Todd & Joe Have Issues 04/06/17: Preacher #18
I love Preacher. Perhaps one of my favorite comic runs of all time, the second book I gave my wife to read when we were first dating (after Watchmen, this was 2001) and before time became a premium in my life, a book I read over and over again. Being a self contained epic, 66 issues, a four issue mini series and four over sized one shots, the one and done stories are far and few between or need a wealth of knowledge about the characters to truly grasp. Issue 18 is perfectly read in a vacuum.
This is an in between arcs story as Jesse Custer is off on another quest to not only return God to his throne in heaven but also to learn more about Genesis, the being living inside his head that gives him the power of ‘The Word of God.” Very heady stuff. This issue? It’s about how Jesse got his famous lighter.
As we learn in flashbacks, Jesse has very little memory of his father and even less of his mother. Jesse meets up with one of his father’s Vietnam buddies, ‘Spaceman’ who tells a harrowing tale of friendship and revenge.
There are a few ties to the existing story, like it can’t be a coincidence that Jesse is urged on by vision of John Wayne, the same person who gave his father’s platoon the afore mentioned lighter. Did I just spoil the entire issue? NOPE! There is so much more packed into this one issue.
Any discussion, thoughts, feelings, criticisms of this week’s selection can be placed below in the comments section. As well as suggestions about future choices for one shot issues to add to our list.
Just started reading Preacher for the 1st time. I’m about half way through the run & loving it. This issue was an interesting interlude. I’m a fan of random bar talk stories in general though. I love hanging out at hotel bars late at night when traveling.