Metal Monday

It's hard to pin-point what Garth Ennis' critically acclaimed Preacher is all about. The series is an ode to 'The Greatest Generation', cowboys and war veterans. The series is a sharp knifed rebuttal against the disenfranchised self-loathing/indulging of the 80's and 90's. The series is a critique on modern religious super powers and it is also an eulogy to the self-made man of morals in a complicated world. I could tell you fifty more but what it all boils down to is that Preacher is damn good book.
Jessie Custer is a frustrated preacher in Texas. One day a supernatural being from Heaven inhabits his head, giving him the power of the 'Word of God.' When Jessie uses his power, no being -not even God himself- within earshot can do anything but obey his commands. This is the world created in the first few issues of the series. The dirty little trick and genius of Ennis' writing is that Jessie -in the entire 66 issue run of the series- uses that power less than 20 times. What is even more awesome as a reader, you don't even care.
Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon have created one of the most interesting and amazing cast of characters I have ever read. I really care about what is happening to each and every one. My palms sweat when a hero is in peril. My mind races when a villain, that I hate to love, is about to meet his doom. I pour over every sentence of back story, even for the most minor of side-characters. There is an entire 8 issue run, where none of the main-characters even show up.

 So what kind of stories do these characters get into? Well, to be simplistic, all the story arcs, including the main plot is about revenge. Characters forced into impossible situations by despicable villains and the reader squirms as the heroes somehow exact perfectly timed revenge.
No character embodies the book's motif of revenge better than the aptly named Saint of Killers. I don't think I'm alone when I say he is my favorite character and he has the best story. His plot line follows closely to that of Jessie's and (I might be alone when I say this) is the true Hero of the series. He is the ultimate cowboy. He is the self-made man, doing his duty. Imperfect? Yes. Conflicted? Not at all. Willing to kill God by using a complicated loop-hole that God himself unwittingly created just so he can have his revenge and rest at the throne of the almighty so as to be finally at peace? Oh hell yeah.

Just for fun, when you begin to read the Saint of Killer's origin story take a good look at the young guy the old man is speaking with. Then as you read watch the progression of the main antagonist's character art in the story. That's story telling genius that can only be pulled off in a comic book.
Now, I am in no way saying this book is perfect, it most definitely has its flaws.
-The first 7 issues are just ok. They do just enough to create the world until the real story telling begins.
-All major antagonists are deformed sexual deviants.
-It puts bestiality, pedophilia, and rape on the same level as homosexuality.
-A few -extremely rare- times some major plot holes are opened never to be resolved. (I can only think of one off the top of my head.)
-A few characters are never given the proper back story that is afforded to almost every other character.
Though the last two may be because the comic was obviously ended somewhat too soon. The first can be written off as Ennis not having a 'feel' for his creation that early in the series.  The villains being sexual deviants is boring and juvenile but even Spielberg uses this trope in his movies.
But to equate homosexuality to pedophilia?  Characters are hated and hate themselves for being gay. It's inexcusable and ignorant.

It's kind of a sad joke around the comics community that Preacher would make a good movie or mini-series. Considering it has been in development hell since 1998 and it's major theme is killing the Christian God, I'm inclined to believe it will be there for a long time¹.
I'm also of the thinking that Preacher is already in it's best medium, preserving the pre-9/11 era and attitude in an extreme and somewhat backwards tale of revenge.
I highly recommend this book. If you're worried that I may have spoiled too much of the book with this article -trust me- I have not even scratched the surface. It would take me a 100 posts to even come close to spoiling this comic. I don't want to write a 100 posts on Preacher so go out and rent it, borrow it, steal it if you must but just read it!