Preacher Vol. 3: Proud Americans
written by Garth
Ennis
illustrated by
Steve Dillon
Vertigo Comics
(1997)
232 pages
ISBN-13:
9781563893278
Last
summer, I read what I thought was the third volume in the Preacher
series, but it felt like I'd
missed out on some stuff. Turned out that the book I read was a
hardcover edition (Preacher: Book Three)
instead of the trade paperback, so there were actually some stories I
missed. In actuality, it looks like I skipped right over this entire
third volume, Proud Americans.
And that's a damned shame because this was an absolute treat to read.
I guess I gotta be more attentive when putting in requests for these
volumes at the library.
While
some might complain that this volume was predominantly made up of
backstory, I thought it was well-timed after the first two volumes,
Gone to Texas and
Until the End of theWorld,
because it added a lot of depth of not just Jesse Custer, but a
really enlightening look back at the life of Cassidy before he met up
with Custer and Tulip.
The book starts off with an interlude from the main story, as Jesse
crosses paths with a Vietnam vet at an airport bar who was great
friends with Jesse's father during the war. The story,
unsurprisingly, was a touching one, and had the added touch of see
Jesse's father meeting John Wayne. Since the Duke haunts Jesse,
visiting him from time to time, I found that particularly enjoyable.
As for the main story, Starr has Cassidy locked up in a dungeon and
brings in an exceedingly sadistic hitman to torture the Irish vampire
to death, but Jesse and Tulip are on their way through France in a
rescue attempt. But Jesse wants Tulip to hang back and meet him back
in New York, because he's already seen her killed once and he can't
bare the idea that it could happen again. She, to her credit, takes
offense at Jesse's chivalry, because she's not slouch with a firearm
and general thuggery and wants to do her part in springing Cassidy
from the Grail's clutches.
Now, I loved the first two volumes, so maybe absence makes the heart
grow fonder because I ate this book up with a spoon. Everything is
played to the hilt, whether it's the action, the pathos, or the
raunchy humor. I mean, when you consider this entire series is based
on a former preacher hunting down God so he can kick His ass, it's
pretty safe to say that there are going to be some risque subject
matter--at least to a conventional comic book audience. There's a
morbidly obese, bulimic cult leader and the comically inbred messiah
in his care, the sexual proclivities of Starr in the wake of his ...
altercation with a sexual deviant gangster, and a deity on the run
with a huge chip on his shoulder against Jesse Custer and his
friends.
The book might be a little heavy on dialogue and backstory, but
that's some of the best stuff I though, especially when Cassidy
retells how he became a vampire and his journey from Ireland to
America. I may have already read a fair bit of what's to come in the
fourth volume, Ancient History, but I can't wait to re-read
those issues in time and better appreciate them after having read
Proud Americans.
No comments:
Post a Comment