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[Deified Data]

Where to begin.

I was a huge fan of Ennis's run on Punisher Max, read a bit of his Dredd stuff. Got a Tab S a couple months ago so I could read at work without looking like I'm slacking off and Preacher was the first series I read in entirety in digital format, and damn, what a series.

Steve Dillon's art is so quintessentialy 90's, Glenn Fabry's covers are so sinewy, grotesque, and beautiful. Garth Ennis is Garth Ennis, one of my most reliable "known quantities" in comics - he rarely surprises and rarely disappoints. His fascination with American mythology really shines through in his characters' borderline charming/pathological love of America. Despite containing themes of cosmology, theology, determinism, and other heady subjects, it manages to ever come off as pretentious and never takes itself too seriously.

I was pretty much in love with all the characters by the end of the series, even though some started showing a few cracks by the end like Cassidy. They really built the poor guy up just to tear him down, but I was pleased to see his last chance at redemption in the end. Jesse was great. I imagine him being played by a young Matthew McConaughey. Ennis did a great job of injecting drama into a narrative where the protagonist has near god-like powers: simply make him too prideful to resort to them on a whim, make Jesse's pride his greatest strength and weakness. Tulip had a few good moments despite more or less existing as a foil to the men in the story, and the funny thing is she's basically written as though she's aware of the fact but soldiers on anyway. Her flashback to her time spent with her dad was probably her defining character moment to me. The Saint of Killers...well, the guy survived a nuke to the face and then proceeded to murder god in his own throne room.

The series isn't without its weaknesses. It's unironic grandstanding about the American dream could get a little grating after a while. Characters (especially Jesse) were given to random off-topic rants which were clearly just Ennis's own personal annoyances on any given day. Ennis has a great mind for dark comedy but all too often his idea of a joke is to imply that someone likes taking it up the ass and leaving it at that. Starr got less and less intimidating as a villain the more parts of him got chopped off, until he was basically a walking punchline once Jesse carved his head to look like a dick.

All in all though, this series is definitely special, and leaves me wanting more. Anyone know if The Boys is decent? Thoughts on the upcoming AMC adaption being co-produced with Seth Rogan? Just talk about Preacher, I guess.

 

[bengraven]

Not enough gun.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon's Preacher*

Also, read Hitman by Garth Ennis and John McCrea. Its Ennis' best comic I think, one where he can indulge all the things he likes(John Woo movies, Westerns, crime dramas, brothership among men, dangerous dudes and the women who love them, nazis, war stories, the SAS, superhero parody), but with a DC universe filter so he can't do dudes fucking meat

 

[Gentleman Jack]

The Boys has its moments but it's not a worthy successor to Preacher by any measure.

 

[Deified Data]

The Boys has its moments but it's not a worthy successor to Preacher by any measure.

How so? What's wrong with it?

Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon's Preacher*

Also, read Hitman by Garth Ennis and John McCrea. Its Ennis' best comic I think, one where he can indulge all the things he likes(John Woo movies, Westerns, crime dramas, brothership among men, dangerous dudes and the women who love them, nazis, war stories, the SAS, superhero parody), but with a DC universe filter so he can't do dudes fucking meat

I've considered this but my biggest roadblock is the fact that I have zero interest in the DCU.

 

[Delta Assault]

Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon's Preacher*

Also, read Hitman by Garth Ennis and John McCrea. Its Ennis' best comic I think, one where he can indulge all the things he likes(John Woo movies, Westerns, crime dramas, brothership among men, dangerous dudes and the women who love them, nazis, war stories, the SAS, superhero parody), but with a DC universe filter so he can't do dudes fucking meat

Yep. And Hitman #34 is one of the greatest Superman stories ever.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

How so? What's wrong with it?

It's Ennis hate-fucking superhero comics from the 90s onwards and the depravity takes the driver's wheel and never lets go. It's a fun ride but from early on you are taught to find the primary cast pretty repellent. If your love affair with Preacher's principals was a key part of your enjoyment then you'll find a gaping void where that would have been while reading The Boys. At least Ennis' run on The Punisher injected some humanity into the grim harvest.

 

[cirrhosis]

Only Ennis could write a character like Arseface

 

[Philippo]

Isn't a TV adaptation in the line for this year? Let's hope it's good

 

[Itchy//Tasty]

I really liked The Boys, OP. Not on Preacher's level of course, but definitely worth reading.

 

[Mudcrab]

Easily among the greatest comic book runs ever. I see you mentioned liking Punisher MAX, if so and you're hungry for more Ennis, try reading Fury MAX: My War Gone By.

 

[Deified Data]

Easily among the greatest comic book runs ever. I see you mentioned you liked Punisher MAX if so and you're hungry for more Ennis, try reading Fury MAX: My War Gone By.

This has definitely been on my backlog.

 

[flaxknuckles]

"but all too often his idea of a joke is to imply that someone likes taking it up the ass and leaving it at that."

The Boys in a nutshell so far. I'm reading through the last omnibus courtesy of the comixology sale. It has heart but GOD do you have to dig through the crassness to get to it. Ennis never lets up with the ridiculousness in almost every panel and tries his best to make every single character unlikable (Though I don't agree that the main cast is that bad, sides demented ass Butcher and The Female).

And his clone Shazam character was blinded by glass to the eyes and beaten to death with a crowbar (how in the fuck?). I have such a love/hate relationship with this book, it can be really good at times (very infrequently though).

 

[Currygan]

The Boys is entertaining, but flawed like Preacher, just way too much talking, seriously, people talk so much in Ennis' stories. He writes entire chapters of people having a convo in a pub. Must be an Irish thing. Still, it's full of outrageous moments (there's all you can expect from him, every horrifying and sordid human act that can be conceived is on the page, plus jabs towards the French, the Americans, the English, the church....all the usual Ennis fare) and great characters, like Billy Butcher, the leader, and Mother's Milk

I liked Preacher very much, but hated some parts of it (the whole Napoleon story was horrendously racist), and good luck with finding someone with balls big enough to make a proper TV adaptation out of it, it's basically impossible given the source material

 

[akira28]

You thought Proinsias was a sympathetic character? I thought he was a creep 80% of the time and a lovable louse 10% of the time, and a scumfucker in the last 10 percent.

 

[the black pearl]

I don't think a "straight adaption" of Preacher is possible, not only because of balsiness, but because somethings it does will just feel too hammy in live action. Curious to see what they do with it.

Could not get into The Boys but I'll try again. Punisher is badass. Fury and Jennifer Blood are alright.

Is The Darkness any good?

 

[siddx]

I thought it completely shit the bed at the end, but there were some really enjoyable moments throughout.

 

[Deified Data]

You thought Proinsias was a sympathetic character? I thought he was a creep 80% of the time and a lovable louse 10% of the time, and a scumfucker in the last 10 percent.

I thought, like most of the people in Cassidy's life, that he was a good albeit weak-willed man who's "condition" was causing him to slowly forget what it means to be human. All his friends and loved ones grow old and die and he sort of starts to view personal relationships as these disposable niceties that can be enjoyed for a while but are ultimately meaningless. He's undoubtedly selfish and irresponsible but I never really thought he was "evil". A dick and a horrible friend, yes, but there's a good guy down there somewhere.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

The Boys is more a fuck you to the comic book industry than just superheros

Also, the thing about Ennis is while I am a fan he's clearly passionate about a few issues. Any time a character speaks more than 2 sentences of dialogue in an Ennis book I can guarantee it's just Ennis talking to you, not the character.

 

[Deified Data]

The Boys is more a fuck you to the comic book industry than just superheros

Also, the thing about Ennis is while I am a fan he's clearly passionate about a few issues. Any time a character speaks more than 2 sentences of dialogue in an Ennis book I can guarantee it's just Ennis talking to you, not the character.

The world is getting too politically correct and piercings look ridiculous and don't you dare call me insecure you Woody Allen-loving Frenchman.

 

[Helmholtz]

I read Preacher a year or so ago. I remember enjoying it quite a bit, but I don't remember many of the specifics of what happened for whatever reason.
I did find the character of Cassidy to be interesting, particularly how

Spoiler

he went from one of my favorite characters to one that I basically despised. But his redemption was decent.