So last year I finished reading the last volume of the collected editions of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's acclaimed cult Vertigo comic book series Preacher. Released through the late 90's the comic book series tells the story of Jesse Custer, a Texan preacher who is given the power of Genesis, a power that makes anyone who hears your voice do anything from you say, anything. Along with his ex-girlfriend Tulip O'Hare and an Irish vampire named Cassidy go on a quest to find God to answer for all the troubles in the world. The comic holds no bars, crosses the line with it's tone, stories, action and gore. It's great and there's one thing I have noticed. They like to deconstruct masculinity.
Jesse Custer's character arc through the comic book run is a change in world view. When he was young he grew up watching old John Wayne movies and acting tough. When his father was killed in front of him, his father told him this:
"Don't take no shit off fools. Judge a person by what's in 'em, not how they look. An' you do the right thing. Be one of the good guys. 'Cause there's no way too many of the bad."
This combined with the John Wayne movies and the training from hell from Jody, the man who killed his father, turns him into a cowboy out of time. Strict sense of justice and always looking out for people, but not as clean as the ones from the 50's because Preacher was a 90's Vertigo comic. He even gets one issue of the comic where he stops a bunch of horse rustlers. This shows the cowboy archetype that Jesse is. He also hasn't cried when his father died, so cutting off all emotion.
Later on in the series, we do see where Jesse's cowboy mannerisms come into conflict with contemporary statures. After Tulip (Jesse's girlfriend) gets killed, we see Jesse try and get overprotective over Tulip, going off to dangerous places alone, often leaving her by herself. Jesse gets called out by this by Tulip and the writer, Garth Ennis actually does a good job of showing how Tulip can take care of herself, even when she's was in a drugged up state when being taking advantage of by Cassidy, she kicks him out on his arse. Tulip even kills the main villain of the series. Not Jesse. Not Cassidy. Tulip. Jesse's overprotectiveness ends up with Tulip leaving him by the end of the story, because of his old cowboy mannerisms.
Another development for Jesse is being less callous with his abilities. When he gets the power of Genesis he uses willy nilly he doesn't consider the consequences. When he tells Sheriff Hugo Root to go f*ck himself, he didn't realise he would take his own life and have his son take revenge on him or when he tells Hoover to count every grain of sand on a beach, he really doesn't understand the effect it would have on him, but when he catches up with them he apologises to them for his actions. He actually tells Hoover to forget about it.
Female role models, also play in a hand of Jesse's development. Growing up, his father died, so the only man to raise him was Jody, whose a massive jerk and the only female role model he had was his grandmother Marie L'Angelle, who is very nasty, this has lead him to be more closed up with his emotions. But during the Salvation arc, where Jesse lives his dream of being the sheriff of his own small Texan town and protects it from deranged businessman Odin Quincannon, he meets his long-lost mother Christine and his deputy Cindy Daggett. They are both badass, Christine runs a small bar and helps Jesse, advising him and Cindy is shown to hold her own. In the end of the arc, where all the antagonists are taken care of, Jesse gives Cindy the position of Sheriff, while he goes on his quest to find God.
At the end of the story, with all the experiences he faced, Tulip leaves him. Because of his cowboy attitude and all the trouble they had to face, but in the end, Jesse, ever so the cowboy, rides up to Tulip on horseback and begging to be taking back, showing that he changed, by crying, something he hasn't done since his dad was killed. Showing Tulip he's willing to change his old John Wayne attitude. That is why Jesse is a deconstruction of manhood. He learns that all the lone wolf machismo gets him nothing and he should open himself up a bit more.
The comic series Preacher that inspired this post is very great and a recommended read for anyone interested in more adult comics.
