Title: Preacher
Genre: Graphic Novel
Year: 1995-2000
Pages: 1,800 (in total)
Origin: read on the iPad
Nod Rating: 4 nods out of 5
Tulip: The way I hear it, there's two good places to look for God: in church, or
at the bottom of a bottle.
Jesse: Maybe I'll go find a liquor store, then … 'cause lemme tell you, it sure
as hell ain't church.
Since making waves in the 1990s, Preacher has gathered
critical acclaim. The original run of Preacher spread across sixty-six issues
released between 1995 and 2000. In recent years these issues have been
published in nine collected books, of which the Worm read over a series of
months. The reader follows Jesse Custer after he becomes possessed by a
supernatural force that gives him with great powers, leading him to search for
God in order to have a few questions answered. Throughout the run of issues
Jesse Custer gets into a suitable set of adventures to thrill the everyman
comic reader.
Undoubtedly, Ennis has created some fantastic characters.
The main trio – Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy – loosely echo that golden triumvirate
from Star Wars. Jesse is searching throughout the issues to find himself (as
well as God), Tulip is an ex-hitman who has the effect of making all men drool
after all, whilst Cassidy is an Irish vampire (what more is there to say!). Furthermore,
villains include the undead cowboy Saint of Killers and the unfortunate and
angered Herr Starr, whilst the famous Arseface makes consistent appearances
throughout the run.
The storyline leans on the conspiracy theories of the Holy
Grail (which provide some humorous villains), the legend of westerns, as well
as religious theory. Ennis has created an interesting blend of action, humour
and serious commentary in the form of this comic. However, it is unfortunate that
the run seemed to lose momentum half-way through. Perhaps it moved beyond its
initial remit and attempted to expand into areas into which it lacked the same
high standard of the original stories. Of greater annoyance was Ennis’
intrusion – in the form of Jesse – to voice his concerns of the world. In the
beginning these monologues were fresh, but by the end they became stale and
tedious. Similarly, giving off wafts of staleness was the love affair between
Jesse and Tulip. The storyline in which Jesse goes it alone and becomes a sheriff
was a very welcome distraction.
The Worm “ummmed” and “aaahed” about the nod rating for
Preacher. 3 nods would be more suitable in reflecting the second-half of the
run. However, it made a fresh entrance into the comic-reading community and
sustained interest over a period of years. For this reason, 4 nods are given. There
has been a lot of talk of Preacher being converted into a TV show or movie
series; the Worm is interested in seeing how this comic is adapted. But for
those waiting, better to gain hold of the original books and get started right
away.
Read about the writer Garth Ennis
