Title: Preacher.
Book: 1.
Writer(s): Garth Ennis.
Artist(s): Steve Dillon.
Colourist(s): Matt Hollingsworth & Pamela Rambo.
Letterer(s): Clem Robins.
Publisher: Vertigo Comics.
Format: Paperback.
Release Date: June 18th 2013 (first published in 2009).
Pages: 216.
Genre(s): Comics, Horror, Fantasy.
ISBN13: 9781401240455.
My Overall Rating: ★★★★★.
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.
“I tell you, if absolute power was to corrupt absolutely, that is the first absolutely corrupt goddamn thing I would do.”
— Garth Ennis
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.
The TV series Preacher (2016-2019) came to an end with its fourth and final season released this year. Have you seen it? Will you be reading or watching this series?
Roars and Echoes 
Nope, definitely not for me at all.
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Aaaaaaand I’d have never recommended this one to you. Ever. Hahahaah
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😀 😀 😀
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God, I love this series. Ennis at his best.
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It’s soooo good. I love how insane it is. I look forward to finishing this series. I wish that Absolute edition of this series wasn’t so darn expensive though hahah
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I got them from the library. I am trying to read through all of Ennis’s work. Amazing! Have you read The Boys?
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Nop, I only watched the show and adored it! I planned on diving into the comics soon, at least before season 2 launches! 😀
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This review makes me wish I read comic books! I love the idea of being able to compel people with speech alone. There doesn’t happen to be a novelization of this somewhere does there?
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It’s never too late to pick these up. 😉 It’s easy to dive into and doesn’t require any knowledge whatsoever. And it’s a very popular series too, so any library with a comic book section for adults should have it hahah I don’t think they ever went on to novelize this unfortunately.
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This is a great series!! I keep meaning to watch the show but haven’t gotten to it yet. I want to reread the graphic novels first.
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Right? I love how crazy it is yet somehow also tamed. I look forward to binging the series once it’s complete myself!
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So great banter if I read your review correctly Lashaan? I love entertaining interactions in books!
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Always good to have great banter in our stories. Makes them characters seem more real and a lot more fun! 😀
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Yay for Ennis! I absolutely love his Punisher run, and the only thing of his that I didn’t much appreciate was his take on Thor – here, Aaron is my go-to guy 😀 As for the Preacher, it’s still ahead of me, so I’ve got something to look forward to! 😉
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Absolutely! I think you’ll find it quite fun and I hope it’ll impress you in a good way when you get the chance to try it out, Ola! 😀
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An absolutely captivating review.
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Thanks. I appreciate the kind words.
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Sounds interesting, I would love to read the series some time.
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I’m glad to hear your interest in it, Marie!
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Thank you, Lashaan. Have a wonderful weekend.
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Am glad for your review. You’ve convinced me to actually give this one a try. I dismissed the comic book when someone told me about it because I didn’t like the art, and I wasn’t feeling the first episode of the TV show either. I didn’t really give it a chance because I think I watched it shortly after looking at the comic book and I really didn’t like the art. But it seems that the story is good. I’ll try again.
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I can definitely understand. I think if you power through the art you’ll come to enjoy the story/ideas/violence in this one. I plan on binging the show at some point; maybe when I complete the comic book series hahah
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Wow, it sounds like you really enjoyed this comic book! 😱 The theme of religion is, in my opinion, always very interesting and it sounds like they did a great job in using it here! 😊 Though, I’m not sure I’m ready to face all the world’s worst atrocities so I’ll probably won’t read this 😂 Amazing review, Lashaan!
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I do love when they give us a very cynical and twisted take on religion, on faith and belief. It can get quite crazy and this one isn’t afraid to be crazy! 😂 Thank you, Caroline! 😘
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