I'd disagree on the fraction, but agree with the overall gist of the statement.

Dave Sim comes across as a bit mad, doesn't he? Perhaps sitting at a drawing board all day long and not interacting with people that much does that to you.

What's your fraction?

I read through Volume 5, "Jaka's Story," which was very good. Then I dropped CEREBUS based on advice I received here and elsewhere.

Of the earlier volumes, I loved "High Society," thought "Cerebus" started slowly but gained momentum nicely, and eventually was disappointed with the two "Church & State" books, though they had their moments. The ending seemed particularly twee.

High Society was the end of the good for me. So my fraction would be one-sixth.

I got some enjoyment out of every book, even the unreadable later ones that are half 8-point gibberish text. But I would say that for the average reader, Jaka's Story is a good stopping point. For the more impatient reader, just High Society is plenty.

Throughout the series, I enjoy the various celebrity cameos, especially the cameos of comic book creators. I enjoy when Sim and Gerhard do interesting panel arrangements and when they swing the "camera" around in 360-degree arcs for page after page, even when the action portrayed in those panels is kinda dull by some standards.

I love the issues where Cerebus is dreaming, or flying through space. I love the issue where gunpowder is invented and a cannon is fired off for the first time in history. I love the banter between characters.

Cerebus for me is like an old crotchety friend, who is fun to hang out with now and then. But I can't subject myself to its toxic world view too often, or it will make my life miserable. For the last hundred issues or so, I gave up reading the monthly issues, because once a month was too often. A TPB collection once every other year was just about right.

Given all that, its hard to recommend it to anyone in other than small doses.

I got tired of the overwritten text parts, came back for the controversial Reads, then finally threw in the towel.

The back issue market really fell out for this series if ebay is anything to go by.

What was that word that Sim made up during Jaka's Story and then did an indignant text piece when everybody pointed it out to him?

Haven't heard of that.

I reeeaaally don't want to read Cerebus again any time soon. Hopefully Peter will know.