Where I Am Starting From:

In the preface to Women, it is stated that the Cerebus storyline has a core. That is what I have tried to reach in my reading, and may have missed much else in the process (For instance, I've not spent much time thinking about the theme of creativity).

The story is split into two segments of 200 and 100 issues respectively. One seems to deal with Religion, Politics, and Creativity. The other seems to be about Men and Women. I view these two segments as highly analogous to each other.

I don't believe Dave is simply storytelling, I believe he raises serious points about our own society.

One of the methods he seems to use to do this is Systemic Thought, whether conscious of "It" or not (Hey, what's in a name?).

The metaphor goes:
A microscope is for looking at the small, a telescope is for looking at the large, and a macroscope is a metaphorical thought tool for looking at the complex.

Components make systems, and whole systems in turn can function as components of larger systems. Viewing the interaction between components is largely a matter of resolution and detail (For instance: elements, compounds, cell structures, cells, body components, body, society). This view is shown by Dave's idea of Life and Death, on Reads pages 240 - 241. Though Dave's mode of thought may not be "Officially" or deliberately systemic; he does zoom from individuals up to greater wholes in his storytelling.

This mode of thought is what I've attempted to use in reading Cerebus.