Comics That Should Be Other Things: By David

Before we jump in, I should take a moment to tell you why this piece came about and what it may turn into. See in 1992 I picked up X-men #4 from the then Lucky's in South Gate, I've loved comics ever since that day. My obsession with funny books as a kid even led me to steal money, but that's a story for another blog. Getting back to my point, in the beginning it was all about the art, but now in my adult years I've found that it's been the story that's made me read them to this day. My epiphany about my love for comics came in this thought, at the core these stories are about what I strive to be; noble, heroic, radioactive...............maybe not so much in the
last part.

What the ipad and digital media will never replace, is the ability to share the best things about comics with everyone I know. In the last four years, I introduced all my friends to the Walking Dead and look at how good the TV show that came out of it is. Most of my issues of that series are at various houses as we speak, needless to say would not allow anyone to hold my giant iphone for that long just to read my comics. For those who think comics are just for kids, these pieces will be geared toward you, in the hope that you'll drop three bucks to pick
up an issue and give it a try.

Being my first piece I'll keep it short but enticing. Walking Dead was an easy sell to be made into a TV show, there's one more story out there that would be just as easy for people to go nuts for. Written by long time Punisher creative team Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Preacher is the story of down and out preacher Jesse Custer, who goes on a search across America to (literally) find god, who has abandoned his throne in heaven. How does Jesse know this? Because he becomes possessed by an entity known as Genesis, who is a (graphically detailed I might add) mating of an angel and a demon. What does anyone get by being possessed by something like this? Super powers of course, Jesse's new found voice allows him to control mortal beings by using what's referred to as the voice of GOD. Depicted in the first issue, after witnessing this power, a sheriff who tires to arrest Jesse tells him, "I'm gonna go home now", to which Jesse replies " No, your gonna go fuck yourself." What you get next from the following two pages is not for the faint of heart. This series was a great story of self redemption from dealing with drug abuse, dis functional family, racism and a lot of other social issues.

Then there's Arseface, the son of the sheriff who violated him self. He's a 15 year old Nirvana worshiping teenager, who is horribly deformed after a failed Kurt Cobain copycat suicide attempt. His dad commits suicide after all these events and Arseface vow's revenge on Jesse. How he gets the name Arseface, I won't spoil it but it still makes me laugh to this
day.

Some of the series I write about, you won't enjoy as much as others but I guarantee anyone who is willing to pick up Preacher Vol 1: Gone to Texas will be blown away by how a ridiculous plot can be extremely well written. In fact, if you get this book and don't enjoy it, I will give you a dollar out of my own pocket.

- David N.