Church and State by Dave Sim

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Church and State by Dave Sim is one book, split into two volumes because there is no way to fit the story into one volume. 66 issues of 20 pages each is a huge book. So Sim split it into two volumes, so that it could physically fit into books. For some Church and State is the highpoint of Cerebus (for me it’s Jaka’s Story) and contains everything that is good (and some bad) in Cerebus.

Dave Sim took one issue away from a long story (issue 51 – “Like-a-Looks”) before jumping in head first to Church and State. Where in High Society, Sim dealt with politics and elections, in Church and State he delves into politics and religion. Cerebus decides to write a book about politics and ends up making his way to Countess Detin’s estate. There he runs into the new incarnation of the Roach (Wolveroach) and a new political mastermind Adam Weisshaupt. Weisshaupt gets Cerebus back as the Prime Minister (complete with a new wife, Sophia). We then spend a number of issues with Cerebus, Sophia, her mother and Weisshaupt going around in circles, before the church decides to take a stand against Weisshaupt. They make Cerebus the pope.

Cerebus then goes power crazy. He demands all the gold in the city or Tarim will destroy the world. Everyone assumed Cerebus was too stupid to do anything and would be easy to control, but when everyone starts following Cerebus the Pope, everyone’s plans are completely destroyed. Cerebus is then forced to deal with renegade Popes, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, a trial of Astoria for murdering the other Pope and finally a journey to the Moon. It’s an epic journey through Dave Sim’s world (from before he went crazy).

Church and State is a wonderful satirical look at the world of comics, politics and religion, filtered through Sim’s unique point of view. Church and State also starts the collaberation of Sim and Gerhard. Gerhard’s amazing backgrounds allow Sim to concentrate more on the character art and word art (for which he won several well deserved awards). Highly recommended.

One thought on “Church and State by Dave Sim”

  1. A couple of minor quibbles about this good review: Issue #51 was entitled “Exodus”, not “Like-A-Looks”. The latter title was a two-part fill-in which followed “Jaka’s Story”, featuring Lord Julius impersonators. “Exodus” was Sim’s attempt to do a story with Elrod, Lord Julius, Cerebus, and several others “locked in a closet together”. As Sim wrote about that idea in the introduction to the reprint of issue #4 in Swords of Cerebus, “it’ll write itself.”

    Secondly, and for the record, Gerhard’s first issue of record was #65, although I’ve long suspected that he did a few panels in #64. Prior to either of those, he earned the right to do those (and continue thru to #300) by helping out on the color stories of Young Cerebus, which were published by Marvel in Epic Magazine.

    Hope that helps.

    Jeff Seiler

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