Comic Books That Changed Me: Preacher

When I was 14, I was already obsessed with comic books. I had recently stopped my tepid interest in Marvel, and started really falling in love with DC. I quickly became well versed in the DC classics, Red Son, Identity Crisis, Kingdom Come, all the masterpieces, but I had little exposure to any comic books outside of the superhero genre. I picked up Preacher after my very persistent local comic book store clerk recommended it to me, and it forever changed what type of comic book fan I am.

Preacher is visceral, shocking, and very gory. It's an old west gunslinger story that spends most of it's time poking fun at the ridiculousness of religion, (14 year old me ate that shit up). Note that Garth Ennis (the author), is Irish, with a twisted view of the American cowboy. Instead of romanticizing John Wayne, he approaches the Western with a disgusting perspective, taunting the reader's classic view of the old west. Do you think cowboys are cool? Will you still think they are cool after one of them pisses in a dead man's mouth? By the time you finish the series, you will answer yes. 

Preacher blew my mind into outer space when I first read it, and for a decade, I always said Preacher's name first whenever I was asked to list my favorite comic books. I will admit, that I can't honestly say that it's my favorite of all time anymore, (sequential lists are important in our world after all), but the impact that it had on me as a tween was huge. Before Preacher, if you weren't writing for DC or Marvel, I didn't take you seriously, but after Preacher, it was almost the exact opposite. If you want to really celebrate your patriotism, then read Preacher, and remember to actively try to not be offended. You will be anyway.

Apparently, AMC is working on a pilot for Preacher, which is certainly exciting, especially since the Preacher world has been quiet for so fucking long. I'm a little sad, because I know that as soon as the show airs, everyone will be walking around with Fuck Communism lighters, which, just a like a hipster, I kinda don't want them to become popular. 

Also, remember what I said about taking Marvel/DC writers seriously? Well, unbeknownst to some, Garth Ennis had a short run on Punisher back in the day. Find it. Read it. Its awesome.