Jaka's Story
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Jaka's Story is a graphic novel written and drawn by Dave Sim, with background art by Gerhard. The fifth book in the Cerebus the Aardvark series, it is regarded by many as the series' highpoint thanks to its subtle characterisation, expert pacing and innovative use of the comic-book medium.
The title character of the series is relegated to the sidelines in Jaka's Story. Instead, the action focuses on Jaka, the love of Cerebus' life. Supporting characters include Rick Nash, her naive, enthusiastic husband; Pud Withers, the harmless-seeming, but emasculated and mother-worshipping landlord who lusts after her; and Oscar, a poet based on Oscar Wilde who has a crush on Rick. The plot of the book is almost entirely driven by the interactions of these characters until, at the end of the second act, the matriarchial Cirinist fascists who rule the city-state of Iest arrest Rick, Jaka and Oscar and kill Pud. Jaka and Rick are freed due to Jaka's diplomatic connections, but not before Rick is told that his wife had an illegal abortion when she was carrying his son. A furious Rick vows never to see Jaka again. Jaka returns to Palnu, her home city. Cerebus himself spends much of the book lying in Jaka's spare bed mooning after her. In the third act he only appears in one double-page spread.
In addition to the main storyline, there are a number of text pages interspersed throughout Jaka's Story, written in an accurate parody of Wilde's flowery style. (Sim's fascination with Wilde would carry over into a subsequent graphic novel, Melmoth.) They tell the story of Jaka's childhood, somewhat inaccurately, as it later transpires. These passages are meant to be excerpts of a novel Jaka's Story, written by Oscar, and published in Iest under the title Daughter of Palnu.
The comic-style pages of the book are extremely cinematic, with many long wordless passages and 'pans' imitating the movement of a movie camera.
Jaka's Story collects issues 114-136 of the monthly Cerebus comic book.