Comic Book Review Preacher Special: Cassidy Blood & Whiskey

The first line in the comic is, "The good old days." and that's what the stand alone issue really is. It starts with your friend and mine Cassidy running from the law. Seems he became rather friendly with the Sheriff's wife. The Sheriff in turn shot him a few times only to have Cassidy pop right back up and run off.

Cassidy takes a dive off a cliff hoping to fake his death. The rest of the deputies go home assuming the man to be dead, but the sheriff knows better. Knowing better in this case didn't help him at all and he becomes another of the vampires meals.

After this, while hitching a ride to New York, he smells something and has to stop in New Orleans. Like Toucan Sam Cassidy follows his nose to find another vampire. Assuming he was the only one for the last hundred years this new information comes as quite a shock.

One problem...he's a wanker. The other vampire, Eccarius, has only been one for ten years and unlike Cassidy has had access to all the various forms of media pertaining to vampires. He assumed it all to be true unlike Cassidy who didn't even hear of such a thing until years after he was sired.

Cassidy tried to steer the man away from the gloom and doom aspects of being a vampire and show him that it really doesn't mean you have to change at all. Cassidy finally becomes comfortable with the man because he starts to lighten up. Then he is introduced to Les Enfants Du Sang or The Children of the Blood. This group best put into to words by Cassidy are, "Aye, in other words they're a pack of poncey gothic rich-kid wannabes."

My favorite part in the book is when Roger, the poet of the group, reads a poem written for Eccarius. When the poem ends Cassidy is asked what he thinks he responds, "I think Roger's some sort of fuckin' invertebrate." The group who take themselves very seriously are offended and verbally attack Cassidy who just blows them off. The group wants proof he's really a vampire, so Cassidy tosses the tough one over the others and across the room. Then pulls Eccarius out of the room by his ear like he was his daddy.

Eccarius attacks Cassidy because he feels insulted that his groupies saw him get bitched around. Cassidy head buts him and Eccarius starts to talk straight or like less of a wanker. He admits it's all an act because he felt he should look the part.

After the first half of all male bonding, fighting then talking they finish it by getting real shit faced. Drinking as we know leads to our best ideas-they moon the Les Enfants Du Sang and then run like hell laughing the entire time.

Just when you think Eccarius is a good guy Cassidy smells someone feeding. Eccarius is draining one of the groupies in the church. He tries to defend himself by saying they like it this way. Cassidy drives and ornate cross through his head and nails him to the roof just before sun up. Cassidy then goes to drink...I mean think in a bar about the entire event and pick up some action.

A personal favorite of the series and if your not a Preacher fan this can either get you into the book or just a stand alone fun read. It works on so many levels that anyone with an ounce of humor can enjoy.