Cerebus vol 16: The Last Day back

Cerebus is off to meet his Maker. He was told he would die alone, unmourned and unloved, and now that day is here.

Never one to shy away from the commercially difficult, Dave spends the entire book focussing on a decrepit old Cerebus, locked away in a religious fortress of his own making, his body wrecked and wracked by almost every conceivable ailment. As such it parallels MELMOTH, of course, the half-way point in the 300-issue epic, which dealt with slow and painful death of Oscar Wilde. And never one to shy away from the insanely intricate, Gerhard's backgrounds, from the rich interiors to the stark, unwelcoming battlements outside, are without match anywhere on this planet.

It's a sad book, but not without its moments of humour, and hats off to Dave for lingering long enough on such an unattractive topic most people tend to avoid either in comics or real life. I took the last issue home, popped open a bottle of champagne, and read it at the approximate rate of one page every five minutes. I don't think anyone who - both emotionally and financially - has invested in this, one of the finest accomplishments this medium has seen to date, will be remotely disappointed by its conclusion. There was a lump in my throat the entire way through.