Episode 1609 Talkback - BOMC: Preacher, Book 1 (#1-12)
Adam_Murdough
Posts: 506
It's the time of the Preacher! We're amazed it's taken us this long, but CGS is finally initiated into the holy orders of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's epic 1990s Vertigo series, a rip-roaring saga of over-the-top violence, off-color humor, social and religious satire, and good ol' Western grit. It's the tall tale of Jesse Custer, a small-town Texas preacher who's touched by the renegade hybrid essence of Heaven and Hell themselves and sets out on a 'search for God' like no other! Get the CGS perspective on the first three story arcs of the original Preacher comic, from old hands and neophytes alike, to enhance your AMC viewing experience! (1:52:57)
Listen here. Let us pray...
Listen here. Let us pray...
Comments
I read Preacher as it was coming out. I loved Ennis’ Hellblazer story, and his Demon, while not as enjoyable as Alan Grant’s run, was entertaining, so I was really looking forward to the book. But I found the writing during that initial reading much the way Dani and Bill found the writing on their second readings—juvenile (not in a good way) and shocking simply to be shocking. I gave it nine issues hoping for more, but in the end I had to drop it.
I've mentioned this on the forums before, but I was working at a comic shop at the time, and every time a new issue arrived, we would place bets on how many times the word “f--k” would be used. And I was a fan of Tarantino at the time, so it wasn’t the language or the violence per se. It may sound odd, but to my ears when Tarantino used vulgar language and ultra-violence, it felt natural and genuine, but with Ennis in Preacher it felt forced and gratuitous.
I have to take issue with Chris’ take on the history of the American Old West. Yes, there were certain areas on the edges of the frontier that were pretty violent, but on the whole, life in towns throughout the settled West was actually quite peaceful. There’s been a lot of scholarship over the past several years that backs this up.
Regardless, the show was an enjoyable listen. And it goes to show that every comic has its audience.
Mr_Cosmic, I would suggest you read at least the first trade and see for yourself. It's a great comic series; very twisted and lots of fun.
Changing Jesse's dad's past is the biggest thing that jars for me from the comic, but we're now too far away from Vietnam for it to work, and setting the show in the 90s would again be a problem for the budget.
As long as we see Jackie Earle Haley doing something unspeakable to meat at some point, I'll be happy with the compromise.
Preacher, as basic cable, is likely budgeted below network TV.
When it comes to budgets, it's not TV, it's HBO (as the old tag line said).
Again, I love the casting of the three main characters and that's one reason why it somewhat pains me to be so down on the series.
(Even though I watched the AMC pilot and it didn't grab me.)
We will always have Athens Jesse.
Preacher.... Ahh the comic that kept me going to the comic shop every week.It is one of those runs that pretty much every year I re-read it. And my only complaint about it is I could have done without the John Wayne hero worship. But it fits Jesse perfectly.
Only on ep 3 of the TV show and while I am enjoying it,it is very different from the comic so far.