Vol 2 might just be better than volume one. I mean, there is great art, and we dive into Jesse's past--and that is a great story line. And then there is the Grail. This is great stuff.

Vol 2 might just be better than volume one. I mean, there is great art, and we dive into Jesse's past--and that is a great story line. And then there is the Grail. This is great stuff.

In this next volume of the successful Preacher series we go back into the past of Jesse Custer and learn of his terrible upbringing under the cruel thump of his fundamentalist grandmother assisted by two inbred ingrates. His father is shot and killed in front of him for not following the rules, while his mother suffers a similar fate later in his young age. Whenever Jesse commits a sin, he spends time in the coffin - sealed airtight and dropped in the river with a narrow breathing tube, in complete darkness. Tulip, his girlfriend, learns all this when they've been captured by said evil family and are to be killed. But the Preacher is now older and stronger while his family is older and feeble and with Tulip's help, the terrible bloodline is ended once and for all.

In the second part of the book, they rejoin with their vampire friend Cassidy who tracks down the murderer of his girlfriend, leading them to a sex-addicted fiend who goes by the name of Jesus De Sade. There is also a sub plot going on here about a secret group who has been protecting the secret of the holy grail for thousands of years and it is in the year 2000 that the end will arrive and they intend to use Jesse Custer as their preacher.

The second volume reaches new levels with the storyline, revealing some important history and back story, keeping the reader rapt and wanting more. Thankfully there are many more volumes in the series to come.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

If you are of the squeamish weak stomached sort, do not ever, ever, ever open anything to do with Preacher. The brutality rating is high. The shagging rating is moderate. There is a complete and utter absence of family values from Jesse's extended family, and they destroy his mother and father. He is going to take his revenge.

This comic book, truly is like no other. It goes everywhere no one dares to go. God, religion, spirituality, hypocrisy. It is a very intense book, and anyone who can stomach brutal violence, sex, and blasphemy should pick it up. Despite its over the top violence, it truly is thought provoking. But as I said, this book is very intense, there were many times reading this, I felt uncomfortable, yet at the same time I couldn't put it down.

This book was just over the top. Over the top meaning completely awesome. It was a fun ride all the way. There were some heart wrenching parts like the very first few pages, but the sheer humility of later chapters lift spirits. I now know why they call them "Graphic" novels. The only thing I want to quote from the book is "Then came the day T.C. (explitive)'d a chicken" That alone should sell the novel for you.

The Preacher series is a "must have" for any collector of stories who likes a little extreme in their fantasy. Some of the greatest lines and characters are put forth by the incredible team of Ennis and Dillon. If one suspends disbelief on one's own feelings about God and the devil, one can enjoy lightheartedly this tale of servitude...or something.

by now i've completed my entire Preacher run, and let me tell you-- it was probably the greatest comics i've ever read. this volume, (volume 2) is one of the best in the entire series. it gives us important insight into jesse's past, as well as setting up a major plotline that will carry on throughout the entire series, ending in the next-to-last issue. So, yeah, an important volume. BUY IT! you won't be dissapointed.

Over the top but fun, you never really know what to expect next with Preacher. Violence, cussing, sex, all kinds of good stuff! The cover artwork is killer.

So far I've read the first three volumes of the Preacher saga. This is my favorite so far, perhaps because it seems to have the most amusing perversion of all three. For any preacher noobs, I would recomend starting at the beginning.

Side note:
When I first read the Preacher I thought that the accents were a bit off... then I realized that Cassidy is from the British Isles. If you know that, the dialogue is way more realistic.

The second installement of the 9 volume Preacher series, Garth Ennis (Hellblazer, Punisher) and Steve Dillon (Punisher, Supreme Power:Nighthawk) has out done themselves again in this book. It's even better than the first vol., Gone to Texas.

This TPB is seperated into two story arcs, the first, "All in the Family" tells us of Jesse Custer's troubled past in Annville and why he left Tulip five years ago, and he also meets some familiar, but unwanted faces. This story arc introduces Jody and T.C., hitmen that work for Jesse Custer's dredded grandmother, who can be summarized as an evil, ugly, old hag. The second story arc is about Cassidy being taken by a powerful organization called Grail, and introduces Herr Starr, Hoover, and Featherspoon. Alot of sex and bizzare moments in this story arc. Anyways, the main plot of the whole series is about Jesse Custer looking for God, literally, that's because according to this book, God left his job and quits, and Jesse isn't just gonna just let God leave, he's gonna give him a peice of his mind. As if that's not enough, this book also say that maybe Jesus faked his death and ressurection, this book is bound to offend a lot of people, especially Catholics and Christians, but then again, I'm a Christian and I feel fine with it, but that's just me. Lots of violence as usual, the jokes are over the top, a lot of sex, and arguably the best adult comic out there today. Garth Ennis, basically an insane but genious Irish writer, is one of the best comic writers out there, and he continues to surprise his faithful readers with his trademark bizzareness and dark humor. He does some of the best work here in "Until the End of the World."

Let's not forget the art by Steve Dillon, Ennis's partner in crime. His work in the tade paperback is superb. Great details, especially in depicting faces and expression, and insane art when drawing the trademark gruesome violence of Ennis and Dillon, he doesn't hold back.

It's unbelievable how great these two gentlemen are, but they've definitely out done themselves this time. But if you can be offended by excessive violence, nudity and sexual themes, profanity, or just plain bizzareness, then don't even think about getting this book. But if you are not, my friends, then you better go get a copy now and be ready to be disturbed and entertained.

This collection is essentially divided into two parts. The first half reveals the harrowing family history of Jesse Custer. It's brilliantly done- great characters and truly horrific portrayals- arguably the best storyling in the entire series (Jody is one of the most despicable villians I've ever come across). The second half introduces The Grail, an 'Illuminati'-like conspiracy who are intent on inducing Armageddon so they can control it and thus save Mankind while putting themselves in charge of everything. The Grail is central to the rest of the series, but at first it feels a little clumsy. Basically, they provide alot of the comic relief in the series, though they are a dangerous opponent for Custer and his friends. At the end of this volume, I wasn't sure I liked where the story seemed to be heading, but having read on, I can assure you that The Grail does not sink the storyline, and the conclusion to this first Grail plot line (in vol 3, 'Proud Americans') is definitly worth it- if for no other reason than to get a glimpse into the Saint of Killers and watch him do what he does best

Garth Ennis, Preacher: Until the End of the World (DC Comics, 1997)

Ennis' landmark series continues with its second installment, in which questions get answered, more enemies pop up, and, not surprisingly, lots of stuff blows up. We get a good deal of insight into Jesse's character, which is all well and good, and meet a bunch of new bad guys (and Jesse's family are the least of the lot, to be sure). If you've already read Gone to Texas, this is a must; if not, do so at your earliest convenience. Preacher is good readin'.

Preacher is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest comic book series ever created (with Sandman, Hellboy,Moore's SwampThing and Hellblazer close behind). While the firts volume is fantastic, this second paperback is arguably the best and is what will show you what all the fuss is about. Once you read the story of Jesse Custer, you will have a newfound respect for comics, and you Will agree with Kevin Smith in his quote: ýMore fun than going to the moviesý.

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? It's violent? Yes. Is there a whole lot of cussing? Oh yeah. But is the violence and language really that gratuitous? Well the language is pretty much how people talk, like when the characters are just talking a f-word might slip occasionally but isn't that how normal conversations are? The language gets pretty rough but think of what the characters are going through. I'd be cussing just as much if someone just kidnapped me or just shot a roomful of people. And about the violence being gratuitous? Hell do you know what it looks like when someones head is blown off? Well let me tell you it's much worse in real life than in the book. So yeah it's a violent book but that justs shows how sick some of the characters are. The main characters resort to violence but never cold blooded murder. But beyond the gore and language there lies one of my favorite stories ever. The first story in this book about Jesse's family is my favorite story in the whole series. But the series as a whole is the reason I read graphic novels again. Best book ever, go pick it up.

Hard as it is to believe, this second installment to the Preacher series is even better than the first. While "Until the End of the World" again relies on the formula that made "Gone to Texas" so unique - intriguing story-lines, extreme and disturbing violence mixed-in with equally in-your-face humour, a fascination with language- it manages to juice the volume to 10 on all of these elements. The first half of the book dealing with Jesse Custer's childhood rates as some of the most gripping (and horrifying) reading I've done in years: my eyes were literally glued to the pages well into the wee hours of the night. The second half was equally enjoyable, with Ennis building on the story arc and introducing the shadowy international organization, "The Grail." Only someone as twisted as Mr. Ennis could make sodomy so darned hilarious, and provoke us with such difficult issues as child (sex) abuse, drug addiction, and mental illness. Kudos to Steve Dillon for keenly depicting the cruelty of child abuse and the evilness of some of the darker characters e.g. the freaky looking Gran'ma, who Glenn Fabry also has a hand in illustrating. Ennis never takes the easy way out, preferring to discard the boring cookie-cutter superhero protagonist we all intrinsically root for, challenging us with a `hero' who is a recidivist criminal, violent and cruel towards people (and a particularly curmudgeonly feline), and subject to bouts of insanity. Ennis' keen take on the human condition enables him to create such a character that we nevertheless care about.

As funny as "Until the End of the World" can be at times, the truth is, at its heart, the book is actually quite poignant. If Ennis can be said to be conveying anything as hokey as a "central message" here, my interpretation is that while our worlds are constantly intruded by loss and loneliness and death, our only chance is to have faith in ourselves and be lucky enough to have those who reinforce that faith. Otherwise, we'll wind up like the umpteen discarded and tortured souls that grace the pages of this masterful series.

A man from Texas confronts the demons of his past in a bloody showdown. Even this seemingly tired plot device is sheer dynamite in the hands of Garth Ennis and this is easily the most emotionally gripping Ennis storyline in his usually irreverent career. I don't mean to suggest some jaring change of pace from the familiar doses of dark hummor associated with Preacher... But even with such mood lightening antics, the darkness of this tale is so pervasive that these clever bits don't provide the familiar relief we are expecting.
This is a good thing. I am all about making the reader/listener/viewer uncomfortable and "Until The End of the World" is a master study of discomfort. This shows the genius of Ennis goes way beyond some routine physically gross torment of protagonist Jesse Custer. Ennis strips Custer of EVERYTHING! His father, his mother, his inbreed hillbilly mutant buddy and his childhood itself are all cast away. But even then Ennis gives us, and Jesse, another black hearted kick in the guts: His woman executed right before his eyes...with a shotgun!!! If your not already up to date on the whole series to this point then stop being lazy and start at the beginning!
This is NOT like some light viewing TV series you can drop in and out of on a whim to see what's up. This is a full scale pop art epic culminating in no less than the ouster of God Almighty himself.
And though nothing on that level of cosmic importance occurs in this particular collection, "Until the end of the World" is still something that can literally put a tear in my eye. The horrors of an abusive childhood put right and put there by Texas justice.

It's hard to believe that Ennis and Dillon could top Gone to Texas, but they do it here.

Jesse Custer gets confronted with his past and now we know why he's as messed up as he is. Heck, he's been brutalized throughout his childhood and when his family finds him, they shoot his girlfriend right in front of him. Of course that's not the end, because God himself brings her back, and then they have an argument.

Truly the ultimate in blasphemy, this book is a roller coaster of action and drama. You rarely find characterization done so well in this medium. You really get to know the central characters and what drives them. Ennis shows what a truly great writer he is. Dillon's artwork shines its bloody best here. The realistic depictions are tempered with a cartoon feel that lend a surrealistic quality that perfectly compliments the story and creating a symphony of sequential art.

It's more brutal than the first book and it certainly isn't for everyone. But if you want to enjoy a comic that goes where no other comic has gone before, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

The second istallment of the Preacher 9 part series collected by DC comics continues to be the most ambitious and most drastic version of all. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, are just having so much fun with this that they decided not to heed with anything anyone is saying. If there is any rating fro these comics like there is for movies, then this one would definitely be an R rated book. The jokes are over the top, the nudity and sex is everywhere, and the theme of divinity is just thrown out the window.

The story is divided into two parts. The first delves with Rev. Jesse Custer's past. You get to meet one of his family members, though by the end of it, you may wish you haven't. The second part is just two screwy to try to describe. What's good about is that the vampire Cassidy is back after some disappearance. The story is wild. If I say more, I'll be ruining the story, though I doubt something so complex can be ruined with a couple of words.

The book is highly recommended for everyone who loves comics that are over the top with a mature content and makes you think about what if some of the things being said holds some truth in the real world. All in all, Ennis shines with his writing skills. Anything I read now is just not as good as Preacher. I think it has raised the bar on what I expect from my books now. Even his recent Punisher books, just fails to grasp the magic of the Custer, Tulip, and Cass.

Smart, sexy and in your face. That's what this installment of Preacher is all about.

If you enjoyed the first collection, you're in for a treat; it just gets better from here. Ennis's writing doesn't waver in the least and Dillon settles into the style that he continues for the rest of the book.

The first chapter in this collection dwells on Jesse and Tulip's past. In an uncomfortable yarn reminiscent of "Deliverance", we meet Jesse's family: the matriarch of the Custer clan and his good ol' uncles, Jody and T.C. We learn how Jesse was raised, about his mother and father, how he met Tulip (and what he did to make her so upset), and why of all people did HE become a man of the cloth.

Ennis breaks several unwritten rules of comic storytelling and does it with grace. We see God for the first, and certainly not the last, time. There are numerous moments that seem right out of a good ol' western, plenty of powerful events and great lines. And that's just in part one.

The second part introduces another main player, Herr Starr, who becomes responsible for most of the plot from here on in. Wizard magazine voted him as the funniest villain ... and not for anything he does intentional. He is a soldier of misfortune. There are two instances that will have you rolling with laugher at his expense.

The collection ends on a cliffhanger, so don't hesitate to pick up the next volume, Proud Americans, presently. And remember : don't mess with Jesse's kin; it would be bad for you, as so eloquently shown with Hoover.

I thought I had seen it all in comics when my eyes first got a taste of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's world of Preacher in the first TPB Gone to Texas, but the minute I began to read Until the End of the World, I realized I was sadly mistaken. Here we find out about Jesse's past in the first story "All in the Family", where we see a young Jesse grow up with the people who murdered his father in front of him, and we get to see his bloody confrontation with them as his past catches up with him. This story has a strong sense of complete black comedy while keeping the reader entertained with an insane amount of violence and insanity displayed as only Ennis and Dillon can bring. The second story, "Hunters", features Jesse and Tulip re-uniting with Jesse's hard drinking Irish vampire buddy Cassidy while Jesse continues his search for God as some very bad people search for him. Along the way he comes across an extremely depraved ... deviant who calls himself Jesus DeSade. This story has a sense of tragedy to it while still keeping the insanely dark humor and blood curdling violence that readers of the Preacher series are used to. All in all, Until the End of the World is my favorite Preacher book of the entire series, and is one of the best comics I have come across in a very long time.

you're sick. But you'll probably like the second one too. Its even gorier, more cerebral, more dramatic than the original. More sex, more drugs, and just a hint of rock'n'roll. And a MUCH MUCH higher body count.

This is only the second book of comics I've ever read (Preacher, book 1 was the first), but this is great stuff.

In this second collection from Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, we get to play a little catch-up after all the fast and furious medias res action of the first book.

That isn't to say that there isn't plenty going on in these stories. We get to meet Jesse's weird, weird family (have you ever seen "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"?)

There's also a resolution to Jesse and Tulip's knotty love problems. And we get to travel with Cassidy, our favorite bloodsucker from the British Isles, into the belly of the beast, where we learn more about the mysterious agency that is persuing Jesse. After you've finished this second book of Preacher comics, you'll still have many unanswered questions, but you'll have a little surer footing in Jesse Custer's strange world, and you'll have no choice but to go buy the third book.

This volume of the PREACHER saga is where the REAL fun begins for me! In the second half of this book, creators Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon intro my fave character: Herr Starr, the head enforcer of the world's most powerful covert organization! I consider him the most interesting and colorful 'heavy' ever to hit the four-color medium! His no-nonsense attitude and blunt & acerbic words as he tries to track down Reverend Custer make for some of the funniest moments in comics! His penchant for unbelievable misfortune also begins here: in this volume he loses an ear in a firefight at a high-society orgy, and involuntarily experiences the- um, joy- of the love that dare not speak its name for the first time! The loss of one's body parts & dignity doesn't get much weirder (or funnier) than this!

But, let's not forget the first half of this illustrated tome, where we get an inside look at the Rev's past, from his being raised by a ruthless and sadistic 'family' to his eventual breakout from this nighmarish clan. Then there's the capture of the Irish vampire Cassidy by Starr & his mercs, which sets up the events chronicled in the next volume of the PREACHER TPB series. Yep, it's kinda like 'The Empire Strikes Back' of comics: a really compelling and wonderful adventure that alla sudden leaves you hangin'! But, unlike 'Empire', it has lots more naughty language, gory ultraviolence, naughty bits, and substance abuse. And it's not based in outer space, or 'a long time ago'. And the main hero's a bit tougher than that teenaged blond kid from that desert planet. Come to think of it, there really aren't that many similarities 'Preacher Vol 2' and ESB, are there...?

Anyway, time for me to fall back to Earth. If you've already read the first PREACHER TPB and you feel like continuing the adventure, then I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed with this installment. It's got everything you've come to expect from the previous book, and then some!

'Late

Disgusting drivel written for video game junkies with attention deficit disorder.

Until the End of the World is the type of book that changes your perception of comics! Not only does it have some of the greatest dialouge in a comic book that I've ever read but it's also got one of the most addictive plots I've ever read. And the beuty of it all is that this is a comic book story that involves you in it from the first page and doesn't use Alien ships, time displacement, mutants, or radioactive spiders (not that there is anything wrong with that).

I read this graphic novel on a whim. I also unsuspectingly read it first out of all the Preacher graphic novels (this is vol. 2), the thing that shocked me was how easy it was to jump in to this book when it's in the middle of an evolving plot! That's amazing when you consider how much back story you need to read a normal book by DC or Marvel!

"Untill the end of the World" (which collects #8-17) is in my personal opinion the best volume of the Preacher-series. It is well written, everything that happens does happen for a cause reveiled later (really good to see things fall into place and finding yourself go "Oh, that's right indeed !"), a little more light-hearted than the previous volume (which comes to the good of the story) and filled with bizar humor which makes it easy to keep in touch with everything that happens without getting the feeling you're reading something information-packed (because you DO get a lot to process all at once). Steve Dillons art is also elevated to a higher level and works great for the story (not saying that it didn't before, but now even more so). The action and gore are well illustrated without it taking the attention of the actual story too much. It never gets the upper hand.

The storyline is basically divided in four parts: In the first part (#8-10), that continues from the final issue of the previous volume, we see Jesse and Tulip trying to figure out what to do next when people from Jesse's past suddenly catch up with them. Seeing how their future-perspectives have suddenly changed 180 degrees Jesse decides it's time to tell Tulip about his youth, growing up at Angelville, and about how and why he disappeared all of a sudden out of her life 5 years ago. This is really the best part of the book (if not the best part of the whole series). It's really good to read about the sick and disturbed people Jesse had to grow up with (both for humurous means as for cruelty. You get to see ways of 'raising' a kid you seriously never thought of before), and it's good to know how this tough man wound up being a preacher (the 5 year gap between now and his disappereance is totally cleared up here). The second part (#11,12) is about Jesse and Tulips thoughts returning to the here and now. Jesse gets a preach by a rather uncommon person which tells him to deal with it all, and so he does. Then (#13-16) follows the "Hunters" story-arc. Jesse and Tulip meet back up with Cassidy who's is currently living in the apartment of his deceased girlfriend. When Cassidy gets a hint of which people are to be held responsible for the girls death he, Jesse and Tulip go on their way to avenge her. A story that leads us to the house of Jesus the Sade, a decadent freak, who's good for a nice, humorfilled, but not very important storyline (what bugs me a little though is the sudden display of morals in this storyline while preacher is nothing like that for the rest. Falls a little out of place). What IS important in this storyline is that we first get to meet the underground-group "The Grail" and learn about their quest (which is really big in later volumes). It takes some attention to realize who is who and who is doing what and what for, but in the end it's worth it (AND neccesary to understand to get what's going on later). The book ends (#17) with an issue that is really an intro to the next book. It further explains what the Grail hopes to achieve over time and what Herr Star REALLY wants with it. Cassidy turns out to be a man of more honor than Tulip gave him credit for up till now.

The biggest plus of the book is Ennis' further display of his typical humor which is far more present here than in the previous volume. This makes the book a constant laugh (although the events in it aren't really that humorous) and easy to follow (seeing how A LOT that is of importance later gets laid out here). People who liked "Gone to Texas" will love this book because it's even better

I read Spider-Man, Justice League and other "super-hero" comics. Preacher belongs to a completely category. No subject or situation is safe from writer Garth Ennis. The first story, which reprints the monthly Preacher issues 8-12, is an outstanding example of brutal storytelling. Yes, there are injections of particularly violent scenes every few pages, which could be described as gratuitous, but what makes the story so readable is the characterisation. You really feel hatred towards the filthy, murderous Jody, T.C. and Gran'ma. A masterstroke is the use of a ghostly image of John Wayne, who acts as Jesse Custer's guardian angel. The second story, which reprints issues 13-17, isn't quite as compelling but that's only in comparison to what has come before. Preacher: Until The End Of The World is a graphic novel that I wouldn't recommend to everyone, purely because of the extreme nature of the story contained within; but for the open-minded, it's a real treat.

About a month ago I went to my local comics shop and spent over thirty dollars on "Until the End of the World" and "Proud Americans." It was money well spent, though I don't think this series is for everyone. In fact, people who can't accept an outsider's view of Christianity or a lot of gore and depravity should stay far away.

"Until the End of the World," the second volume of Preacher, collects issues 8-17 of the series, continuing the story of Jesse Custer. There are two story arcs in this volume. First, Jesse and Tulip travel south to deal with the man who hired Tulip as a hitwoman, only to be kidnapped by Jesse's incredibly twisted family. God finally makes an appearance; he's a bit of an...

In the second half of the book, Jesse and Tulip head to San Francisco to meet Cassidy, and become involved in a depraved party at the home of Jesus de Sade, a most *interesting* man. The mysterious Grail, an organization mentioned in "Gone to Texas," finally appears; Starr, a man high in the Grail, wants Jesse to play the messiah in Armageddon. The Allfather of the Grail also wants Jesse captured, for reasons as yet unknown. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

There are times when the violence and sexual depravity are tiresome, not funny, especially in the second story arc. When the gore and depravity get gratuitous, they detract from Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy, who are the heart of the story. I would remove a star, but the rest of the book is so good it makes up for occasional lapses.

I hope the World never ends if Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon keep on turning out masterpieces like Until The End Of The World which is the best in the Preacher series. It's weird and incredible and in chapters like All In The Family, it shows just how twisted the world is. A couple of chapters later, Jesse and Tulip kiss and realize that even if the world is that twisted, they can live with it as long as they have each other.

With 8 volumes already out, and a 9th obviously on the way,"Until the End of The World" is my personal favorite. Welearn the horrible secrets of Jesse's past, why he left Tulip out of the blue five years ago, we meet Herr Starr and The Grail for the first time, "The Sexual Detectives", and of course Jesus De Sade and his...interesting party. I won't reveal anything else, because you'll be more shocked when you find out on your own!

Being relatively new to the sordid world of comics, I happened upon this trade PB at a local comic book shop while desperately trying to find a couple of back issues of Strangers in Paradise (which, incidentally, I now own almost every one of.) I picked it up and flipped through it. The artwork was pretty darn good, and I really liked the quality, realistic coloring. Ooh, sacreligious ex-preacher guy, cool chick character, and a vampire too? Seemed almost too good to be true.

I sat down and read the thing all the way through, stopping occasionally to show my friends the delightfully disgusting portraits of "Grandma", and to quote the evil hill-billies. After I was done, my friends insisted I leave the book there so that they might read it as well. Cheez, three fans created by one purchase, so far.

The comic is very well done. The amount of sheer, graphic violence and disturbing subject matter (especially the forced sodomy and beastiality) will make this story difficult for "sensitive" readers. Many parts of this book were hard for me to stomach, and I think they were meant to be funny. This is *not* a comic for anyone under the age of 18, I think - these scenes are enough for an adult to handle.

So, disturbing matter aside, this is a damn fine story. You will find yourself dreaming about the heroic Custer and his love, the very bad-@$$ Tulip, hoping that they make it. I understand that the storyline is currently winding to a close. This is almost a relief to me, as I know that I now have to start collecting the entire series - I won't be stuck in a never-ending cycle of collection! (Like it's not bad enough that I own a collection of bagged-n-boarded comics in the first place. A friend comes over and looks at them, and I wring my hands over the darn things like they are sickly children.)

This book *will* make you re-think your concept of God, Jesus, the Afterlife, and everything in-between. It slips into your psyche like a spirit, and you begin to truly *care* about the characters. It takes a rare kind of artists to create people so complete that they are seem obviously real anytime one opens up a book. From what I have experienced in the comic industry, it's even more difficult to *draw* them, continue an engaging storyline, and make the reader *think*, all at the same time. "Preacher" manages to do all three, and I commend its creators, who breathe life into an idea, and allow us to live it as well. A storyline like this could either flop or succeed . In this case - well, you already know what I think, doncha? : ) Enjoy.

Let me start this by saying that the first half of this book absolutely rocks. If you already own the first book in the series, "Gone to Texas", go ahead and add this to your shopping cart right now. The first storyline is well worth the 11 bucks.

Unfortunently, the second story arc found in this book, "Hunters", is unbelievably dull. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but hardly anything happens. A load of new characters are introduced, and it takes FOREVER to learn who these characters are and what motivates them. Even by the end of the book, you STILL don't really know what Herr Starr is all about, and thus you gotta buy the next book.

This collection is great, and the first storyline is stupendous, but it just doesn't live up to the standard the original TPB laid out.

Preacher is probably one of the best comics I've read in a long time. A combination of witty humor, religious satire and mild science fiction make this well worth the time and money you put into it.

I've read all of the Preacher books in disorder but once I got all of 'em read them in the right order and I have to say it's one of the best comics I've read. It's graphic, it's sleek, it just rocks. Once I picked it up I just couldn't put it down till I finished it and re-read it a few times to get some details straight.

I first read Preacher while I was doing my military service and immediately got hooked. Although I read the books in a pretty out-of-order fashion, I still followed the plot and found it interesting. Happily in reserve now and money to buy the albums and read them with more thought. Until the end of the World is probably the biggest shocker in the series. First you see Custer's disgusting family and you can only guess how many times I went "Oww gross, what next!?". I also found it pretty interesting that IMO the story in Vol.2 seemed to get a bit lighter in mood as the story progressed. Cassidy and the cat, Starr getting more he bargained for and the strange orgy at the end. I was rolling on the floor laughing as I watched this bizarre story unfold. I'll get my head examined next... Anyway, the story is as solid you can expect from Ennis with plenty of story driven bloodshed and some nice 'slaps on the cheek' in the form of some unexpected headshots. Unfortunately, the Saint of Killers is seen only once in the this book, but expect to catch this menacing figure in the next book doing what he does best ;->

As an avid reader of all of Vertigo's titles, it takes quite a bit for me to declare one series the best. I originally thought that Sandman held the title, but Preacher has given it a run for it's money. This installment is, in my opinion, the best in the series, and that's saying the best of the best. From the chilling story of Jesse's upbringing to the depravity of the Gomorrah People's "celebration," Preacher takes the genre to new frontiers, eliminating the need for costumed heroes and overly-marketable characters by sheer force of plot. Preacher is the new definition of what a comic book should be.

That high praise came from CLERKS director Kevin Smith. He is dead on about PREACHER, especially this, the second collection, which introduces Jesse's severely dysfunctional family and Herr Starr, the series' main villain. The 2 best moments here: the Preacher's fight with Jody, the sadistic farmhand who killed his father, and the orgy/party thrown by Jesus deSade, who must be read to be believed.

I love Preacher. If I could meet Garth Ennis, I would give him a big sloppy kiss. He is my hero. I started reading Preacher with The Saint Of Killers mini that is in Ancient History. My love of westerns drew me towards it. Then I discovered the main book. Ecstacy. Until the End of the World is the best book of Preacer out there. It is one of the most well-written volumes out there. I love the grounded sense of morality in the midst of such archaic madness. Jesse Custer is a hero to be worshiped. Buy all of the trades. Read 'em over and over. Cherish them. This is kind of a rant here, but writing about Preacher got me thinking about TV. Word to producers: WE LIKE STORY ARCS! EPISODIC ADVENTURE IS OLD WHEN THAT'S ALL THERE IS!

Multiply Adam Sandler's vulgarness by three and convert him to christianity and you have our protaginist, Jesse Custer in a nutshell. He's out to find God and make him do his job in Heaven. He can make people do anything he wants by telling them to(like literally count every grain of sand on the beach), and he hangs around a hitwoman and an Irish vampire. He has grown up with murderous red-neck Bible thumpers who killed his parents and his best-friend at a young age, and he's tough as nails. Preacher is more to comic books than what Southpark is to television. They're both violent, vulgar and sacreligious. But one thing Preacher lacks that Southpark has is censorship. Comic books, largly looked apon as "kid stuff" turn out to be the perfect format for putting in whatever you want. By the second page of this tradepaperback, I was convinced that the authors got to put whatever they wanted in this book. And if the first half says they got to put whatever they wanted in this book with no restrictions, the second half(which features animal sodomizers and some real cracks at the Christian religion) really scream that statement. Preacher has shown that all you have to do is slap a mature reader label on the cover and you can pretty much do anything you want. And anything is just about all you see in here. A cat flushed down the tolit, and dog nailed to a cross by the head, just to name a few. Plenty of bloody fist fights that make Mortal Kombat look like a pillow fight, and lots of cussing. But it isn't all gratuituious violence and vulgarity. Every act of violence, every cuss word, every disgusting act, moves the story along, believe it or not. Nothing that happens in this book is pointless. The diolouge is snappy and the characterization is awesome. Buy this book if you're not squeamish. You won't regret it.

This, the second Preacher collection is vile, depraved, revolting, disgusting and morally dubious. Up to the usual Ennis standards, then. The general plot, for those who don't know, is this: Jesse Custer, a small town Texas Preacher, has his soul bonded with Genesis, a creature born of a demon and an angel, giving him the power to command people to do his bidding. He meets up with his hit-woman ex-girlfriend, Tulip and an Irish (that's IRISH, not AUSTRALIAN) alcoholic vampire called Cassidy. Soon, this trio find themselves on the run from the FBI, the Texas state police, a super-secret conspiracy known as the Grail, an immortal cowboy and a hideously disfigured (yet strangely upbeat) teenager. If you thought that Reservoir Dogs needed a bit more blood and that Pulp Fiction was wholesome family entertainment, then you really need to buy this book, I can't reccommend it enough. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a brainless shoot-em-up suerhero comic,however, - it is a carefully characterised well written story which deserves to be read from start to finish and then over again. In it's time, Preacher has presented moral stories on alcoholism, drug-abuse, child-abuse, love, friendship and what to do when everything you belive in has fallen down around you. BE WARNED, though - this comic don't pull any punches.

There are a number of great things about comics. One happens to be that you can get away with anything. Comics payed their censorship dues with the fascistic "Comics Code" of the 50s and 60s. The Code is impotent and ignored now, and comics, dismissed as rubbish by the masses, have become the medium in which anything goes. Hence Preacher. One of the best comics of the 90s, Preacher makes fun of religion, rednecks, the occult, and "wankers" in general in the filthiest way possible. "Until the End of the World" contains the comic's two best stories. "Family Matters" concerns ex-Preacher Jesse's insane, inbred and godblessed (literally!) family, contrasting Jesse's life story and struggle with romance and the vengeance of God. Very freudian. "Hunters" introduces the most powerful orginzation in the world, The Grail. They control the bloodline of Jesus Christ, and a rogue member wants Jesse to be the new Messiah. Of this I can say no more. If you have a strong stomach and suitably sarcastic sense of humour, this is your ticket.