Preacher Vol 03: Proud Americans

You can think of "Proud Americans" as a tasty comic hamburger, where the main story involving Jesse, Tulip, Cassidy and the Grail is the extra thick patty, coated with plenty of bright-colored oozing special sauce, all sandwiched between two toasty back stories buns.This third helping of the Ennis and Dillon's "Preacher" begins with a flash-back to Vietnam where we learn more about Jesse's father and his influence on Jesse's current mission. Then we come back to the present and retrieve our good friend Cassidy from the clutches of the Grail (sort of like getting Solo back from Jabba in "Jedi"). In the third act of this graphic novel, we get a longish back story from Cassidy, about how he became a fanged-one, and how he made it to this side of the Atlantic.The main thrust of "Proud Americans" is that we are nothing if we don't stand up for our friends, and that we should never allow ourselves to be led blindly into doing "the right thing". This is a great series, and I highly recommend it. I gave this one only four stars because I felt some of the second and third sections moved a little too slowly. Still, this is great stuff, and I'm eagerly looking forward to getting book 4.

This volume has the biggest body count I've ever seen one man amass. The Saint of Killers gives a whole new meaning to "high body count." But beyond the incredible amount of blood in the main story, there's also the origin of how Cassidy became a vampire and how he came to be in America. (Not to mention we find out his hilarious first name!) And we finally learn the whole story behind "Genesis" So if all of this isn't a reason to buy this volume, I truly don't know what is!

Proud Americans is a very good, and very, very funny Preacher graphic novel. It has some of the series funniest (as well as most violent) moments. This is Preacher at it's best. One thing Proud Americans is NOT is a good introduction to the story. If you've never read Preacher before, get Gone to Texas. Don't get this - you'll be really confused.The first story is that of Jesse's fathers experience in Vietnam and is contained in a single issue. That issue is one of Preacher's all-time best. The story is very, very good and well-written, and it's great seeing how like his dad Jesse is. The rest of the book focuses on the events leading up to Jesse's confrontation with The Grail and the face-off between Jesse, Starr, and the Allfather. By the way, the Allfather's fate (that's all I'll say about it) is one of the series funniest single moments.Proud Americans shows, again, that Preacher simply rules.

In this book (which I thoroughly enjoyed), Reverend Jesse Custer has set out with his gun-toting girlfriend, Tulip O'Hare, to retrieve his best friend, the hard-drinking vampire, Cassidy. They wage a no-holds-barred battle against The Grail, a religious cult. Then, at the top of the Empire State Building, Cassidy reveals his life story to Jesse. I loved this book. But be warned: If you are an overly religious person, or if you dislike harsh language, you will be offended.

This is one of the most incredible treasures you can find out there in the comic market today. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon have acheived nothing short of a...miracle with Preacher. This compilation of ten Preacher comics following the "All in the Family" and "Hunters" story lines gives an in depth look into the relationships reverend Jesse Custer keeps with his (twisted) family, his blood sucking friend, and his one true love Tulip O'Hare. There's also a great forward by Chasing Amy/Clerks/Mallrats/Dogma writer and director Kevin Smith, who is an admitted obsessed fan of Preacher. In the All in the Family storyline, we learn why Jesse had to break away from Tulip so many years ago, and also what happened to his mother and father way back when. We learn of the perversions of farm-hand T.C., the killing sprees of family help Jody, the sick and twisted plots of Gran'ma, and the sad fate of boy hood friend Billy Bob and dog Duke. We see Jesse Custer get put through the grinder in a series of sinister and traumatizing events that would make the worlds biggest hero snap his own neck. Then we see Jesse get tough. In the Hunters story line, we witness the bonds of strength and friendship between a preacher from Texas with a angelic/demonic power trapped within him and an Irish vampire who's as old as the century. This is great stuff, anyone with any interest what so ever in the direction comics are headed in the future, or those who just want to check out something that'll really make yout think twice about what you've been told, should check it out. Do yourself a favor. Order it now. You won't regret it. Kelii from Oahu