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A review by mschlat
High Society by Dave Sim
5.0
[Note: I have a disclaimer about reading Cerebus in my review of the first volume. I'd suggest reading that before starting to read any Cerebus.]
It's frankly astonishing to see the artistic growth by Dave Sim that underpins this volume. Where previously he had tackled at most two- to three-issue storylines, here he tells a 500 page, 20 issue novel. (And who else was doing graphic novels of that length during the early eighties or before?) Where before much of the series was based on making fun of sword and sorcery tropes, here he tells a story with political, economic, and philosophical facets (and very little barbarian shenanigans). Except perhaps at the end, the plot races, and the rise and fall of Cerebus as Prime Minister is immensely satisfying.
And it's uproariously funny. The previous volume introduced most of Cerebus's silly supporting cast, but now Sim mashes them all up together. The Roach (now in the guise of Moon Roach) is now a master of absurd hyperverbosity and superhero ridiculousness. Elrod is perfect as the populist figurehead who doesn't understand a thing. And Lord Julius (Sim's take on Groucho Marx) shines in his many, many interruptions of serious goings-on. (It doesn't hurt that we get a Chico Marx analogue as well --- I'd be hard pressed to find someone who does Marx Brothers dialogue as well as Sim).
Now, there are issues. Given Sim's later misogynist views, it's hard to see some of how the female characters are treated. Jaka appears to try and pull Cerebus away from the politics (with protestations of love); she's wise and wary and still gets the back of Cerebus's hand. And Astoria is often just the hen pecking female who gets things done; she rarely shares in the humor that drives the book and is somewhat left behind in the last third when the "boys" end up making deals that exclude her. For both characters, there's a sense of separation from the energy that drives Sim's narrative. They are outsiders to the slapstick and verbal gymnastics (think "women can't do comedy" vibes).
And the ending is a melange. Sim was never as clear as he could have been, and the vast shifts in the Church of Tarim that drive much of the political goings-on in Iest are opaque at best. The very last pages give a romantic and idealized view of republicanism that is nowhere else in the book (and certainly not in Cerebus's goals of military power and bags of gold).
And yet... the middle third of High Society is among the funniest stuff I've ever read, and it's stayed that way with repeated reading. If you only read one volume of Cerebus, I think this is the one.
It's frankly astonishing to see the artistic growth by Dave Sim that underpins this volume. Where previously he had tackled at most two- to three-issue storylines, here he tells a 500 page, 20 issue novel. (And who else was doing graphic novels of that length during the early eighties or before?) Where before much of the series was based on making fun of sword and sorcery tropes, here he tells a story with political, economic, and philosophical facets (and very little barbarian shenanigans). Except perhaps at the end, the plot races, and the rise and fall of Cerebus as Prime Minister is immensely satisfying.
And it's uproariously funny. The previous volume introduced most of Cerebus's silly supporting cast, but now Sim mashes them all up together. The Roach (now in the guise of Moon Roach) is now a master of absurd hyperverbosity and superhero ridiculousness. Elrod is perfect as the populist figurehead who doesn't understand a thing. And Lord Julius (Sim's take on Groucho Marx) shines in his many, many interruptions of serious goings-on. (It doesn't hurt that we get a Chico Marx analogue as well --- I'd be hard pressed to find someone who does Marx Brothers dialogue as well as Sim).
Now, there are issues. Given Sim's later misogynist views, it's hard to see some of how the female characters are treated. Jaka appears to try and pull Cerebus away from the politics (with protestations of love); she's wise and wary and still gets the back of Cerebus's hand. And Astoria is often just the hen pecking female who gets things done; she rarely shares in the humor that drives the book and is somewhat left behind in the last third when the "boys" end up making deals that exclude her. For both characters, there's a sense of separation from the energy that drives Sim's narrative. They are outsiders to the slapstick and verbal gymnastics (think "women can't do comedy" vibes).
And the ending is a melange. Sim was never as clear as he could have been, and the vast shifts in the Church of Tarim that drive much of the political goings-on in Iest are opaque at best. The very last pages give a romantic and idealized view of republicanism that is nowhere else in the book (and certainly not in Cerebus's goals of military power and bags of gold).
And yet... the middle third of High Society is among the funniest stuff I've ever read, and it's stayed that way with repeated reading. If you only read one volume of Cerebus, I think this is the one.