Scan barcode
coatpocketcreature's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, War, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Homophobia and Child abuse
reyreypod's review against another edition
5.0
I always find it hard to get back into this world, between volumes ..but once I'm in- it's addictive stuff
mayoroffailure's review against another edition
4.0
What has consistently awed me about Preacher is just how much better the book is than its reputation would lead you to believe. I mentioned how this particular series had garnered a reputation for itself in my review of the first book, and while that reputation for “crossing the line” isn’t unearned, its certainly the least interesting aspect of the story as a whole. Many people will be drawn to this series due to the fact that it promises over the top insanity in its narrative, but I doubt that anyone who continues reading it will do so simply to see what crazy thing is going to happen next.
In lieu of that fact, it would be prudent for me to tell you what Preacher does have. It has an incredibly engrossing set of characters and a mythology that blows most contemporary comic books out of the water. With each subsequent volume in this series Mr. Ennis reveals a new aspect of the wider world that Jesse and his friends inhabit, and it never fails to be absolutely fascinating. In this, the second book, the reader is introduced to a secret society that seeks to control the timing of the second coming of Christ. Over the course of the book more and more is revealed about the organization, its motives, and how it functions, and I loved every second of it. Almost no one else in the history of comics has told a story like Preacher and the further I get into it the more I understand why it’s held in such high regard.
But that organization in this book is just one part of the mythos that governs the world of Preacher, the rest surrounding Heaven, Hell, God, angels, demons, and the Saint of Killers is just as fascinating as the singular aspects of this given volume. Mr. Ennis takes the time to fill in some of that mythos as Jesse comes across the angel who serves as the father to the spirit that possesses him. Not only do we learn just what the spirit of Genesis is, but we also learn why its creation caused God Himself to leave the throne and hide on Earth.
Each of the characters in this series is given proper attention as well, Mr. Ennis spares no expense when giving characterization and context to people who are secondary and even tertiary to the overall narrative. Not only does the reader feel like they understand the primary three characters but they also get the chance to really understand the ones who show up only for a time, it’s Mr. Ennis’ clever writing and manipulation of the story that allows the reader to get the full spectrum of characters that he creates, and it’s another aspect of this series that sets it apart from any other that I’ve had the opportunity to read.
I also want to make sure that I mention how good Mr. Ennis is at setting up events in a way that forces characters to come across one another. This was something I noticed in book one but it’s repeated here as well. Not only can Mr. Ennis manipulate the story to make sure that he has room to characterize lesser characters, but he’s also extremely adept at manipulating the narrative to make sure that all parties involved come across one another in a way that is completely believable. It’s subtle and realistic enough that I could completely believe that it would happen, while also being blatant enough that the reader understands that things are headed towards a conflict. With the first book there were only a few pieces that Mr. Ennis needed to set into place but here in the second volume the amount of moving and shuffling that he has to achieve is much higher, and significantly more impressive.
The art by Mr. Dillon remains very well done, it’s a sufficiently natural style that looks realistic, and the color tones are chosen well not only to match the penciling but also the tone and landscape of the series. You get the impression that the version of the world that Jesse and his friends inhabit is one where something went significantly wrong in order to make all of the bad things they encounter possible, and the muted colors paint a picture that is realistic in its presentation but just a little askew so as to make the reader feel at ease that this isn’t the way the world really is.
I also want to make sure that I provide the deserved acclaim that is due for Mr. Ennis tackling the subject of feminism and how it relates to the typical relational roles of a man protecting the woman. This side conflict in which Jesse does all he can to keep Tulip out of harm’s way was pleasantly unexpected, well handled, and provides lots of food for thought for the reader. I think it also goes a long way to show the pedigree that Mr. Ennis has as a writer, he can often be dismissed as a vulgar “shock-jock” of the comics world due to the fact that most of his material contains very graphic content. I would have any critic of his work read this little side plot and see if they can still discount his work.
If you’ve never read Preacher before and you’re a fan of comics then you should really pick up the series sooner rather than later. I have no ability to guess where the story is going and am pleasantly surprised every time the next evolution in the narrative comes to pass. This is a series that is truly worth the acclaim its gotten and if you can stomach the less savory aspects of the story then you’ll be in for an incredible ride.
In lieu of that fact, it would be prudent for me to tell you what Preacher does have. It has an incredibly engrossing set of characters and a mythology that blows most contemporary comic books out of the water. With each subsequent volume in this series Mr. Ennis reveals a new aspect of the wider world that Jesse and his friends inhabit, and it never fails to be absolutely fascinating. In this, the second book, the reader is introduced to a secret society that seeks to control the timing of the second coming of Christ. Over the course of the book more and more is revealed about the organization, its motives, and how it functions, and I loved every second of it. Almost no one else in the history of comics has told a story like Preacher and the further I get into it the more I understand why it’s held in such high regard.
But that organization in this book is just one part of the mythos that governs the world of Preacher, the rest surrounding Heaven, Hell, God, angels, demons, and the Saint of Killers is just as fascinating as the singular aspects of this given volume. Mr. Ennis takes the time to fill in some of that mythos as Jesse comes across the angel who serves as the father to the spirit that possesses him. Not only do we learn just what the spirit of Genesis is, but we also learn why its creation caused God Himself to leave the throne and hide on Earth.
Each of the characters in this series is given proper attention as well, Mr. Ennis spares no expense when giving characterization and context to people who are secondary and even tertiary to the overall narrative. Not only does the reader feel like they understand the primary three characters but they also get the chance to really understand the ones who show up only for a time, it’s Mr. Ennis’ clever writing and manipulation of the story that allows the reader to get the full spectrum of characters that he creates, and it’s another aspect of this series that sets it apart from any other that I’ve had the opportunity to read.
I also want to make sure that I mention how good Mr. Ennis is at setting up events in a way that forces characters to come across one another. This was something I noticed in book one but it’s repeated here as well. Not only can Mr. Ennis manipulate the story to make sure that he has room to characterize lesser characters, but he’s also extremely adept at manipulating the narrative to make sure that all parties involved come across one another in a way that is completely believable. It’s subtle and realistic enough that I could completely believe that it would happen, while also being blatant enough that the reader understands that things are headed towards a conflict. With the first book there were only a few pieces that Mr. Ennis needed to set into place but here in the second volume the amount of moving and shuffling that he has to achieve is much higher, and significantly more impressive.
The art by Mr. Dillon remains very well done, it’s a sufficiently natural style that looks realistic, and the color tones are chosen well not only to match the penciling but also the tone and landscape of the series. You get the impression that the version of the world that Jesse and his friends inhabit is one where something went significantly wrong in order to make all of the bad things they encounter possible, and the muted colors paint a picture that is realistic in its presentation but just a little askew so as to make the reader feel at ease that this isn’t the way the world really is.
I also want to make sure that I provide the deserved acclaim that is due for Mr. Ennis tackling the subject of feminism and how it relates to the typical relational roles of a man protecting the woman. This side conflict in which Jesse does all he can to keep Tulip out of harm’s way was pleasantly unexpected, well handled, and provides lots of food for thought for the reader. I think it also goes a long way to show the pedigree that Mr. Ennis has as a writer, he can often be dismissed as a vulgar “shock-jock” of the comics world due to the fact that most of his material contains very graphic content. I would have any critic of his work read this little side plot and see if they can still discount his work.
If you’ve never read Preacher before and you’re a fan of comics then you should really pick up the series sooner rather than later. I have no ability to guess where the story is going and am pleasantly surprised every time the next evolution in the narrative comes to pass. This is a series that is truly worth the acclaim its gotten and if you can stomach the less savory aspects of the story then you’ll be in for an incredible ride.
zangyorange's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
stephgo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
stuedb's review against another edition
4.0
Great continuation of a great story, I loved it and can't wait to read the next in the series.
eilidh_beaton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ratrug's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The first half was definitely kinda boring for me, but the second half was a lot more like the first book. In the first half, most of the shocking stuff that made the first book so funny was less in a funny way and more there BECAUSE it was shocking. If you enjoyed the first one I would still recommend but I don’t think it was as good
upthescene's review against another edition
5.0
Loving this series... So odd. Can't wait to finish it.