Comic Info
Comic Name: Preacher
Publisher: DC Comics/Vertigo
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: Steve Dillon
# of Issues: 9
Release Date: 1997
Preacher #24
Reprints Preacher #18-26 (October 1996-June 1997). Cassidy is a prisoner of the Grail, and Herr Starr has plans for him. With Tulip and Jesse on a rescue mission, the discovery of what the Grail is hiding in the sublevels could give new clues to Jesse about the origins of Genesis and the powers he possesses. Unfortunately, the Saint of Killers is still coming for Jesse and the arrival of the Grail’s leader D’Aronique could mean that Jesse and Cassidy’s time is running out. Plus, Cassidy reveals his long lost origin and how he became a vampire.
Written by Garth Ennis, Preacher Volume 3: Proud Americans is a DC Comics fantasy horror series released under the Vertigo imprint. Following Preacher Volume 2: Until the End of the World, the collection features art by Steve Dillon. Issues in the collection were also collected as part of Absolute Preacher—Book 1, Preacher—Book 1, and Dillon’s cover art was also collected as Preacher: Dead or Alive.
Preacher is somewhat hit or miss for me. I do like some aspects of it, and Ennis was bringing a hardcore nature to comics that was lacking at the time. However, when you compare Preacher to some of its contemporaries like The Sandman or even something like The Books of Magic, Preacher doesn’t have the same level of quality in many ways.
Preacher continues to be rather juvenile, but at this point in the series, you expect it. It is brash and ballsy, and it revels in the fact that it isn’t very P.C. (and that was back when it was written in the late 1990s). Reading Preacher now, it is a bit uncomfortable at points and things that were written as a joke (in poor taste) now feel more culturally insensitive (and still in poor taste). It is definitely a product of the time.
Preacher #25
The collection doesn’t have as big of bangs as the previous collection which dove into Jesse’s family. Here, it does get into the Grail and the Grail’s plans for the world, but it isn’t as edgy or backwater which feels better in Preacher. The Illuminati-type storyline is necessary, but I prefer Jesse dealing with smaller issues.
The Grail story is bookended by two smaller stories. The first story tells the origin of Jesse’s lighter (and part of the reason with his fascination with John Wayne). The second story is an origin story for Cassidy which reveals his real name and how he became a vampire. Jesse’s father’s story is mildly interesting, but I found myself drifting off during Cassidy’s story since I wanted more of the core story.
Preacher 3: Proud Americans has the story of Jesse Custer storming on. Preacher feels like it has revealed a lot of its tricks at this point in the story and that a lot of the mystery pulled out of it. I’m sure that Ennis has more tricks up his sleeve, but I worry that I’m just a little over a third of the way through Preacher, and it feels like in some ways it has tapped out…I’m hoping that isn’t the case. Preacher 3: Proud Americans was followed by Preacher 4: Ancient History.
Related Links:
Preacher 2: Until the End of the World
