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A review by gillysingh
Church and State I by Dave Sim
5.0
The artwork on this volume is far superior to that of volume one and of High Society. As a whole, you get the sense that Dave Sim is settling into his stride and the faster pacing of the issues included in this volume make it a much easier read although, as Sim points out in his introduction, it does not find itself at a neat ending leading into Church and State II.
Whereas High Society provided withering political satire, Church and State begins the task of tackling much wider questions relating to a person's place in history and the society around them. The main conflict that I feel coming out is that between Cerebus' sense of being able to do anything he wishes whilst also being trapped by the pressures of those around him as well as the complexities of his own feelings of trying to find himself. Cerebus is no hero and even to use the term anti-hero feels like an oversimplification. He is a more complex character than a surface reading would allow for and we get a startling glimpse of that whenever Cerebus interacts with Jaka or Suentus Po and the Illusionist movement. Any of the issues, throughout the run so far, which have dealt with those things have been stand out issues.
Church and State I leaves you wanting more and, for that reason alone, encourages you to seek satisfaction in further reading.
Whereas High Society provided withering political satire, Church and State begins the task of tackling much wider questions relating to a person's place in history and the society around them. The main conflict that I feel coming out is that between Cerebus' sense of being able to do anything he wishes whilst also being trapped by the pressures of those around him as well as the complexities of his own feelings of trying to find himself. Cerebus is no hero and even to use the term anti-hero feels like an oversimplification. He is a more complex character than a surface reading would allow for and we get a startling glimpse of that whenever Cerebus interacts with Jaka or Suentus Po and the Illusionist movement. Any of the issues, throughout the run so far, which have dealt with those things have been stand out issues.
Church and State I leaves you wanting more and, for that reason alone, encourages you to seek satisfaction in further reading.