The Final Ascension

The first chapter of the 6th book of Church & State II is a short one. There are no words spoken in the actual panels. The story is told by the drawings and text placed somewhere on the page to explain what is going on in the panels.

Cerebus is rising, while still clutching his golden orb. Everyone else is watching. When I say everyone, I mean everyone.

From the far away Cirinist Abbess by means of a mechanical device, to Astoria in the cathedral, still awaiting sentence. From the dead Bran Mak Mufin in the hotel and the people frozen in the courtyard at Cerebus command, to Blakely wandering the streets of Iest. From Bear in a forest somewhere outside the city, to Jaka in a tavern located in the lower city.

Cerebus is clinging to the bottom of the Black Tower as it rises upwards at tremendous speed.

It was an interesting way of presenting an issue, something I'd never seen before. It's bloody hard to read, though. Dave couldn't just put the text at the one angle in the one place every page he couldn't just make the panels all the one size. Noooo! He had to stick it everywhere, all angles, slant it, make the panels irregular. To read it you're forced to turn the book over and over again, you forget what page you're up to and at times it makes you dizzy. Dave had to be an independent, back then no major publisher would have even considered doing what he did in The Final Ascension.

Fascination And Fruition

Dave tried something different with the start. The title does not appear on the front page, it's some wonderfully intercut panels which show an awed Cerebus managing to climb off the pile of money bags.

Whilst backing up the stairs he runs into Boobah, who is carrying a pile of folded sheets that obscure his view, so the inept mercenary goes tumbling down the stairs to be followed by an enraged Henrot threatening to rend him limb from skinny limb, until she too trips over the retreating Most Holy.

Cerebus races up to his room to tell Sophia what has just happened, to find her packing. She tells him she's leaving. He asks why. Sophia says that she told herself she would if things didn't get better, they haven't so she's gone. Dave seemed to write a lot from personal experience and I wonder if this wasn't art imitating life. I think the timeline fits for when he and Deni's relationship fell apart.

Initially Cerebus calls for Bear to force Sophia to stay, but then tells him to forget it and stalks down to the cellar, where he pries open a crate of Borealan whiskey. Before the aardvark can get down to some serious drinking the glowing ball of light returns, and this time it isn't a false Elf.

This ball of light talks to Cerebus, it tells him that he didn't even like Sophia, so why did he want to stop her leaving? The one he really wants is dancing in the lower city. Jaka.

Cerebus sees Jaka, the way she was when he first met her and once again he bellows for Bear. The big mercenary asks what Cerebus wants him to forget about this time. Cerebus tells him to go to the lower city and bring him a dancer called Jaka, and he wants her in one piece.

Most Holy goes to the garden on top of the hotel to brood and wait and we readers get to once again appreciate Gerhard's brilliant backgrounds.

Bear returns and advises Cerebus that Jaka is waiting in the middle room of his suite. As Bear and Cerebus are going downstairs to meet Jaka Bear casually drops the fact that Jaka wanted to bring her husband.

Anything Done For The First Time Unleashes A Demon

Catchy title, eh? It doesn't exactly trip off the tongue, but it sure is cool.

Upon being informed that Cerebus has no interest in meeting with him, Powers flys into a predictable rage. Things do not improve when he is informed that Cerebus has moved his family to a hotel on Iest's East Wall and has a number of mercenaries serving as his personal guard. The terrified Posey is sent back to Cerebus to bring him to a meeting with Powers.

Posey reminds me of a rabbit given human form, except without the procreation fixation.

Henrot is not happy about living in, what she believes is, substandard accomodation. Sophia seems to take it in her stride. Given the number of heavily armed mercenaries stationed outside their door there is not a lot either of them can do about the situation, although I would have given decent odds on the original Red Sophia character on getting out alive.

I believe this is the first time we meet Bear. Bear is a big, heavily bearded, none too bright mercenary fond of saying: 'whatyacallit'. Posey has to rely on Bear admitting him to see Cerebus. The aardvark himself is gambling with another old time mercenary pal; Boobah. Boobah is a tall, blonde character with a paunch. Boobah always reminded me of Dave, yet Dave said the character was based on someone whose stag party he attended. Because Cerebus is Most Holy he is infallible and therefore cannot be beaten at cards even if Boobah has the winning hand. This is something Boobah tends to forget. He's extremely dim witted and only thinks of food and drink.

Cerebus composes an insulting letter to Powers and then has Posey sign it. It was either that or be killed. Posey doesn't actually work for anyone. He just does his best to keep himself alive and that usually means pleasing someone regardless of personal feelings.

Under duress from Cerebus it is Posey who initially comes up with the idea for Cerebus to address the crowd outside and convince them that they will be tortured for all eternity if they don't give him all their money. Posey doesn't say it in those words, but that's what Cerebus comes up with from Posey's words.

This is the scene of one of Cerebus' famous Papal addresses. According to Cerebus Tarim loves the rich and the strong and the poor and weak will go into the afterlife that way unless they give all their money (gold, no jewellry or paper stuff) to Cerebus for a good word with Tarim. He sends them back to their empty, worthless lives and you just know that now he's not only upset Powers, but Weisshaupt as well.

Cerebus is never so good as when he's being really bad.