Rating: 
Summary: Best volume of the series
Review: "Untill the end of the World" (which collects #8-17) is in my personal opinion the best volume of the Preacher-series. It is well written, everything that happens does happen for a cause reveiled later (really good to see things fall into place and finding yourself go "Oh, that's right indeed !"), a little more light-hearted than the previous volume (which comes to the good of the story) and filled with bizar humor which makes it easy to keep in touch with everything that happens without getting the feeling you're reading something information-packed (because you DO get a lot to process all at once). Steve Dillons art is also elevated to a higher level and works great for the story (not saying that it didn't before, but now even more so). The action and gore are well illustrated without it taking the attention of the actual story too much. It never gets the upper hand.The storyline is basically divided in four parts: In the first part (#8-10), that continues from the final issue of the previous volume, we see Jesse and Tulip trying to figure out what to do next when people from Jesse's past suddenly catch up with them. Seeing how their future-perspectives have suddenly changed 180 degrees Jesse decides it's time to tell Tulip about his youth, growing up at Angelville, and about how and why he disappeared all of a sudden out of her life 5 years ago. This is really the best part of the book (if not the best part of the whole series). It's really good to read about the sick and disturbed people Jesse had to grow up with (both for humurous means as for cruelty. You get to see ways of 'raising' a kid you seriously never thought of before), and it's good to know how this tough man wound up being a preacher (the 5 year gap between now and his disappereance is totally cleared up here). The second part (#11,12) is about Jesse and Tulips thoughts returning to the here and now. Jesse gets a preach by a rather uncommon person which tells him to deal with it all, and so he does. Then (#13-16) follows the "Hunters" story-arc. Jesse and Tulip meet back up with Cassidy who's is currently living in the apartment of his deceased girlfriend. When Cassidy gets a hint of which people are to be held responsible for the girls death he, Jesse and Tulip go on their way to avenge her. A story that leads us to the house of Jesus the Sade, a decadent freak, who's good for a nice, humorfilled, but not very important storyline (what bugs me a little though is the sudden display of morals in this storyline while preacher is nothing like that for the rest. Falls a little out of place). What IS important in this storyline is that we first get to meet the underground-group "The Grail" and learn about their quest (which is really big in later volumes). It takes some attention to realize who is who and who is doing what and what for, but in the end it's worth it (AND neccesary to understand to get what's going on later). The book ends (#17) with an issue that is really an intro to the next book. It further explains what the Grail hopes to achieve over time and what Herr Star REALLY wants with it. Cassidy turns out to be a man of more honor than Tulip gave him credit for up till now. The biggest plus of the book is Ennis' further display of his typical humor which is far more present here than in the previous volume. This makes the book a constant laugh (although the events in it aren't really that humorous) and easy to follow (seeing how A LOT that is of importance later gets laid out here). People who liked "Gone to Texas" will love this book because it's even better
Rating:
Summary: Fun for the whole dysfunctional family
Review: A man from Texas confronts the demons of his past in a bloody showdown. Even this seemingly tired plot device is sheer dynamite in the hands of Garth Ennis and this is easily the most emotionally gripping Ennis storyline in his usually irreverent career. I don't mean to suggest some jaring change of pace from the familiar doses of dark hummor associated with Preacher... But even with such mood lightening antics, the darkness of this tale is so pervasive that these clever bits don't provide the familiar relief we are expecting.
This is a good thing. I am all about making the reader/listener/viewer uncomfortable and "Until The End of the World" is a master study of discomfort. This shows the genius of Ennis goes way beyond some routine physically gross torment of protagonist Jesse Custer. Ennis strips Custer of EVERYTHING! His father, his mother, his inbreed hillbilly mutant buddy and his childhood itself are all cast away. But even then Ennis gives us, and Jesse, another black hearted kick in the guts: His woman executed right before his eyes...with a shotgun!!! If your not already up to date on the whole series to this point then stop being lazy and start at the beginning!
This is NOT like some light viewing TV series you can drop in and out of on a whim to see what's up. This is a full scale pop art epic culminating in no less than the ouster of God Almighty himself.
And though nothing on that level of cosmic importance occurs in this particular collection, "Until the end of the World" is still something that can literally put a tear in my eye. The horrors of an abusive childhood put right and put there by Texas justice.
Rating:
Summary: Ennis and Dillon are sick, sick men! Bless them.
Review: About a month ago I went to my local comics shop and spent over thirty dollars on "Until the End of the World" and "Proud Americans." It was money well spent, though I don't think this series is for everyone. In fact, people who can't accept an outsider's view of Christianity or a lot of gore and depravity should stay far away. "Until the End of the World," the second volume of Preacher, collects issues 8-17 of the series, continuing the story of Jesse Custer. There are two story arcs in this volume. First, Jesse and Tulip travel south to deal with the man who hired Tulip as a hitwoman, only to be kidnapped by Jesse's incredibly twisted family. God finally makes an appearance; he's a bit of an... In the second half of the book, Jesse and Tulip head to San Francisco to meet Cassidy, and become involved in a depraved party at the home of Jesus de Sade, a most *interesting* man. The mysterious Grail, an organization mentioned in "Gone to Texas," finally appears; Starr, a man high in the Grail, wants Jesse to play the messiah in Armageddon. The Allfather of the Grail also wants Jesse captured, for reasons as yet unknown. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. There are times when the violence and sexual depravity are tiresome, not funny, especially in the second story arc. When the gore and depravity get gratuitous, they detract from Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy, who are the heart of the story. I would remove a star, but the rest of the book is so good it makes up for occasional lapses.
Rating:
Summary: Ennis and Dillon are sick, sick men! Bless them.
Review: About a month ago I went to my local comics shop and spent over thirty dollars on "Until the End of the World" and "Proud Americans." It was money well spent, though I don't think this series is for everyone. In fact, people who can't accept an outsider's view of Christianity or a lot of gore and depravity should stay far away. "Until the End of the World," the second volume of Preacher, collects issues 8-17 of the series, continuing the story of Jesse Custer. There are two story arcs in this volume. First, Jesse and Tulip travel south to deal with the man who hired Tulip as a hitwoman, only to be kidnapped by Jesse's incredibly twisted family. God finally makes an appearance; he's a bit of an... In the second half of the book, Jesse and Tulip head to San Francisco to meet Cassidy, and become involved in a depraved party at the home of Jesus de Sade, a most *interesting* man. The mysterious Grail, an organization mentioned in "Gone to Texas," finally appears; Starr, a man high in the Grail, wants Jesse to play the messiah in Armageddon. The Allfather of the Grail also wants Jesse captured, for reasons as yet unknown. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. There are times when the violence and sexual depravity are tiresome, not funny, especially in the second story arc. When the gore and depravity get gratuitous, they detract from Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy, who are the heart of the story. I would remove a star, but the rest of the book is so good it makes up for occasional lapses.
Rating:
Summary: Best Preacher Book in the Series
Review: As an avid reader of all of Vertigo's titles, it takes quite a bit for me to declare one series the best. I originally thought that Sandman held the title, but Preacher has given it a run for it's money. This installment is, in my opinion, the best in the series, and that's saying the best of the best. From the chilling story of Jesse's upbringing to the depravity of the Gomorrah People's "celebration," Preacher takes the genre to new frontiers, eliminating the need for costumed heroes and overly-marketable characters by sheer force of plot. Preacher is the new definition of what a comic book should be.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: Being relatively new to the sordid world of comics, I happened upon this trade PB at a local comic book shop while desperately trying to find a couple of back issues of Strangers in Paradise (which, incidentally, I now own almost every one of.) I picked it up and flipped through it. The artwork was pretty darn good, and I really liked the quality, realistic coloring. Ooh, sacreligious ex-preacher guy, cool chick character, and a vampire too? Seemed almost too good to be true. I sat down and read the thing all the way through, stopping occasionally to show my friends the delightfully disgusting portraits of "Grandma", and to quote the evil hill-billies. After I was done, my friends insisted I leave the book there so that they might read it as well. Cheez, three fans created by one purchase, so far. The comic is very well done. The amount of sheer, graphic violence and disturbing subject matter (especially the forced sodomy and beastiality) will make this story difficult for "sensitive" readers. Many parts of this book were hard for me to stomach, and I think they were meant to be funny. This is *not* a comic for anyone under the age of 18, I think - these scenes are enough for an adult to handle. So, disturbing matter aside, this is a damn fine story. You will find yourself dreaming about the heroic Custer and his love, the very bad-@$$ Tulip, hoping that they make it. I understand that the storyline is currently winding to a close. This is almost a relief to me, as I know that I now have to start collecting the entire series - I won't be stuck in a never-ending cycle of collection! (Like it's not bad enough that I own a collection of bagged-n-boarded comics in the first place. A friend comes over and looks at them, and I wring my hands over the darn things like they are sickly children.) This book *will* make you re-think your concept of God, Jesus, the Afterlife, and everything in-between. It slips into your psyche like a spirit, and you begin to truly *care* about the characters. It takes a rare kind of artists to create people so complete that they are seem obviously real anytime one opens up a book. From what I have experienced in the comic industry, it's even more difficult to *draw* them, continue an engaging storyline, and make the reader *think*, all at the same time. "Preacher" manages to do all three, and I commend its creators, who breathe life into an idea, and allow us to live it as well. A storyline like this could either flop or succeed . In this case - well, you already know what I think, doncha? : ) Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: a waste of time
Review: Disgusting drivel written for video game junkies with attention deficit disorder.
Rating:
Summary: Ain't it fun
Review: Hard as it is to believe, this second installment to the Preacher series is even better than the first. While "Until the End of the World" again relies on the formula that made "Gone to Texas" so unique - intriguing story-lines, extreme and disturbing violence mixed-in with equally in-your-face humour, a fascination with language- it manages to juice the volume to 10 on all of these elements. The first half of the book dealing with Jesse Custer's childhood rates as some of the most gripping (and horrifying) reading I've done in years: my eyes were literally glued to the pages well into the wee hours of the night. The second half was equally enjoyable, with Ennis building on the story arc and introducing the shadowy international organization, "The Grail." Only someone as twisted as Mr. Ennis could make sodomy so darned hilarious, and provoke us with such difficult issues as child (sex) abuse, drug addiction, and mental illness. Kudos to Steve Dillon for keenly depicting the cruelty of child abuse and the evilness of some of the darker characters e.g. the freaky looking Gran'ma, who Glenn Fabry also has a hand in illustrating. Ennis never takes the easy way out, preferring to discard the boring cookie-cutter superhero protagonist we all intrinsically root for, challenging us with a 'hero' who is a recidivist criminal, violent and cruel towards people (and a particularly curmudgeonly feline), and subject to bouts of insanity. Ennis' keen take on the human condition enables him to create such a character that we nevertheless care about. As funny as "Until the End of the World" can be at times, the truth is, at its heart, the book is actually quite poignant. If Ennis can be said to be conveying anything as hokey as a "central message" here, my interpretation is that while our worlds are constantly intruded by loss and loneliness and death, our only chance is to have faith in ourselves and be lucky enough to have those who reinforce that faith. Otherwise, we'll wind up like the umpteen discarded and tortured souls that grace the pages of this masterful series.
Rating:
Summary: Whoa, this one's a killer
Review: I first read Preacher while I was doing my military service and immediately got hooked. Although I read the books in a pretty out-of-order fashion, I still followed the plot and found it interesting. Happily in reserve now and money to buy the albums and read them with more thought. Until the end of the World is probably the biggest shocker in the series. First you see Custer's disgusting family and you can only guess how many times I went "Oww gross, what next!?". I also found it pretty interesting that IMO the story in Vol.2 seemed to get a bit lighter in mood as the story progressed. Cassidy and the cat, Starr getting more he bargained for and the strange orgy at the end. I was rolling on the floor laughing as I watched this bizarre story unfold. I'll get my head examined next... Anyway, the story is as solid you can expect from Ennis with plenty of story driven bloodshed and some nice 'slaps on the cheek' in the form of some unexpected headshots. Unfortunately, the Saint of Killers is seen only once in the this book, but expect to catch this menacing figure in the next book doing what he does best ;->
Rating:
Summary: I hope the World Never Ends...
Review: I hope the World never ends if Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon keep on turning out masterpieces like Until The End Of The World which is the best in the Preacher series. It's weird and incredible and in chapters like All In The Family, it shows just how twisted the world is. A couple of chapters later, Jesse and Tulip kiss and realize that even if the world is that twisted, they can live with it as long as they have each other.
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