Everyone needs to read Preacher.

I have read a lot of comics. I mean A LOT of comics. I don't discriminate by genre or company, I have tried them all and have enjoyed the majority or them. I used to always consider myself a super-hero guy. They were my favorites. I liked Spider-man and Bat-man......but who didn't? I loved villain driven stories (anything with the Joker) and I loved when a writer would take a great small character and develop an incredible story around them (check back for an Infinity Gauntlet post, it rocks). I loved all these things and I still do, but then along came Preacher to show me exactly what a comic could be.

Preacher was a monthly book released under DC's Vertigo line. It spans 66 regular issues and a handful of mini series and one-shots. Written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Steve Dillon, and with amazing covers by Glen Fabry, Preacher looks and feels like something out of the ordinary. And believe me, it is way out of the ordinary. This book is in no way, shape, or form, a kids book.

I don't want to get into too many details, my goal is to get you to read it without ruining any of the experience for you. I use the word experience because Preacher isn't something that you read and walk away from thinking "that was nice". Most of it, is in fact, not very nice. Much of it is brutal and twisted but that is why you love it and it stays with you. Many people die, there are battles between heaven and hell, there's sex, there's vampires, there's sex between heaven and hell, and I'm only scratching the surface. At its core, it's an intense look at society and ideas and beliefs that people cling to. I don't want to get too deep about a comic but it is extremely well written and does make you stop and think about religion, politics, and life in general. Mostly, it's just a hell of a good time to read. So read it, and let me know what you think.

Here's some good news, you don't need to try and track down all 70+ issues. The people at DC/Vertigo have released Preacher in 9 very nice trade paperbacks. The next time you want to try something new, go pick up the first one. I promise that it won't be long before you are buying all the rest.