Preacher: The Series?

This rumor could be totally and completely off base, and should be taken with an enourmas grain of salt. I don’t want to get too excited about what is barley a rumor…but Aint It Cool News is reporting that the producers of “The Sopranos” are interested in developing Vertigo comic's series "Preacher" into a series for HBO. For those who don’t know, “Preacher” is one of the most rollicking, funny, violent, and ballsiest comic book series I’ve ever read. It’s the story of Jesse Custer, a Texas preacher whose soul merges with a powerful being that is part angel and part demon. If this sounds at all stodgy and boring, it’s not. This is not “Left Behind-” this is the book that fans of “Left Behind” would condemn with their crazy proclamations and judgments, telling us all this is just another example of why our culture is going to Hell.

The comic series is a wild ride in every sense of the phrase, featuring boatloads of blasphemy, drinking, fighting, swearing, and fucking, some of my favorite subjects. The comic book features a hero with the balls to take on the ultimate villain- God himself (or at least the Judeo-Christian version of God.) If the Catholic Church is offended by “The Da Vinci Code,” I can’t imagine how they will react if “Preacher” is made into a TV show. Beyond all the stuff that will get "Preacher" tons of media attention, there is a really compelling story being told, with a very clear vision of what's right and wrong- whether the authors agree with what God himself has to say or not.

I first encountered the comic book my senior year of high school. At that point, I had not read any comic books since I was a kid. The book knocked me out, and was addictive enough to draw me right back into the comics medium, and I have not stopped seeking good comics since then. This is material that would be easy to screw up, but with the creators of “The Sopranos” doing this at HBO, they’ll hopefully have the freedom to do it right.

If they end the show the way the comic book ends- well, the controversy will be pretty wild. HBO has been gutsy in the past, but this would be a whole new level of controversy even for them- they would be openly attacking organized religion and all the hypocrisy therein, and will be the target of all the usual idiots. But if they have the stones to go for it- we’ll all be in for a wild ride. Jerry Fallwell is gonna hate it a lot- and that's reason enough for me to give it a big ol' greenlight. I’m looking forward to how this whole thing develops- fingers crossed.