Going Home (Cerebus, Vol.13)

This collection pulls Cerebus and his beloved Jaka along a lengthy trip. This isn't an action-packed sequence. Instead, it centers on the personalities of Jaka and Cerebus, and especially on the personality of their relationship. Like so many, it has dark corners and ambiguities, as well as the solid core that holds them together - for now, at least. Along the way, they meet the kinds of characters that Cerebus fans have come to expect. Groucho-esque Lord Julius appears early on, but others appear. One might be modeled on Alan Moore, another on F. Scott Fitzgerald - but the characters are easy to enjoy even without the cultural backdrop that formed them. Then, all of this takes place in a land governed by a crushing matriarchy, sort of "political correctness" gone wild. Males seem barely tolerated as a distasteful but necessary adjunct to the begetting of more women. Newcomers to the Cerebus story really should start at the beginning. This book jumps right in, assuming a long familiarity with the people and places, giving the first-time reader little in the way of orientation. This could even become tedious if you're not already a fan of the series. But, if you've been with Cerebus this long, you'll appreciate Sim's dry satire as much as ever. -- wiredweird

There's a misconception that the last third of Cerebus is not as good as the first two thirds, which simply doesn't make sense. The fact is that Cerebus has always varied wildly in quality, and the last third has as many brilliant parts as the earlier stuff. Going Home isn't as good as Guys, but there's a lot more quality here than crap. The first half of this book is about Cerebus and Jaka walking towards his hometown, and it's brilliant. The artwork features some absolutely stunning landscapes in addition to the usual bars (drinking establishments must take up a couple thousand pages of Cerebus). There's a lot of fighting between the couple, but there are also legitimately romantic scenes, and a hilarious encounter with a Lord Julius like-a-look. The second half of Going Home is another Jaka's Story style story, where an author (based on F. Scott Fitzgerald) is both a character and the fake author of prose pages. Dave Sim's imitation of Fitzgerald is at least as good as his faux Wilde, though the prose here doesn't tell a parallel story; instead, the prose offers an alternate version of the comic that makes his character look better. It's a funny technique, but not as profound as Jaka's Story, where the two stories were both emotional rollercoasters. The biggest problem with this book is a segment where the Fitzgerald character gets drunk and explains his philosophy of life and religion. It sounds as though Sim has placed himself in the character rather than Fitzgerald. If Sim wants to use a character as a mouthpiece, he should just insert himself in the comic... like he's done three times already!

David Sim and Gerhard have flawlessly created a storyline of a doomed relationship. Everyone I know who has read "Going Home" and "Form and Void" has identified with these books. The presentation is sublime and mesmerizing. Even though you know how it will end, Sim and Gerhard draw you in with a perfect script and impeccable paneling. This book is well rounded with plenty of the "Classic Cerebus" humor and with Dave Sim's relentless literary research into F. Scott Fitzgerald. Read this book you will come away with a renewed understanding of personal relationships and a superb reading list of American writers.