Dead Friends

The rather grim title suits the chapter to a certain extent.

The opening scene is Cerebus laying in bed, sleeping off the meal. The bulk of the chapter is a dream sequence and again there's a rather cinematic feel to it. The reader does not actually see Cerebus until the last few pages, the entire dream is seen from Cerebus point of view. This is a technique film makers have often used to great effect in the past and Dave is one of the few comic artists who could pull it off, of course he is ably assisted by Gerhard's marvelously detailed and atmospheric backgrounds.

Cerebus walks down a long hallway and pushes open the ornate double doors at the end, he enters a large sparsely furnished room, dominated by a massive throne made of skulls.

Bran occupies the throne, he is dressed as Cerebus last saw him and even has the knife that he used to commit suicide jutting from his blood covered chest. He claims that it doesn't really hurt, it's just a temporary set back. There is a knock at the door. Cerebus peers through the keyhole and sees Weisshaupt walking down the hall (getting the idea why the chapter is called Dead Friends?).

Weisshaupt blows a hole through the door that takes off one of Cerebus' ears and leaves him lying on the floor, helpless, blood staining the hand that he holds up in front of himself. Bran tells Weisshaupt that the Prime Minister only needs one ear to beat him and as the statesman approaches the aardvark a tiny Astoria appears on the desk and shouts at him to no great effect. Cerebus' blood stained hands close around Weisshaupt's neck and he starts to throttle his enemy.

Weisshaupt morphs into Thrunk, although he's still wearing Weisshaupt's wig and clothes. As Bran stands up for Cerebus, the aardvark breaks Weisshaupt/Thrunk's leg and Bran and the stone man go crashing to the floor, locked in mortal combat. Cerebus gets to his feet and then floats into space.

In space he encounters the Elf (Yay! I hope she's not dead). As always she has a riddle for Cerebus, he won't play along, she tells him he's and old poop, but throws something at him before she disappears. Cerebus catches it and opens his hand, it's the glowing thing and it grows rapidly.

At this point Cerebus wakes up, lights a lamp and pads down stairs. Sure enough the glowing thing is there and it's getting bigger and bigger.