Preacher: Salvation

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This is not a bad story, but as regulars know "not bad" isnt really a term generally associated with Preacher. I know Garth Ennis is basically trying to write a modern-day western, but the plot is a too-transparent take on a certain John Wayne film, even down to Jesse spouting many of the same lines as "The Duke". There's some interesting revelations about the past, and several genuinely enjoyable confrontation scenes, its just that they're too padded-out with uninteresting (though well-written) dialogue. Maybe I've missed the point and Ennis is trying to say something I didn't quite get here, and obviously after all the stuff Jesse Custer has been through in the last episodes he would want to relax and kick back for a while, but I sincerely hope the storyline picks up with the next episodes. If it does, then "Salvation" will sit fairly comfortably as a middle-part "Calm-before-the-storm" chapter in the storyline as a whole. And maybe that's Ennis' intentions for it. If it doesn't pick up a bit, it will be a great pity that the series lost pace after such an awesome first forty issues. I hope Garth Ennis reads these comments, and if the story-line does get back to the heights of its earlier days, then sorry Mr Ennis and change my score for this book to *****

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing chapter in the Preacher saga
Review: With the feel of a mini-series rather than being part of the on-going series, Salvation is one of the best storylines in the Preacher story. Writer Garth Ennis places his usual black humour, graphic violence and good versus evil themes in a more relaxed tale than regular Preacher readers are used to. The epic, grandiose scale of previous stories such as War In The Sun are replaced by several issues of the monthly comic centered around Jesse Custer's period as sheriff of a small backwoods town named Salvation. Jesse needs to reflect upon the cataclysmic events in his life and step back from the manic lifestyle he had shared with his girlfriend Tulip and best buddy Cassidy, both of whom are not featured directly in this volume. Jesse's influence on Salvation eventually sees the departure of the vile and corrupt local businessman Odin Quincannon and the return to law and order and a safer way of life for the town's citizens. Along the way, Jesse reunites unexpectedly with his mother. He also gives up the chance of a relationship with his attractive female deputy after the realisation that despite everything, he is still in love with Tulip. He shares another conversation with the ghost of John Wayne and, after leaving Salvation, has a drug-induced meeting with God, a truly momentous event that serves to drive forward the next chapter of the Preacher story (featured in the next Preacher graphic novel, All Hell Breaks Loose). The final tale in this volume concentrates on John Custer, Jesse's father, and how he won the Medal Of Honor during the Vietnam War. Although not connected directly to the main Preacher story, it also has the same reflective tone as the Salvation-set tale. Proving that Garth Ennis can write meaningful, less dramatic stories equally as well as his trademark sensationalism, and complimented by regular artist Steve Dillon's outstanding work, Salvation will please all fans of the series. Also included in this volume is my favourite Preacher cover (of issue 45) by cover artist Glen Farby, an outstanding piece of artwork in its own right.