AMC's Preacher Would Make Me Go To Church

If you've been living under a rock then you might have missed the onslaught of comic book and graphic novel adaptations that have been taking over the big screen as well as the small. This year we've already had four Marvel and DC releases in theatres with another two yet to arrive, as well as The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. On television Marvel and DC have a combined total of eleven on going series, not including shows that are yet to premiere as well as numerous others originating from other publishing houses. Preacher is a new edition to that list and as of right now it seems like a cut above the rest.

It has only aired three episodes so far and it already stands out from it's peers. It's in the Deadpool section of this comic book adaptation craze, it isn't shackled by political correctness or a younger skewing target audience. I was unfamiliar with the comic book series and only initially heard about it through Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg who were tapped to adapt it. I essentially grew up with the two and their stoner comedies, loving most of their efforts so much that I managed to write a six thousand word essay on drug comedies. No, I did not tell my tutor that they were the inspiration. The duo adapting the series intrigued me and I was looking forward to checking it out. It wasn't what I expected.

There is no seemingly useless but loveable stoner character that I'm following through a journey of self discovery which is what I'd grown used to when watching Rogen/Goldberg films, instead the characters and plot I was introduced to was far more intriguing. Preacher follows Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), a preacher with a shameful past that he is trying to escape. In doing so he becomes the preacher in the town where he was raised with the hope of making a difference in the community, while trying the alleviate the guilt of his previous endeavours. He almost gives up but is hit with an entity that enables him to have God like powers of persuasion which he attempts to use for good, for example making a paedophile forget his obsession with a young girl. Yes, the show is going there.

I'm going to be perfectly frank, I've never liked or disliked Dominic Cooper in a role, he's just always been there. I now realise that it's likely because of the material he'd been given in the past because he is terrific at playing Jesse, making half hearted attempts at being a good person but having a deep seated darkness in him that's ready to explode at any given minute. In the shows continuity he's only just realised he has powers so it'll be fascinating to see him struggle with the two sides of himself with those abilities at play. It would be so easy for him to be selfish and use the powers for personal gain so I can't wait to see him make attempts to resist.

I'm also looking forward to the dark comedy and more realistic story lines that we'll be getting, like the aforementioned paedophile. It makes a change from the Arrowverse maniacal character who wants to take over the world just because, theres never a believable reason for them doing so. Sure, Marvel's Netflix series like Jessica Jones and Daredevil have a darker tone than their cinematic counterparts but there is such a thing as too dark, sometimes the shows get a little depressing and I need to take a break even though those shows are built to be binged on. Preacher at its core is a dark comedy so it manages to tackle these topics but there is a comical take on the scenarios which don't make it unbearable to watch, and I don't feel guilty laughing at it.

I'm loving the show three episodes in and it's quickly becoming a comic book favourite and washing the sour taste out of my mouth that Lucifer has left behind. It has an ever watchable central character and a surreal plot to follow (including a Tom Cruise blowing up), yet with it's setting it seems very grounded. The show also features numerous off beat characters like Jesse's former girlfriend and partner in crime, Tulip (Ruth Negga) who seems insane and is trying to entice Jesse back to his former life, and his new friend Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) who happens to be a century old vampire. In addition to the characters close to Jesse we have Fiore (Tom Brooke) and DeBlanc (Anatol Yusef) who's motives and goals are still unclear, and the town's residents including "Arseface" (Ian Colletti) and Emily Woodrow (Lucy Griffiths).

All these have the makings of a great show and I'm looking forward to it playing out this summer. And the next. And then the one after that. I'll follow Preacher to the end.

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