I have to admit that as a hardcore DC Comics fan; I knew very little about DC’s imprint Vertigo and the Preacher TV adaptation coming to the AMC network. A very excited crowd and I were in for a treat when we saw the premiere screen at the 2016 WonderCon. The show definitely has a light-hearted dark and grittiness to it that fits in with the AMC’s brand of shows like Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. So whether you were initiated or not into Vertigo’s more graphic form of content, you’ll definitely find something you love about this show and it’s characters.
Preacher’s main premise focuses on a conflicted, small town Preacher from Texas named Jesse Custer played by (Dominic Cooper) who gets possessed by a mysterious entity that gives him a highly unconventional power to influence others. The Vertigo comics call it the word of God. So if Jesse were to tell another character to be brave and open his heart out, that said character would be inclined to do just that. Literally.
Before this mysterious entity comes into play in Jesse’s life, we learn that he is a terrible preacher. Even more so, we learn that he has a violent past. We have his trigger-happy, homemade bazooka-making, ex-girlfriend Tulip O’Hare played by (Ruth Negga) to thank for that. It is unclear as to what occurred in his past but he is a character I can stand behind when he gets into a really cool fight scene to “convince” a man to stop abusing his wife and kid. And with a little help from an Irish-blood sucking vampire named Cassidy played by (Joe Gilgun). Cassidy is by far the comic relief despite the fact that every character has their moments that make the show enjoyable to watch.
Other characters to watch out for are Eugene Root played by (Ian Colletti) and potential antagonist Sheriff Hugo Root played by (W. Earl Brown). What’s interesting about Eugene is his disfigured face. I initially thought his disfigurement was a birth defect but apparently he committed an act that caused it. The pilot alludes that the act was a suicide attempt when Eugene talks to Jesse about being forgiven by God for what he tried to do. Of course it is still unclear of Eugene’s purpose but he is the son of the Sheriff that can lead to future juicy conflicts later on. All in all, the show has a lot to offer its viewers with an intricately woven plot and character-driven stories.