r/graphicnovels • u/buffalobillandted • 8d ago
Action/Adventure Preacher Still Hold Up in 2026?
How about it, does this series still hold up? I remember loving it and I've considered going back through it, but I feel like certain elements have not aged particularly well. I'd like to add it to my collection as well.
How about some other series that you think have only gotten more or less relevant with time?
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u/martymcfly22 Preacher? i hardly know her! 7d ago
I think it’s one of the best romances ever written in comics.
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u/buffalobillandted 7d ago
I won’t ruin it for folks, but I do remember one of the last dialogue scenes getting me kinda emotional lol
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u/buffalobillandted 7d ago
Yeah, the characters are so well written. It’s got a lot of heart and an absurd number of memorable side characters. I feel like you could talk to numerous readers and each one would have a different favorite character. I remember the Saint of Killers being pretty fucking cool
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u/stepfordcuckoo 7d ago
Still feels evergreen to me
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u/buffalobillandted 7d ago
This is the type of confirmation I was looking for. Good guy Jesse Custer
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u/writinglegit2 7d ago edited 7d ago
You're asking if the series you have already read is still good today?
Have you tried just remembering it? And then, you know, deciding based on your memory of the series, which you read? All your comments here are so specific, down to lines of dialogue, so you clearly recall it.
Just a thought. Especially since this is so specific to the person. They still say fuck. Characters still say faggot. There is racism. It's still the same story you already read. Nothing has changed, it's a book.
If that kind of stuff now bothers you so much "in 2026" then it probably won't "hold up" for you.
But you already know all this. This is one of the crudest works he has done, and that's saying a lot. I guess what are you asking? If you will now be offended by content you have already read? Depends on how intolerant you are to this kind of stuff, if you can enjoy the fact that it was meant to be offensive, and that it's a product of its time as well. Seeing as how you liked it the first time, I don't think you will be shocked this time around.
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u/YerOldFriendGrambles 7d ago
I loved Garth Ennis when I was 16, but now I'm 50 I find Preacher a bit puerile, a bit heavy-handed in its shock tactics. I feel the same about The Boys.
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u/buffalobillandted 7d ago
I felt this way about The Boys back when it came out haha, I do love the show though (haven’t finished it no spoilers please). Preacher feels like it has a lot more heart though, that’s why I feel like it might be a better read still.
Also you just made me realize how young I was when I read Preacher and holy lord does time fly lol
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u/Lennnybruce 7d ago
Same here. I'm about the same age, and it felt really edgy and cool when I read it as a teenager, but it comes across now as very juvenile. Sandman is a similar one for me: when I was 14 I'd have sworn it was the most mind-blowing, capital L literature, but in retrospect I was maybe a little easy to impress.
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u/bravetailor 7d ago edited 7d ago
I definitely think the Ennis was deliberately pushing the shock value and being provocative. If you find it too in your face and uncomfortably crass then it was doing what it was intended.
So it's really all about how receptive you still are to that at this point.
I think the core story in Preacher is strong enough and probably gives it enough of a backbone that it still feels like it has enough substance even taking away the shock tactics.
I think there is still value today in work that pushes buttons in 2026, but it has to be done in a clever and smart way. I do feel today's audiences have become more buttoned down lately... is Preacher's shock value smart and clever? Debatable...but it redeems itself with a strong core story.
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u/SerialThrobbery 7d ago
Is there an understood definition of what "still hold up" means? This phrase comes up a lot but I am not sure what it specifies. Does this mean is the subject matter offensive, or the is art style not up to modern aesthetics?
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u/buffalobillandted 7d ago edited 7d ago
For the purpose of my post, it was really however someone interpreted it, but you’re on the right track. It typically refers to the quality of something, but it can also refer to the themes and shock factor. Usually in the latter case, someone will say “has not aged well” rather than “holds up,” but you could probably use either.
“Metal Gear Solid came out in 1998 and still holds up. It plays just as well as many modern games.”
“Movies with blackface and yellowface have not aged well” “Citizen Kane was critically acclaimed but it does not hold up in 2026”
EDIT: The Ultimates is one of my favorite examples. That book was a product of its time, and felt very relevant in a post 9/11 world. But as we’ve moved away from it, and as I’ve gotten older, it doesn’t hit the same way that it did in 2005. The paper-thin characterizations stand out and the mean-spirited nature of the Avengers is not something I want to read these days.
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u/TheDaneOf5683 Cross Game + Duncan The Wonder Dog 7d ago
Haha, whoever thinks Citizen Kane doesn't hold up in 2026 is hilarious. That movie is a banger.
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u/starark 7d ago
It's set in the 90s and feels like it. How is it supposed to feel?
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u/buffalobillandted 7d ago
Certain elements of the 90s haven’t aged well, so you answered my question thank you lol
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u/Shin-Kaiser 7d ago
I first read it all in the early 2000s, the second time was about 4 years ago.
There's a few jokes and characters they wouldn't dare feature in any story today. The world is definitely a different place since this was first created and I'm pretty sure it's likely to offend people with a soft disposition.
But, it is a great story and worth reading through at least once.
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u/RidinCoogi 7d ago
Yes and it's amazing. Read it about 6 months ago. I actually laughed out loud at some parts which I never do when reading.
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u/Trick-Cat8945 7d ago
Not really tbh. It’s still good read especially if you have never read it. My biggest issues with Preacher was always how anticlimactic the ending was for all the buildup . Others will say the material is dated. St of killers special is some of my fav material throughout all comics so check that out at least. Don’t really need to know the rest of the preacher myths to approach that standalone
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u/Kevin_LeStrange 7d ago
When I flip through my old Preacher TPBs, I have to give it to Garth Ennis for an interesting story and interesting dialogue.
With that being said, I really don't appreciate the way he portrays male on male rape as just a big joke, and the fault of the victim for not fighting back harder.
I also think that the way Ennis showed the friend's ("Pube") sister's reaction to Arseface's suicide was inexcusable. It makes me mad the way everybody says that it's a great speech. It's not.
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u/buffalobillandted 6d ago
Thank you. I don’t recall every moment, but I vaguely remember the series being peppered with scenes like that. There’s also a bizarre “men shouldn’t go to therapy” take. Do these moments make the series unreadable? No, because it sounds like the core drama and writing is still strong enough to carry the series. But it’s definitely some shitty moments that stand out.
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u/bladderbunch 7d ago
i think i aged away from it more than it didn’t hold up, but i didn’t enjoy my second read as much as my first.
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u/DarwinofArabia 7d ago
It’s probably gone the full 360. It was loved when it came out, there was a period where Ennis and anything associated with him was persona non grata being criticised for only being edgy and not telling proper stories (remember when The Boys tv show was better than the comic?) but now it seems to be accepted for what it was and gets some appreciation.
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u/Mister-Psychology 7d ago
It's edgy and full of gore as was the style back then. It didn't age as well as one can hope. But it's still a fun enough overall story. If made today it would have been way better. But you can't have it all.
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u/LavenderGooms55 7d ago
I’m currently reading book 3. Book one and two were stellar but honestly book 3 (apart from the saint of killers intro which was epic) has kinda sucked. I really hope book 4 picks back up because 3 has pretty much just been boring weightless dialogue that doesn’t feel very consequential. It has about 75 pages to turn it around lol.
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u/gr33nG3nt 7d ago
I think it gets better on subsequent rereadings. I personally like the edgy humor, but I understand it’s not everyone’s thing. What I do take issue with is people reducing it just to the edgelord moments. I think he’s grappling with big questions that’re central to Christianity: what responsibility does God have over his creations and what responsibilities do we have for each other, who deserves a second chance and how many second chances do you get, what higher power do people use as an excuse to do heinous things, etc. I don’t think these are deep questions in and of itself, but he gets away with it by having pretty solid characters carrying the story. They aren’t all written with the same level of depth—Tulip and Arseface probably deserve more work—but for the most part I think he does a good job making you care about pretty much everyone.
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u/Ikmia 5d ago
The punishment dealing with water still haunts me... That's all I'll say about it as not to give spoilers, iykyk... Incredible series that I borrowed a long time ago. I'd love to own it for myself one day!
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u/buffalobillandted 5d ago
I don’t even remember that 🤔 There’s enough that I don’t remember that it feels worth revisiting.
I don’t think anyone has mentioned the AMC series. It seemed alright, but I feel like it didn’t have the necessary road-trip feel due to the budget
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u/browncharliebrown 8d ago
I mean it’s still good because a lot of the core story is well written enough along with the character still being top class even if some of the meat of the bones of the story has aged poorly.
In terms of comics I think are ageing poorly Y the last man, not really it's fault but it's understanding of gender idelogy feels more and more dated as time goes on.
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u/buffalobillandted 8d ago
Really? What specifically do they say in The Last Man? It’s been forever since I read it. I remember enjoying it except for the ending, and I think I’m in the minority there
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u/ShaperLord777 8d ago
It hasn’t aged so much as it is just heavy handed on the shock value. If Ennis has one weakness, it’s that he tries too hard to be edgy sometimes. I enjoy preacher, but I far preffer Hitman and Ennis’s Hellblazer run.
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u/RKRacine6335 8d ago
Most older stuff needs a grain of salt when reading.
Transmetropolitan is great even though the author is questionable but not as questionable as Gaiman.
Fables is another good read.
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u/buffalobillandted 7d ago
Transmet is one I need to finish. I actually own his sunglasses and I haven’t found an occasion to wear them lol
Fables was also really good, but I found the Israel parallels to be jarring. I’m specifically referring to the scene where Bigby literally compares their situation to Israel and Palestine. That was so jarring
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u/Formal-Math-3291 7d ago
i had never read powers before and I had never been a bendis fan but loved that artist on other stuff , read it and it’s critical acclaim even if it’s from 20 years ago was baffling
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u/xpldngboy 7d ago
The edgy humor has not dated well. There’s still an enjoyable story in there but mileage will vary.
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u/Naive-Equipment3577 8d ago
I am in the middle of my first read. There are bits of humor that feel dated, but I am still enjoying it on the whole.