceberg of fictional history and politics.
While it's still brilliantly done (really, at this point I'm taking the fantastic art, lettering, dialogue, page construction, etc as a given, which is probably unfair), I don't think there's enough differentiation from Flight to merit it being a separate volume. The next two parts of Mothers & Daughters have very individual and distinct feel and this just doesn't. Furthermore, it doesn't do enough to advance the storyline - by the end, essentially all that's happened is that some characters already in Iest have gone somewhere else in Iest. I wouldn't be complaining if this had been substantially trimmed and rolled into Flight at the planning stage (although that would break the nice correspondence of the four volumes of M&D to the first four storylines).
So, as I say, a slight disappointment. It's in no way bad, I just don't think it sustains the achievements of the previous books as well as it could. Oh well, onwards to Reads. That'll put the cat amongst the pigeons.
The usual random observations:
Astoria's "go away" is exactly what Cerebus did to her in C&S, likewise just before an ascension. More recurrences and echoes.
I was also sure that this book had the reveal of exactly who the old woman in the cottage that Cerebus crashes into is, but I was wrong about that as well. Trust me, it's worth waiting for. A comment of hers ("Trust me, all women read minds, with very few exceptions") also contributes to the title - I just don't think Dave could resist the idea of four consecutive spines spelling out Women Read(s) Minds(,) Guys(!).
As befits a book called Women, the main focus characters here are Astoria and Cirin. This is where Dave really expounds on their political movements. Throughout the book there are facing text pages from each's manifesto, spelling out the Cirinist and Kevillist viewpoints on all kinds of subjects. Up to now we've seen Astoria as a very clever arch manipulator, but we've never really known what such manipulation was in aid of. It's interesting to learn in and of itself, but it also indicates just how much effort Dave had put into the building of Estarcion, and how much work lies under the surface of the story, like an iceberg of fictional history and politics.
While it's still brilliantly done (really, at this point I'm taking the fantastic art, lettering, dialogue, page construction, etc as a given, which is probably unfair), I don't think there's enough differentiation from Flight to merit it being a separate volume. The next two parts of Mothers & Daughters have very individual and distinct feel and this just doesn't. Furthermore, it doesn't do enough to advance the storyline - by the end, essentially all that's happened is that some characters already in Iest have gone somewhere else in Iest. I wouldn't be complaining if this had been substantially trimmed and rolled into Flight at the planning stage (although that would break the nice correspondence of the four volumes of M&D to the first four storylines).
So, as I say, a slight disappointment. It's in no way bad, I just don't think it sustains the achievements of the previous books as well as it could. Oh well, onwards to Reads. That'll put the cat amongst the pigeons.
The usual random observations:
Astoria's "go away" is exactly what Cerebus did to her in C&S, likewise just before an ascension. More recurrences and echoes.
I was also sure that this book had the reveal of exactly who the old woman in the cottage that Cerebus crashes into is, but I was wrong about that as well. Trust me, it's worth waiting for. A comment of hers ("Trust me, all women read minds, with very few exceptions") also contributes to the title - I just don't think Dave could resist the idea of four consecutive spines spelling out Women Read(s) Minds(,) Guys(!).
thebobsphere's review
3.0
Really the only thing worth taking note of in Women is Sim's great Parody of Gaiman's Sandman. Other than that same old, same old.
gillysingh's review
3.0
The war between Mothers and Daughters continues, alongside intermittent sorties by the Illusionist Camp, The Roach and Albino as well as Cerebus himself. Iest is in civil war.
A lot of reviews of this story arc are written by people saying they're lost in the plot. I think it says a great deal about Dave Sim's work that there are those who have gotten confused yet who are still willing to put themselves through trying to make head or tail of what is going on. It is possible to follow the plot but, to make sure you're successful in doing so, I'd highly recommend reading the preceding volumes back to back otherwise there is a big risk of small, seemingly incidental characters passing you by.
The story is captivating, the artwork continues to be some of the best of the series and they myriad narrative styles Sim uses are a masterclass in themselves. That being said, you can't help but finish the book asking the questions, "Where are we going and why?"
This volume ends on a cliffhanger and it is relatively short in comparison to some of the others in the series.
A lot of reviews of this story arc are written by people saying they're lost in the plot. I think it says a great deal about Dave Sim's work that there are those who have gotten confused yet who are still willing to put themselves through trying to make head or tail of what is going on. It is possible to follow the plot but, to make sure you're successful in doing so, I'd highly recommend reading the preceding volumes back to back otherwise there is a big risk of small, seemingly incidental characters passing you by.
The story is captivating, the artwork continues to be some of the best of the series and they myriad narrative styles Sim uses are a masterclass in themselves. That being said, you can't help but finish the book asking the questions, "Where are we going and why?"
This volume ends on a cliffhanger and it is relatively short in comparison to some of the others in the series.
ederwin's review
5.0
Loved this volume! This combines the great art, lettering and world-building evident in all volumes with great humor and an interesting plot (which is not present in all volumes). There are many dream sequences, and weird "is this a dream?" sequences, but they make sense to me more than they did in, say, "Church and State". Four of the major characters come together explosively in the end, which is a cliff-hanger for the next volume.
The parody of "Sandman" is my favorite of all the comics parodies in this series. Perhaps because I am more familiar with "Sandman" than I am the other works that have been parodied before. Having a character like "Swoon, of the Clueless" (a parody of "Dream, of the Endless") who lives in the dreamworld, allows him to interact with the dream sequences. The dream interaction with Cirin where she, as mother figure, chastises him for his naughty habit is hilarious, as is the scene where he is a bartender at a bar for squirrels. The last volume and this one could have been combined into a single volume, except that the two parody bits are so different in the two: "Punisher" in the first, and "Sandman" here.
The humor is balanced by the dead seriousness of totalitarian dystopian society and wars between two forms of radical feminism. Sim is avowedly anti-feminist, which will discredit him with some readers. But for me the critique in this volume is more of radical forms of feminism, or radicalism in general. You shouldn't expect literal correspondence with the real world in a story with an aardvark pope.
Despite the critique of feminism, there are strong, complicated, nuanced, female characters. Jaka in a previous volume. Astoria, in this one, realizes and comments on her contradictory desire for democratic consensus and her desire to be in charge. Cirin hates all things masculine, but realizes she rules the same as a man (but woe betide anyone who would agree with that.)
There is a great deal of text in this "comic", which means it is a slower read than most comics. Maybe so much so that it shouldn't be called a comic. That is an on-going thing with this work which works well and I won't criticize it. What I will criticize is that the font is sometimes very, very small and very hard on my eyes, while there is plenty of room for the text to be larger. Also some text and graphics can get lost in the fold of some two-page spreads. That wouldn't be a problem in the original 20-page issues, but these giant volumes will not lay flat.
I'm am very eager to move on into the next volume. (Though I've been warned that it becomes even more text-heavy and controversial.)
The parody of "Sandman" is my favorite of all the comics parodies in this series. Perhaps because I am more familiar with "Sandman" than I am the other works that have been parodied before. Having a character like "Swoon, of the Clueless" (a parody of "Dream, of the Endless") who lives in the dreamworld, allows him to interact with the dream sequences. The dream interaction with Cirin where she, as mother figure, chastises him for his naughty habit is hilarious, as is the scene where he is a bartender at a bar for squirrels. The last volume and this one could have been combined into a single volume, except that the two parody bits are so different in the two: "Punisher" in the first, and "Sandman" here.
The humor is balanced by the dead seriousness of totalitarian dystopian society and wars between two forms of radical feminism. Sim is avowedly anti-feminist, which will discredit him with some readers. But for me the critique in this volume is more of radical forms of feminism, or radicalism in general. You shouldn't expect literal correspondence with the real world in a story with an aardvark pope.
Despite the critique of feminism, there are strong, complicated, nuanced, female characters. Jaka in a previous volume. Astoria, in this one, realizes and comments on her contradictory desire for democratic consensus and her desire to be in charge. Cirin hates all things masculine, but realizes she rules the same as a man (but woe betide anyone who would agree with that.)
There is a great deal of text in this "comic", which means it is a slower read than most comics. Maybe so much so that it shouldn't be called a comic. That is an on-going thing with this work which works well and I won't criticize it. What I will criticize is that the font is sometimes very, very small and very hard on my eyes, while there is plenty of room for the text to be larger. Also some text and graphics can get lost in the fold of some two-page spreads. That wouldn't be a problem in the original 20-page issues, but these giant volumes will not lay flat.
I'm am very eager to move on into the next volume. (Though I've been warned that it becomes even more text-heavy and controversial.)
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