Minds (Cerebus, Volume 10)

by Gerhard and Dave Sim

In Minds, the Cerebus the Aardvark reflects on his past and faith, while seeing glimpses of possible futures with Jaka. Minds collects issue #187-200. Then in Guys, reprinting issues #201-219, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0919359167
• ISBN13: 9780919359161
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Aardvark-Vanheim
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.3" x 0.8" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Philosophical journey

"Minds" opens on a scene that evokes Druillet's Lone Sloane: - a massive throne, hurtling through space. As always, though, Cerebus goes his own way. This time, that way takes him on a voyage of discovery, settling some questions on the nature of deities and opening others. We also gain witness the aftermath of a violently traumatic event from the life of young Cerebus, Earth-piglet. This leaves the reader wondering what alternatives that event closed to Cerebus, setting him on the course we've seen in the story so far. Then, as befits this arc of the Cerebus story, he comes face to face with his creator. And, as befits Cerebus himself, he succeeds in annoying the Creator thoroughly. Certainly not a place for Cerebus tyros to start, this provides the long-time Cerebus reader with unique insight into the character, in a setting of Simmish (I almost said 'Simian') surrealism. -- wiredweird

Well

Some of the reviews here have interesting points. One point I have to dispute to let the reader understand where this is going. Cerebus WILL DIE. Sim has stated this time and again. Cerebus, the series, is a life. Cerebus will die. The big gaping questions is: "Will anyone LOVE Cerebus?" Will he die unmourned and unloved? Or will he learn to change enough to have someone love him when he dies? I think perhaps it will simply be 'resolved'. I don't think he will be loved. I think he will be content with that though....but we have a way to go yet so my opinion may change. Minds is Sims way of getting right to the point and MAYBE just maybe opening Cerebus' eye(s) enough to see that he has to change his self serving ways.

Alex Sydorenko

Lemme tell you, "Reads" the previous volume that everyone heralds as "Cerebus at its best" kinda left me feeling lousy with all its vitriol between the sexes. That big battle between Cerebus and Cirin started causing me nightmares, and I just couldnt really get into Viktor Reid's view of things...But then comes "Minds" and its the tonic I needed- First off, the art (as always) is superb, but the art's especially superb in this volume of the series as Cerebus hurtles on his broken throne through the astral dimensions and spends time on icey Pluto thinking things through. "Minds"- to me is Cerebus at his best- though "Jaka's Story" is still my favorite out of the series.--Alex Sydorenko, November, Chicago

"Church and State I" a cliff-hanger? Yeah right.

Sim's previous volume of Cerebus, "Reads", and the final volume of his "Mothers and Daughters"--or, "the other big book" of the Cerebus storyline--is one of the most controvercial in the history of comics to date. It has shaken up a number of people. Some it has offended. Some it has made think. All..(pregnant pause)..it has effected. "Minds" is not "Reads". Let's get that point across straight from the start. "Minds" is not about you, the reader. The story arch "Mothers and Daughters" ended with the afore-mentioned final volume of which it was composed. Yes, Cirin is still there, for awhile anyway. The first approximately 60 pages, she and Cerebus have what is essentially a repetition of the screaming match between him and Astoria in issue #105, only instead of in the dungeons of a small Tarimite church, this one takes place on a large chunk of rock shooting through space. But, even though we will get to hear some talk about her behind her back, "Minds" is not about Cirin. So, accordingly, Sim gets rid of her. No, no, don't be upset-slash-throw a party (whichever you prefer). He simply sends her to Saturn for a while. So Cerebus is left all alone on his large chunk of rock. Now the fun begins. Did I mention "Minds" is not about Cirin, "Mothers and Daughters", or you? It concerns, in fact, a certain puzzling grey-furred personality whom we have all come to know and love/hate. And his Creator. As you know, Sim has spent something like 20 years on his title character, Cerebus. He has been "Prime Minister, then he was a houseguest, than he was Prime Minister, then the Pope, and then a house guest again". Don't forget mercenary, Kitchen Staff Supervisor, and...ehh, skip it. He has been offensive, cruel, cunning, barbaric, sophisticated, loving, unlovable, scheming, noble, petty.... Etcetera. He has been the focus of attention, and he has been in the wings. He has been a lot. So what is he? Well, it hurts to say it, but he remains much the same in one tragic respect. He is destructive. He has wrecked, or had a part in wrecking, the lives of a lot of people, and he is well on the way to wrecking his own. Sim has tossed just about every trick in the book at him, and he still continues unswervingly on his path to a grim death--chant along, people!--"alone, unmourned, and unloved". He seems inviolate. It has become painfully clear that nothing on earth is going to make him change. Well, he's not on Earth now, is he? Sim has taken the voice of a lot of people in his books, including Cerebus himself, Oscar Wilde, Jaka, and Victor and Viktor. Now, in "Minds", he takes his own in a lengthy discussion with Cerebus: Creator to Creation. You see, Cerebus has run up against a brick wall. With all that has happened, he continues grimly on the road to self-destruction. To draw a parallel, he has now encountered that same fork in the road Neil Gaiman's Morpheus encountered. He must either change...or die. If a "needle in Ce

You owe it to yourself to read the whole Cerebus canon.

Dave Sim has set so many precidents with Cerebus, that it would be worth reading even if it weren't as powerful and rewarding a work as you're likely to find in the comics medium. Start with the first volume, and when you find yourself thinking, "What's the big deal over this sword and sorcery genre satire?" keep reading. Toward the end of the first volume Dave Sim's drawing skills improve visibly with each new page. The intelligence and depth of the writing go off the scale starting with the second volume, "High Society." He is joined by his artistic colaborator, Gerhard, somewhere near the beginning of the third major story arc, "Church and State," and since then the two have been developing the kind of mature, competent, confident, and compelling graphic story-telling that only emerges after years of continuous development. Start at the beginning, and read up to the current issue. Thereafter, I suspect you will find yourself eagerly anticipating each monthly instalment of Dave Sim's self-published comic book