Available for the first time in hardcover, preacher Jesse Custer begins his dark journey to find God, in this volume collecting PREACHER #1-12, plus pinups from PREACHER #50 and #66.
After merging with a bizarre spiritual force called Genesis, Texan preacher Jesse Custer has become completely disillusioned with the beliefs to which he had dedicated his entire life. Now possessing the power of "the word," an ability to make people do whatever he utters, Custer begins a violent and riotous journey across the country. Joined by his gun-toting girlfriend Tulip and the hard-drinking Irish vampire Cassidy, Custer loses faith in both God and man as he witnesses dark atrocities and improbable calamities during his exploration of America.
This new collected edition features an all-new introduction by series writer Garth Ennis.
Ennis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Ok. Whatever you do, do not let that dumbass tv show scare you away. Because from the 4 or 5 episodes I managed to sit through, it appears that they managed to stripped away everything cool about the comic and turn it into an unwatchable travesty. The characters have the same names, and there's a vague use of the overall idea that went with the graphic novel...but with an extra helping of stupid.
Maybe it gets better...? If it does, let me know.
Regardless, as is the usual case, the comic is far superior. And the thing is, when you try to explain what this is about it just ends up sounding like a horribly retarded idea.
See, God is on the run from this ex-preacher dude, who suddenly got the ability to make anyone do anything because of this infantish entity that escaped from Heaven and jumped inside of him. Oh, and the woman the preacher ghosted years ago finds him in the rubble of his church while on the run from a mobster she shot at - riding with a vampire she tried to carjack. Meanwhile, some angels wake up this zombieish gunslinger who never misses and can't be killed to hunt down the preacher and steal back the whatever-it-is-entity.
And I haven't even gotten around to Arseface!
Or Jessie's grandmother...
I know. I know. This sounds like the perfect recipe for a hot mess, but believe me when I say it is one of the most interesting things I've read in a long time. Highly Recommended!
I need some Visine to clean out my eyes. Gotta wash my hands, with soap and really hot water. A couple times. Brush my teeth, use mouthwash. Take a shower. Drink a gallon of water. Clean up after wallowing around in that cesspool of …
A very entertaining, devilishly fun graphic novel.
I knew Garth Ennis was an evil genius from his run on Hellblazer. Little did I know he was just gearing up to BLOW OUR MINDS, with this irreverent as hell urban fantasy religious satire.
I guess that’s what you’d call this – but I feel dirty. Guess what happens in Vertigo Comics stays in Vertigo comics.
I know I’m late to the party, but this is about a lot of things:
Some strange goings on in Heaven.
An Irish vampire.
A preacher with a loss of faith but the Word of God.
The saint of killers.
And, Ennis you crazy bastard … a character named Arseface?
But like watching a car wreck, you can’t turn away.
I’ll go on to read more of this twisted series but need to get my life right first.
Well I wish could go back in time and punch myself in the face. Because this book was awesome. And my head was clearly up my ass when I first read it a few years ago. Take it from me, sometimes one read is not enough for something that's really different.
Preacher is this insane mix of western, supernatural horror, romance, and black comedy. One of those "impossible" genre combos but it seems to work, at least for me on a second read. It's dark, romantic, creepy, hilarious, exciting, crude, and horrifying. It can definitely be offensive to the religious, the animal lover, the southerner, the Texan, the police, the criminal, the teenager, pretty much everyone. But that's good, because we're all too serious and self-important anyway.
"Christ, I think I'd grow old overnight if I lost you."
Hidden under Garth Ennis' wild violence and profanity is a story of drama. Jesse Custer, our hero, suddenly has incredible power and finds himself in the company of an Irish vampire, Cassidy, and his ex-girlfriend Tulip. There's John Wayne, angels and demons, something called Genesis, and the Killer of Saints. But it's really Jesse's story of coming of age through absolute hell, and his arrival upon his well-deserved power and vengeance, that is the meat and potatoes of the book. And it's filled with brilliant writing like the quote above.
Between Steve Dillon illustrating, one of my all time favorites Matt Hollingsworth coloring, and Glenn Fabry illustrating the covers, this is a fantastic looking book! It's basically the style that Image is going for these days, clean lines, deep colors, realistic but still cartoony. And it just works great. I really enjoyed looking at these images. And those covers are industry-topping. Like Brian Bolland-level.
Read this!
A Short Note on the Deluxe Edition...
This edition is from 2009, so I'm not sure if Vertigo has since put out a new edition. But anyway. Not the most impressive version of this book. The dust jacket is well-designed but thin. The cover is durable but plain black paper over board. The glued binding is okay, some gutter loss, but the book does lay flat. Credit is due to the paper, though, which is pretty thick and high gloss, making up for the lackluster design elsewhere. I'm not surprised, no one can match Image quality. Overall it's better than a paperback, but not great for the retail price. Hardcore fans should look at the leather bound Absolute editions.
This graphic novel volume, (containing issues 1-12), was ultra-violent, irreverent, extremely funny and fascinating. I can't wait to read the next one!!
My highest recommendation to fans of horror and graphic novels!
“I’m lookin’ for the Lord ‘cause I figure he deserted his creation. I aim to bring him to book for that little transgression: To confront him and to hear him answer to that charge. He has an obligation to do right by the world he’s made an’ the folks he’s peopled it with. He quits and runs, he ain’t facin’ up to his responsibilities.”—The Preacher.
I read the first volume of this a few years ago pretty quickly and thought it was okay. But now I’ve read a lot more comics and have become either more jaded by my reading or more appreciative, not sure, but maybe I read this a little more slowly this time, because I was more into it. This comic is a project from the mid-nineties set in Texas involving The Reverend Jesse Custer, his ex-girlfriend Tulip and an Irish punk vampire named Cassidy. It is a mash-up of genres and influences: Pulp Fiction (but the next step in ultra-violence), southern gothic, and sweet romance! It has some supernatural elements connected to something called Genesis (a being part angel, part demon that I have to say I don’t still fully understand or appreciate) but it has demons and devils and angles and Grandma and some over-the-top brutality that it seems to both revel in and abhor on some level.
Book 1 encompasses Issues # 1-12 and is basically a violent revenge fantasy with a few strong tablespoons of very black comedy mixed in. It’s quite a ride, clearly not for the squeamish. Bu underneath the seamy profane surface is the story of a preacher who has lost his faith in God based on some terrible stuff he has seen and been through. And it’s maybe also about redemption through love, in part. I make a connection in my reading of it to Moore’s Swamp Thing (and there are some references to Swampy in this) and the sort of national sweep of its scope of societal critique, as the trio go on a kind of rampage together. But it’s also meant to be funny, irreverent as hell. I liked it quite a bit this time, for sure. I'd say 4.5, but it is quite a start for the series.
“You gotta be one of the good guys son: ’cause there’s way too many of the bad.”
Somehow, I had never heard of Preacher until AMC announced the television show adaptation. How that is even possible is beyond me. Preacher is so up my alley, it’s insane. I heard about the television show a little while back now and I had purchased Book One right away because I’m one of those people that likes to read whatever the television show or film is based on before I watch it. It was sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read, when all of the sudden it was the night of the television show premiere and I hadn’t read it yet! I decided to watch it anyway, and immediately after the episode ended I knew I needed to read it right away.
I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I started reading Preacher. I figured it had religious elements with slightly darker undertones, but that was about as far as my knowledge of the series went. I didn’t know anything about any of the characters or any of the plot lines. I pretty much went into it blindly.
Preacher tells the story of Jesse Custer, a Preacher in a small-town within Texas who has become fused with a mysterious entity known as Genesis that allows him to control people by making them obey his every command. In order to figure out what the hell is going on, he has to journey his way across America in search of answers while encountering quite the cast of characters.
Let me tell you, I absolutely loved this first book. It started out a little slow, as most comic series do. It slowly introduced the main characters as well as a few minor side characters. Our three main protagonists are Jesse Custer, also known simply as Preacher. Jesse is the Preacher at a small congregation in Texas. We don’t know much about him, or how he became a Preacher as the story begins, but you can instantly tell that there is a lot more to learn about him. We then meet a young woman named Tulip who seems as though she has got herself mixed up into something bad. While on the run, she meets a strange Irishman named Cassidy who agrees to help her escape. As the story continues, we slowly learn how all three of these characters are intertwined.
Keep in mind that I have only read Book One of Six so far and I can already tell you that these three characters alone are perfect. They are so well written and complex. My favourite of the three, by far, has to be Cassidy. There’s just something about him. He’s so cool and charismatic, and he definitely brings in a lot of comic relief. I hope to do a comic/television series comparison once the first season is finished, but I must say that the cast choice of Joe Gilgun for Cassidy is perfection. From what I’ve seen so far, he does a fantastic job and I absolutely loved him in Misfits and Pride!
I thought it would take some time before we learned more about Jesse and his past, but no…this first book gets right into it and holy shit…was it ever insane. Jesse’s backstory gave me a whole new perspective on his character and why he is the way that he is. I mean, this was probably one of the most twisted backstories I have ever read. It was insane and I can only imagine what it was like for him to go through everything that he did. I’m sure this isn’t the last that we are going to see of Jesse and his past and I’m excited…and also kind of nervous, to see where his story will go.
While Jesse and Cassidy have definitely made an impression on me, I can’t say the same for Tulip as of right now. Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s a total badass and a pretty awesome character, but I feel like I still need to learn more about her. Hell, I still need to learn more about Cassidy to for…reasons (I’m trying to avoid spoilers here), but I just haven’t really become attached to Tulip yet. However, she is a promising character and I really do hope I’ll get to learn more about her soon!
On top of these three characters, we also meet an entire cast of smaller minor characters. Whether it’s the Adelphi and the Seraphi, the L’Angells or, hell, even Arseface…these side characters are just as intriguing as our main protagonists. I can’t wait to learn more about each and every one of these characters as I continue on with the series.
Preacher is filled to the brim with violence and cursing and all kinds of other debauchery and I absolutely loved it. It contains everything that I love in a story, whether it be a graphic novel, book, television series or film. I can totally understand why it would be considered a cult favourite and I can already tell it’s going to become a personal all-time favourite of mine!
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Initial post reading thoughts:
Holy shit. This was so great. I loved it. This was right up my alley. I'm so glad I already own the second book so I can continue reading ASAP.
So I’m about to read book two but before I do that I figured I’d review this fantastic and controversial book!
What’s it about? A struggling pastor and his friends travel the country to find God... well, okay, not in a family Christian movie kinda way. More in a pastor gets possessed by a powerful half-angel, half-demon hybrid and teams up with his mass-murdering ex-girlfriend and an Irish vampire on an adventure where they find out God is missing kinda way. Seriously, who wouldn’t read a book with that storyline?
Why it gets 5 stars: The story is obviously a cool and unique one! It’s also surprisingly emotional at times. I could just go on and on about how great this story is but I don’t want to give spoilers and I got other things to talk about in this review but anyways, the story is amazing and insane. The art is freaking awesome (RIP Steve Dillon). There’s lots of intense, fun and bloody action scenes throughout. With how crazy this book is it’s also unpredictable. The characters are super interesting and Ennis is great at making you really care about what happens. This cast of characters includes a pastor who is not the kind of person you’d expect to be a pastor, the murderous ex that was forced to be away from the man she loved, a heavy-drinking, snarky Irish vampire, an insane religious family, a teen who failed at killing himself and a crazy sheriff. The villains are great. I actually like the things Ennis implies about religion. If you follow me you probably know by now that I love God and Jesus but think that religion is a lie that God would probably hate. Though I did hear that there’s later some negative things about God in this series (I cannot really comment on that though because I haven’t got there), this volume mocks how bats*** crazy some religious folks are and I gotta say, Ennis ain’t wrong about that. There also seemed to be a subtle childfree thing in the same subplot which I thought was pretty cool. This book is often very funny. Yes, it has it’s reputation for gore and controversy but it does not stop this book from being very funny.
Overall: This comic is wonderful. With the awesome action, the fantastic art, the unique story and great cast of characters, I don’t know why you wouldn’t read this! Highly recommend this book!
I remember when this comic series came out around 30 years ago. My brother was, and is, a big comic collector and this was the first series he ever got into.
I didn’t know much about the plot as I didn’t get around to reading it until now, and never watched the AMC series. I’m very glad I finally got around to reading it and look forward to the rest of the series.
Even everyone's favorite droog, wee little Alex, would be hard up to deny that when you ride alongsidePreacheryou're in for a bit of the good old ultraviolence. So, before I even attempt to capture just a smidgen of this caustic cataclysm, I'll tell you straight off that this is not for little eyes or the faint of heart.
Garth Ennis actually had me laughing aloud from the start with his "sugar-coated" introduction to the collection, which is rife with "cloying sentimentality" (spoiler alert: that's sarcasm). Having never before read a graphic novel that featured neither a superhero nor Archie and his gang (leave me alone- I was nine), I had no idea what to expect- just that a cast of talented, twisted minds had written reviews suggesting that even their sick psyches had been on overload with this one. Obviously, I wanted in.
So what's brought on all this insanity? Well, the big man upstairs seems to be on the lam and the Adelphi aren't exaggerating when they proclaim that, well...
Our lovable cast of characters (featuring our preacher, Jesse, his ex, Tulip, and Cassius, a vampire who most definitely does not sparkle in the sunlight) down on earth aren't doing so hot either. Among other things, the Saint of Killers is on the loose and (Harry Dresden, take note) this is one dude who knows how to rock a duster.
The writing and the art combine in awesome synergy, creating an explosive story line rife with, as promised, that good old ultraviolence.
While it's by no means fit for the squeamish, it does have that certain something (often seen in Tarantino's work) that makes it somehow palatable in its popping extremes. Meanwhile, there are images in this one that will give me nightmares for months- but those have nothing to do with guts and gore. I'm tempted to give you a peek, but as I assemble my unworthy commentary, I'm realizing that reading this in full is just so much better than catching glimpses.
Extra credit: The background characters in every scene are worth closely examining as the art is just meticulously amazing. In one instance, I found a fellow who looks strikingly similar to Mama June of Honey Boo Boo fame (I've never seen the show, but it's hard to forget the sight of someone who looks like a human thumb).
This was ridiculous and I loved every minute of it.
My introduction into the world of Preacher started with the tv show. Said show is a bit of an...acquired taste. It took me four tries to get into it and I'm still not done.
The comic's been in the back of my mind for a few years now (right around the time I stated the show the first time), and it was about time I saw what it was all about.
And now I'm glad I also watched the show. It helped me to know who's who and why they're important.
But, the comic is better overall, and a lot crazier. It's hard to explain why it's amazing so you'll have to read it to find out.
Update after the 2018 re-read: So this re-read didn't go as well as planned, and I'm downgrading my rating from 5 to 4 stars. Truthfully, I couldn't finish it this time around, the last five or so issues set in Angelville just fuck me up too bad, so I decided to skip those final 80 pages once Jesse gets in the coffin since I remember them too vividly anyway. I think this is the most emotionally devastating Ennis has ever been with his writing, even compared to the finale of Preacher (though I also heard similar things said about his Slavers arc on Punisher — haven't read it personally, and doubt that I ever will).
That's not my reason for a downgrade, though. The real reason is that I think I've fallen out of love with Ennis's crass sense of humour ever since I've grown massively disappointed in his other series, The Boys. I think he went too over the top there on too many occasions, and now that signature style of his is an eyesore more than anything else for me.
Anyway, I'll see if my re-read goes anywhere from here, or if I'll decide to leave this series where it belongs — in my heart and in my memory, since I still love it and fondly remember reading and enjoying it for the first time three years ago. I just don't know if it really needs a re-read at this point.
Original 2015 review (holy cringe, Batman!): Oh man. This shit's intense. The book feels a bit like if True Detective season 1 had even less mercy for the viewer. Like, none at all.
It is brilliant. It is painful to read. It is gruesome, hardcore. It is Ennis at the top of his game. And it works on every level. It is hard to put down, the story is great and so well-written, you always want to know what happens next. Even when it rips your guts out. The artwork is great, too. It suits the narrative and the atmosphere. It's gritty, dark and perfectly reflects the mood of this horrible, horrible world you found yourself reading about.
And the most evil thing this book does to you is it lures you in very slowly: it doesn't show its true horror until well into the second half, where the shit starts to go down hard. And by that time you are so invested into all the characters and the story that you have to read through it.
That being said, the gruesomeness and the violence are very much the necessary parts of the narrative. They are exaggerated, yes, but Ennis uses these tools perfectly to illustrate his points about problems with religion, society, family and more. Problems that still remain relevant to this day. And it is yet another reason why this comic book is so brilliant.
In short: read it. But only if you are sure you can handle it.
So a demon sleeps with an angel and they have a kid named Genesis. He supposedly has the power to rival god. He escapes from where the angels had him captive in heaven and comes to earth and bonds with a preacher Jessie Custer. He can now tell people anything and they will do it no matter what. He also learns that god has “quit” heaven and is now roaming around earth. Jessie, with his girlfriend and a vampire in toe, bow to go out and find god and question him as to why he has abandoned heaven. Crazy ass idea for a story right? Well it’s got even crazier execution. This was great! We get some really good back story telling about his girlfriend Tulip and we learn of his own back story too. That story was ultra jacked up. Man, Custer had the worst childhood, holy crap. This book is violent, has wild characters, crazy plot points like the one with Si Coltrane, and overall great story telling and laid out by late Steve Dillon’s artwork. So ready for book 2!!!
Well, I didn't hate it! From the various reviews and comments I've heard and read, this series can be very polarizing so I was hesitant to jump in, but glad I did. Yes, there's quite a bit of profanity and graphic violence, know that up front. There's also some biting wit and sarcasm which I enjoy. The last few issues of this volume sealed the deal for me when you find out the "origin" of the main character and basically go through his rite of passage. Ennis invoked some real emotions in the characters and played off them nicely. The mix of violence, profanity, and just plain craziness that happens reminds me of the film Pulp Fiction (which I love immensely) and should give a nice comparison if you are still unsure about reading this series.
I've never been a huge fan of Dillon's art, always seeming to be a bit simplistic. While this is older, there's a bit more detail than I'm used to seeing from him and the inking adds to a slightly rough, darker tone for the series (which it needs). His panel composition and storytelling are excellent though. These are two things you don't even think about until they are terrible. A good artist will make these natural and seamless and Dillon does just that.
I've already purchased V2 and plan to go ahead and buy the rest.
So this is what happens when I step outside of my comic book 'comfort zone' . . .
I started reading Preacher: Book One (the first 12 issues, 300+ pages) at about midnight and it was interesting enough that I finished it within two hours. The story mostly kept me hooked - and there are obviously talented people involved in its production - but it's a divisive sort of subject matter.
It is dark, despairing, and brutal - I wasn't offended by it, but it was more that its tone was just so profusely bleak. I would compare it with Clint Eastwood's supernatural western High Plains Drifter - there wasn't a likable or redeemable character in that film, though you kind of cheer on Eastwood but only because he's the star. Similarly, the Preacher universe is largely absent of any 'good guys' or traditional audience surrogates, so for me that was a kind of a roadblock. Just my opinion.
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
Life is filled with questions for which we are often unable to answer until we garner enough experience. Even then, as we age, we do not always end up becoming the wisest of them all and life often doesn’t always give everything we want on a silver platter, including those answers we desperately sought throughout our lives. However, religion, the oldest form of science that humankind has created, we were able to create a framework through which many have found their way, their purpose, and their answers. But what happens when the one entity you thought absolute turns out to be fallacious? Writer Garth Ennis (author of The Boys and Hellblazer) delivers one of the greatest comic book series that kicked off in 1995 with his magnum opus, Preacher, and explores one man’s journey through hardship and revelation.
What is Preacher (Book One) about? One day, preacher Jesse Custer is struck down by a powerful and strange spiritual force called Genesis, obliterating the vicinity, with multiple casualties, and changing his life forever. Once awake, he realizes that he now possesses the power of “the word”, giving him the ability to manipulate anyone with his speech alone. Dumbstruck and absolutely disillusioned with the beliefs he had vowed to his entire life, he’s now off on a righteous mission to find God, despite his loss of faith in Him. His goal? To bring Him to face the consequences reaped by his own creation. This first book out of six shares an introduction by Garth Ennis, collects Preacher issues #1-12, and presents a 15-page gallery of Preacher pinups by various comic book artists.
There’s something completely counter-intuitive in the premise of this story yet it delivers one of the most thrilling and captivating adventures told with the comic book medium. Blending horror, fantasy, dark humour, ultra-violence, explicit verbal obscenities, this tale is an achievement in itself. It is even more impressive when you take into considering Reverend Jesse Custer’s pre- and post-Genesis life, as his character now faces his reality with an unprecedented level of cynism while still having both his feet sinking in an uncontrollable religious and supernatural war. Instead of walking away from this turmoil felt beyond Earth, in Heaven and Hell, he sets off on a mission to find the All Mighty God with a self-appointed duty to bring him to justice.
Throughout this first book, he is also accompanied by his ex-girlfriend Tulip and a mysterious Irish man who both deliver some of the most entertaining interactions that’ll have you grinning from ear-to-ear. Once each of their secrets is unveiled, the story also dives into Jesse Custer’s own troubled past by introducing some very terrifying sets of characters who push him to his limits and turn him in an unstoppable freight train with a score to settle with just about everyone, including God. If you thought most of the terror will come from Jesse Custer’s character, think again. There are some very odd and disgusting folks that appear in this story that will have you impressed by the atrocities in this world or completely disgusted.
To masterfully bring this story to life, Steve Dillon’s artwork plunges into the rawness of the violence and doesn’t fail to showcase it with the proper dosage to not tip into irrealism. Matt Hollingsworth’s and Pamela Rambo’s colouring also gives the story a pragmatic touch that almost makes you forget any of its fictional elements. From the sharpness of the outlining to the contrasts of colours that perfectly conveys the dark emotions instigated and felt by the characters, the artwork accomplishes a marvelous job in focusing on the terror rather than the occasional gore.
Preacher (Book One) is a striking and profane adventure following a disillusioned preacher on his quest for answers, accompanied by outrageous violence and unspeakable evil.
It's not that I wasn't expecting to not like it or anything but after reading Saga and loving it to actual death I wasn't expecting Preacher to be on that level, but it WAS! the two are very different but man the impact is real for both.
Upon first impression I was like, this art is soooo 90's , I know, the book was written in the mid-90's on but I'm new-ish to comics (only a few years) so I have mainly read newer comics and the art style that is Preacher is old school feeling. I was quickly able to fall into the art style though.
I find in comics that it typically takes a couple issues for me to settle into the story, with Preacher that was the complete opposite. This book is captivating from the first couple panels. The story is so extremely readable and man Ennis knows how to keep the suspense up throughout the whole story. This was a deluxe edition so there were two volumes in one. Each volume was a mini story from beginning to end but also the second volume was able to build seamlessly onto the first. Yea, pretty much everything ended up being flawless in this novel and I am really sad that I now have two read alongs in a row planned for hefty fantast novels and that I can't just run full speed ahead into more of this amazing comic.
I probably have over a thousand comics and over a hundred graphic novels in my closet at home.
In recent years, I have moved on from my comic-reading habits. While I've always loved comics and look back on my early childhood love of them frequently, I couldn't see myself reading them again. Not because I'm too old for them or because I considered them "childish", but because I felt I wasn't accustomed to the medium any longer.
This all changed after I recently watched few episodes of Preacher on AMC. I quite liked it and saw some of the positive reviews the comics the television series was based on were getting, and I thought "Hell, I'll try it out."
I'm so glad I did.
This graphic novel was a blast. It reminded me of why I have always loved comics and the ways that graphic novels can sometimes tell stories even better than normal novels. The storylines are brilliant, the characters are incredibly funny, lovable, and interesting, and become even more so in subsequent volumes.
Here is one of my favorite illustrations from this volume:
I like the tv show! So having the comic exited me. But this was Just insane. The most crazy storyline’s I have read in comics were the walking dead. This whole angelville storyline might have Just topped this. The hate for those 3 is real and very satisfying to see the demise of them. Now Bring me more preacher!!!!!
This is a fun comic. That simple. I didn't take it serious, and that worked out well for me. Lots of cursing, blood, incent, gore, and so much more. Just entertaining as fuck, even if it's a little stupid. Getting volume 2 for sure.
This is a balls to the wall biblical, southern explosion of destruction. and it rocks! The art is fantastic. Panel by panel, the art is amazing. I love it. The dialogue is what sells this though. The ways the characters speak is so natural, so completely real, it draws you in. hell I even started speaking with a southern accent after reading this.
I was surprised when I heard a TV series of The Preacher had been made.I have not seen it but Looks bad.The graphic novels are one best series I have read.But It won't work as TV because its too blasphemous
4 Stars. Preacher, book one collects issues #1-12. Written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Steve Dillon, Preacher was first published in 1995. From the artwork to the dialogues, this graphic novel screams 90s, but it is still to this day one of the most acclaimed and beloved comic book franchise, so of course, it was about damn time I picked this up.
What's Preacher about? In a world where God had left and abandoned heaven and all creation, a celestial being, Genesis, the spawn of an angel and a demon is being hunted by angels. Genesis has a power capable of matching God's, so he escapes possessing Reverend Jesse Custer, an alcoholic pastor from a small town church. Now Jesse, with a new celestial power, is on the run trying to find answers.
This is an ''epic'' tale of a man, literally, trying to find God. It is a story about friendship, just not your typical friendship, of love, except that the lovers have been through hell since they last saw each other, and about family, what a creepy, scary and fucked up family. It is a story about religion, but what a blasphemy this book is. It's also a road trip story in Texas and this location sets the tone so well, from the ambience to the accents, to the desolation and the hell hole of towns we meet.
Preacher is a black comedy, full with obscenities, ultraviolence, chaos and destruction. It's blasphemous and unapologetic. Irreverent and strangely compelling.
Personally, the beginning was tough. I struggled to care, after all, I've seen the story before, but this comic is 20 years old so I can't complain much about it. However, when I got around issue #5 I was once again interested and I started to enjoy this comic completely. The characters were growing on me, especially Cassidy, I was slowly investing myself not only in the story, but in the relationships as well. Yes, it was a slow start, but I'm telling you it does pan out and now I'm excited to keep reading.
If you're looking for a violent and irreverent adventure, if you want to feel shocked and entertained, this is the one for you.
Coming into this after starting the TV show, it's interesting to see the differences and similarities. It looks like the TV show is going to do its own thing, while still taking things from the book.
But this is really good. I'm not usually one for graphic content and violence but like...some of the stuff in here is insane.
It's kind of amazing how this got green lit to a TV show.
So I want to start by saying, I really enjoyed this graphic novel but PLEASE be open minded if you read this. This book is definitely rated R. I loved the detailed story line and twists. If you do decide to read this, have fun and enjoy the ride!
What in the hell did I just read? That was supremely messed up. I've heard there's a tv show so I'm a little curious about that now. I think I might pick up the next book of this too but wow that was brutal. Everyone is going to hell in this story.
AS I am scrambling trying to remember everything I have read this year I was delightfully reminded about this graphic novel that is AMAZING and non stop. I freaking love the TV show and can binge watch it over and over.
Such a fantastic graphic novel that makes you want to get in good with god but be bad while doing it! ha. For real though this is such a well written graphic novel that you will like. If that is your thing!