Cerebus #1!

estee · Post by **estee** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 18:22 -0700

Holy moly...someone is selling this book on ebay for $15,000!

Wow...I paid $300 like fifteen years ago for mine and its signed by Dave Sim (not Sims, by the way), but the signature on the ebay copy looks legit.

Check this out!

Thomas Froehling · Fri Jun 01, 2007 20:30 -0700

And here I am, thinking roughly 1,800 US $ for a single comic is big money...

But who in his right mind (no offence intended!) would pay that kind of money for an unreadable comic? I mean, you would have to get it out of it's CGC-cover, which would greatly decrease it's value...

Maybe I'm not an obsessive comic fan after all...

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:20 -0700

What's the rationale behind this? Has the comic sold for even near that in the past? Or is this guy just hoping someone with a fat wallet is desperate enough to buy it for that much?? Sounds pretty insane to me!

estee · Post by **estee** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:35 -0700

It is insane. This book is not worth that much, and I'm a fan of this title.

Someone is deluded.

Thomas Froehling · Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:55 -0700

...or he mistyped, the zero-key was stuck and he didn't notice....

MikeM · Post by **MikeM** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 5:48 -0700

That's an insane price but brings up a question I would like to ask.
I have been contemplating getting the 'phone books'. I have never read Cerebus, so I don't know if its any good.

Thanks,
MikeM

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:43 -0700

It's good stuff. Give it a try...

jpusczek · Post by **jpusczek** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:13 -0700

There are 2 9.4 Cerebus #1 in existance. Both SS books. and the last time one of these issues sold, it went for $10,000 in 2004. Now, is this crazy to most, absolutely, but, there truely is a buyer for everything.

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 15:22 -0700

jpusczek wrote:There are 2 9.4 Cerebus #1 in existance. Both SS books. and the last time one of these issues sold, it went for $10,000 in 2004. Now, is this crazy to most, absolutely, but, there truely is a buyer for everything.

I stand corrected then!

jpusczek · Post by **jpusczek** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 15:36 -0700

Yeah, there must be some people out there with far deeper pockets than I can imagine.

sschroeder · Post by **sschroeder** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 14:56 -0700

MikeM wrote:I have been contemplating getting the 'phone books'. I have never read Cerebus, so I don't know if its any good.

It will depend on your taste, of course. The art and lettering are something most comics fans, especially those who like a little b&w once in a while, should see. I read Cerebus for a while, and I remember enjoying it at the time. I don't own any of it any longer.

I remember picking up a couple of the phone books too to get the older stories. I know I had the Church and State volumes. Not sure where I stopped, losing interest at some point. It wasn't something I wanted to read any longer. I don't think I made it to Guys.

Post by **Maka** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 17:15 -0700

I don't think I made it to Guys.

Back in the days where I was addicted to comic books I bought every single phone book up to Guys. I read the first book and enjoyed it. But after a while there was just too much dialog for my taste. Unfortunately, I'm a completist, so I keep on buying the books and they keep on siting in my "to read" pile.

I started to read Church and State, and I found myself bored or irritated that I had to focus really hard to get the "whole" story. I like comics that make you think (like concrete, sandman, doom patrol) but I lost interest in this story. I didn't care about cerebus or his supporting characters.

I tried to read Jaka's story because people were saying that was the best. Once again I couldn't get into it.

But I kept on buying the phone books. I told myself I would read this masterpiece someday and I was supporting independent comics. Today they just sit in a comic book box tucked in a far corner of my garage.

But that's not to say you won't like it.

Peace,

maka

estee · Post by **estee** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:35 -0700

Well it's been a while since I posted this ad and well no one else has made an offer. Hmmm, I wonder why.

As for buying the title...

I have been a fan of Cerebus for a long time now and Dave Sim can be an infuriating jerk. The less said about his views the better.

But the book is very good, especially the stories up to Jaka's Story. JS, I'll admit is a hard read, but its Dave at his best.

After that, things kinda go weird and the story lines are not for all tastes.

So, in conclusion, Cerebus is like Usagi...start at the beginning with the "Cerebus" phone book. After that comes "High Society" and Parts one and two of "Church And State"

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 22:51 -0700

I've read most of the phone books. The first one took some pushing to get through, but High Society was phenomenal. I still think this was Sim at his best. Church & State was still good, but darker and more troubling at times. Jaka's Story was experimental and fascinating in an art exhibit sort of way, but it took me a VERY long time to get through it. Melmoth was the absolute pits. Entirely useless garbage in my opinion, but it's short and reads fast. Flight was a much-needed return to greatness. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The next three volumes really push the envelope in strange ways, though. Sim's troubling views come to the forefront, but in ways that, if you're willing to listen without accepting, can be quite fascinating to a "sane" reader. These books make up a sort of climax to the series, I suppose. Though, by this point, Sim has made it nearly impossible to grasp what the heck is going on.

Things begin to fall apart around the time of Guys, which immediately follows the "climax" section of the Cerebus saga. It's a good story in itself, but it drags and drags, and gets really depressing. I stopped reading about halfway into Rick's Story and I'm not convinced I'm ever going back. Far too depressing and slow. There are only a few volumes after this, but I just don't think I have it in me. Cerebus the character is past his prime, Cerebus the comic is past its prime, and I don't have the heart to watch either deteriorate before me.

The short of this is that I'd definitely read the first two volumes and see how far you want to go beyond that.

estee · Post by **estee** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 15:11 -0700

Well said, Shaxper. You nailed it pretty well.

Though I did like the final few issues of the title, when Cerebus is old and locked in his castle. It was very funny.

But Cerebus' commentary on the Torah was a labour, but that was Dave's intention. He made it that way to see who would keep up with it.