Why have I avoided this for so long? Every time I see a trade at my job or at my competitor (Barnes and Noble!!!) I never want to sit down and read it. What’s not to like just from seeing the creators? Steve Dillion as artist? Great. Garth Ennis as the writer? That ususally means crazy, fun times to be had. It’s been like this for a good three years where I just avoid this like the plague. Finally on a monday I sucked my gut and read the huge hardcover collecting the first three arcs.

Why oh why did I wait so long to read this? I really want to kick myself for taking so long to read an amazing religious western. This is crazy Garth Ennis and if you have a scale for Ennis; the crazier the better for a man like him. I’m usually not concern when religion is involved but for a guy like Ennis you have to sweat on what he’s gonna write. What I can say is that these are probably the most well liked characters I ever come across. I can’t even say why that is, cause one of them is a vampire who kills people with no remorse! Even with the crazy religion involve these characters are truly great friends and their interactions are some of the best in the book.

Then you get to the crazy parts of the title; like Arseface. It took me awhile to get used to a character like that because Ennis made me laugh to no end with him. Having a translation for everything he says and how he acts as a small child is just brilliant. There’s a scene where Arseface is in the rain; won’t spoil the context but I couldn’t stop laughing. Then you got angels having sex with demons, lots of sexual perversion, a sick and twisted family reunion, and probably the biggest asshole of a villain; and you got yourself a very memorible book.

I’ve always liked Steve Dillion as an artist for the mix of realistic and cartoony elements he uses. Characters can look a bit cartoony sometimes but their actions are so lifelike. But what should be paid attention to is the insane amount of violence is in this. How realistic this is as well is also worth noting. If a man’s jaw is going to get shot off then Dillion draws it as realistic as possible. Shootouts look beautiful, the wrath of angels look great, and of course there’s Arseface. Next to his work for Punisher I think this is his best work. He definitely seems to put a lot of care into this title and it shows with the great uses of the backgrounds.

I feel so bad now for waiting so long to read this. But after reading this big collection I now can’t wait to buy all of the trades and joy the insanity that is Garth Ennis. I know that the further a series by Ennis goes; the crazier it gets. I seriously need to get these trades, the series is just that good.