Firstly, the graphic novel series is my favorite comic of all time. And I have read A LOT of comics. This pilot blew me away. I went into the show knowing that it was going to be different and that many things were not going to be the same, as I did when the Walking Dead first aired. But let me say that this is an adaptation that differs in all of the right ways. A lot of graphic novels are very difficult to transfer to the big screen and this is where a lot of differences have to be made in order to better suit the television or film audiences.
Rogen and Goldberg's Preacher hit the nail on the head. The atmosphere is great, the characters are true to their roots, the overall tone is impeccable and the humor is just as gross and crude as I had wanted. So many scenes of this debut had me laughing out loud, nearly crying. But there were also scenes that had me very tense. This is the balance that the graphic novel so elegantly portrayed and the TV adaptation did a darn good job of replicating that.
Tulip is wonderful. Her challenges with Jesse and her conflicting feelings were perfect. Jesse was the morally conflicted and tough guy we had all wanted to see. And don't forget Cassidy. Probably the highlight of the entire pilot. PERFECT. Arseface was just as pathetic and hilarious as we had all wanted too.
More than anything, the techniques that these directors and writers implemented to honor source material blew me away. I kept hoping, "man I hope they do this!" or, "Man, I wonder how they'll do this!" and it never failed to amaze me. The action was wild and exaggerated and the humor was raunchy and often caught me off guard.
As a longtime fan of the graphic novel, I am impressed. Thank you so much for creating such a wonderful adaptation of a beloved story.
