From: heifetz!lokkur.dexter.mi.us!scs@uunet.UU.NET (Steve Simmons)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info
Subject: Good Week Reviews, 8/30/92: Cerebus 161: Mothers & Daughters 11
Date: 30 Aug 92 22:21:04 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.comics.misc
Organization: Inland Sea



Good Week Reviews is an irregular series, published whenever spare time
and a good batch of comics happen to converge.  This is the first time
in over a year that two good weeks have come back to back.

Editorial Comments: I *hate* when the all the followups to a review of
eight different books all get lumped under the Subject of the review
title.  Eight different threads under one subject.  Feh.  Each Good
Week Review is posted separately with the issue in the Subject line.

Rating scale: excellent, good, acceptable, poor, awful

For those wondering what `acceptable' means: I buy maybe 15 comics
a month.  IMHO, 95% of the market is *not* acceptable.  On the other
hand, the goal is `excellent'.  There are a number of other things
I enjoy besides comics, so something merely acceptable is going to
pushed aside if something really good comes up.

Comparisons: Comics are like beer -- the average Canadian is
	better than the average American, but it costs more.

=======================================================================

Cerebus 161: Mothers & Daughters 11
Writing: Dave Sim
Art: Dave Sim, Gerhard
Ratings: Writing good, art excellent, overall excellent.

It's hard to say something intelligent about the penultimate issue of
part one of a 50-issue arc in a 300-issue story.  Nonetheless, I can't
let this one pass by.  For those who've not been reading the colophon,
this is part 11 (of 12) of "Flight", which is part 1 (of 4) of "Mothers
And Daughters."

When Dave Sim is on, he can make simple day-to-day events fascinating.
Here he's got much more to work with and makes the most of it.

"Flight" is a continuing series of two things: straight exposition by
Suentus Po, and massive scene-setting by Sim back on earth.  Practically
every significant character ever seen in Cerebus puts in an appearance
this issue, ranging from the sublime to the ludicrous.  Events are on
the move all over the world, and it will be fascinating to see where it
all goes.

There's no issue of Aardvark Comment this month, and if Sim hadn't
pointed it out in "Notes From The President" I wouldn't have noticed.

On the other hand, the excerpt of Jeff Smith's "Bone" is a real treat.
He'll be seeing a check from me soon.

Some of the questions Sim has raised and will hopefully answer in the
rest of M&D (spoilers ho):

Apparently all three aardvarks have been revealed.  But does Po, who
is apparently not corporate, count?

Where do Mrs. Thatchers loyalties lie (assuming she has any)?

Who are Astorias followers, and what does their getting out of control
mean?

In several scenes, Astoria is drawn in the same white-on-black style
as Po.  Significant?

We have two distinct appearances of the eye in the pyramid.

Astoria looks like she'll be getting out of prison and becoming a force
again.

Lord Julius, the Roach, Mick and Keef, and Elrod all appear in the
same issue.  Yeah!

One each of the pairs of the Judge and the Elf disappear.

A mysterious eruption starts.

Cirin is awake, and her god is still bearded.
-- 
 "When Dexter's on the Internet, can Hell be far behind?"
		-- Steve Simmons, scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us



--
-Hades (Brian V. Hughes) 
	    "Egads! These look like a women's fingerprints"
						   -- Durlock Holmes