Customer Reviews

Preacher: Alamo: v. 9 (Preacher)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For five and a half years it has led up to this. Jesse Custer's confrontation with God is coming full circle, as is the fates of all the characters who have gone through more character development in that aforementioned span than some comic characters go through in a decade. All the oddly written characters we have grown to love and hate like Jesse, Tulip, Cassidy, Herr Starr, The Saint of Killers, and Arseface meet their respective fates in big ways; ranging from Starr seeking his revenge on Jesse, to Jesse's showdown with Cassidy, to The Saint of Killers' war on heaven, and everything in between. By the end of Alamo, long time readers of the series will feel satisfied of most of the outcomes, and even though it is sad to see the Preacher series come to an end, it is good to know that the series didn't re-hash itself every twenty four issues and kept the storyline on one true track during the entire run. Let it also be noted that Preacher creators; writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, stayed on for the entire Preacher run. That in itself is an accomplishment in the comic industry as they brought readers some of the most unforgettable characters and one of the most engrossing sagas in the modern comic age. Rumor has it (straight out of Wizard Magazine) that a Preacher re-launch is in the works, but time will tell. I also strongly suggest Ennis and Dillon's Punisher TPB for Marvel Comics; even if you've never had an interest in that character you should read the re-invention of him by the Preacher duo, it is pure genius.

I picked up the first volume of Preacher over a year ago, and have read every installment since. What attracted me was the humor and reputation, but I didn't really know what to expect. I'll admit that Alamo, the end of the series, was not what I expected. The series had occasional moments of importance, but for the most part, it was a funny, violent romp. The ending, however, was extremly touching. I won't assume Ennis's motivations, but to me, Alamo changed my view of the whole series. At first glance, most of the series follows Jesse Custer, the Preacher. But Alamo reveals that Cassidy, the vampire, may be the strongest character. Much like The Shawshank Redemption is focused on Tim Robbins's character, while Morgan Freeman's character is the moral center. But I'll let you draw your own opinions. Read this.

It seems only fitting that a work as wide in scope and broad in character as Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's epic 'Preacher' series should end up in a place so resonant with and characteristic of American ( especially the Southern United States) history as the Alamo. With the penultimate volume ( 'All Hell's a coming') re-revving the series into high gear and letting readers know that it was time to put all the cards on the table and bring it all to an explosive climax, this volume delivers on all counts- bringing what has been a refreshingly brilliant, funny, action-packed, thoughtful and adrenaline soaked series to it's deservedly satisfying finish. The way that issues are resolved with all characters is engrossing and the final 'money shot' that the entire run has been leading up to and hinting at is worth every penny.

If you haven;t read Preacher yet, or haven't read the whole saga, now is the time; you won;t regret spending the money on something that you will re-read again and again. LIke Warren Ellis's 'Planetary' stories , this is modern comic story-telling in it's purest form.

Thank you Garth and Steve for such a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable comic-book series.

The series started out with a simple premise (sort of): God quit; Jesse's gonna teach him a lesson. Then the events of Dixie Fried set up another conflict: Jesse vs. Cassidy. And throughout it all, the battle of the sexes raged on, via Jesse's desire to see Tulip unharmed vs. her independent streak. Alamo resolves one of the three conflicts in a very satisfactory manner, leaves one of them sort of hanging, and all but writes off the third.

If you read the series because you wanted to see Jesse take on The Almighty, you're in for a bit of disappointment. After all the buildup, the resolution of that conflict is resolved, as other reviewers have said, in a somewhat contrived way, through flashbacks and deus ex machinas (no pun intended). Furthermore, it leaves some MAJOR plot points unaddressed.

But if in reading the series, you grew to appreciate -- as I did -- the complex relationship of the three main characters, then Alamo's very satisfying and memorable. Though less flashy than the divine showdown, the interpersonal conflict actually actually most directly with the series' most important themes: forgiveness and salvation.

As the Saint of Killers said, back before he became what he is, "Why can a man not turn to doing good, without the Lord getting all mixed up in it?"

The end of the story, as Jesse gets to point out a few cold hard truths to various people, human and otherwise. Jesse gets to point out to God why he is such a big fat, loser. Cassidy gets a second chance at things again, even if perhaps he does not deserve it. Yes, Alamo is the end, and the last stand all rolled into one.

"The end of laughter and soft lies/The end of nights we tried to die/This is the end."

Of course, with its title, you know there will be plenty of blood and guts and death and guns (lots of those) before the conclusion. There are a lot of angry people here, and a lot of scores to settle. Interestingly, the end is not as much a finality as it is a suggestion of new beginnings.

The `Jesse as Jesus' motif is finally realized, with the notable difference, of course, of the real Jesus never having wanted to exact revenge on God. Oddly, as Jesse himself acknowledges in this book, it is precisely because of his religion, because he still thinks of himself as a preacher, that he hunts God to seek an explanation as to why He abandoned humankind.

I liked the drawings by other acclaimed artists (featuring such heavyweights as Dave Gibbons and Carlos Ezquerra) at the end of the book. Not to take anything away from the quality of their work, but it really goes to show how Steve Dillon's understated and clean approach really added to the feel of the series. Though he may not be the most technically gifted of artists, Dillon has a great feel for what works and what's appropriate.

This was undoubtedly one of the best long-run series in the D.C. Vertigo line, if not in all comics. However, although I found The Alamo to be very good, and definitely in keeping with the spirit of the series, it left me feeling a little flat. Ennis seemed to be treading water with the past few volumes, and this was no exception. The first couple instalments were nothing short of brilliant and set the tone of the series. Fortunately- or not- Ennis pretty much used them as his template. Not that I'm complaining, but I felt the series never really grew, and became somewhat predictable by the end.

Nevertheless, I've got to say that the Alamo does what Preacher is known for: blowing you away. The Alamo contains all of the humour, despair, pathos, and hope that Preacher is so rightly celebrated for. Both a party and a bummer, the Alamo is a fitting bookend.

In a world where comic book titles either drag on forever (Batman's main book, Detective comics, has lasted over 700 issues) or end abruptly (Nova, a very good series from Marvel Comics, was cancelled after 7 issues,) Preacher comes to a complete, fufulling end with ALAMO. All of the subplots, including Jesse's war with God, his rocky friendship with Cassidy, and his off and on relationship with Tulip, come to a tidy closing. Actually tidy is probably the wrong adjective; Jesse's story concludes with quite a few bangs. It's another action-packed thrill ride that's guaranteed to excite some and outrage others.

Again, I wouldn't suggest purchasing this unless you own all the other Preacher collections. If you're new to Preacher, start with the first collection, GONE TO TEXAS.

When I picked up Preacher Vol. 9, I knew I was in for a treat. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 8 volumes and the 9th was also just as amazing. I think the deciding factor of why Preacher is so good is because Ennis and Dillon were able to produce a high-quality monthly comic for a period of 5 years. I do believe that Preacher is also better than the two "Greatest" comics of all-time, Watchmen and The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Not only is it much longer, so there is more to enjoy about the series, but Preacher also contains action, romance, gore, violence, weirdness, love, religion, sex and an Irish vampire. What more could you ask for?

It all ends here in book nine in the same place where it started: Texas. Jesse's epic struggle to bring God to justice finally comes to an end--well sort of. Ennis' resolution is not exactly what you might have been expecting, but it all gets tied up in the end.

Everyone is happy who ought to be, and everyone who ought not to be is less than happy. The story ends with a bang of vengeance and a whimper of mercy.

It's a fast-paced, engrossing book, and a worthy final chapter in the Preacher saga.

So now that I've finished it all, what do I think of the Preacher series? For the most part, it's been entertaining and good fun to read. It's the first graphic novel I've read, and while I'm impressed with the scope and narrative quality that can be contained in a comic, I still think this one tends to be a little simple-minded. Ennis obviously has some father-issues he's working out in this story (both literal and metaphoric) and I think those are worthy, valid themes for a novel in any medium.

But somewhere towards the middle of the dramatic arc, I found myself a little less than satisfied with the level of complexity in the characters. They begin to repeat themselves and end up feeling more like cartoons of people rather than real people. Given the context, I guess that's a silly complaint. Still, it did take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. Otherwise, I highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to investigate the world of comic story-telling.

the cool lines,the action,the gore,the blasphemy,the eye patch and the (suggested for mature readers)tag on the back of this book,makes it simply, irresistable.
this is the conclusion,here you'll learn what will happen,to the runaway zeus like deity,his cowboy angel of death,the antichrist lookalike crusader,the irish vampire and the eyepached preacher's quest for vengeance.
and not forgeting arseface.all in a hell of a twister cult story
if you are a church goer -or a mosque goer in my case-and marilyn manson doesn't offend you,but makes you laugh sometimes,then buy this book.
if he does offend you ,you better look away.
some reader complain about the ending ,well ,as arseface said
"WUHL..BUGUHZ CUHND BUH CHUZUHZ!"