1. Preacher - Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon
Another release from DC's Vertigo line of comics, the first issue of Preacher was released in 1995, and ran for 66 issues until its conclusion in 2000. It follows a Texan preacher name Jesse who becomes possessed by the spirit of a entity named Genesis, which was born from the forbidden pairing of an angel and a demon. Imbued with newly acquired powers, such as being able to speak the word of God to make human do his bidding, Jesse goes on a journey to find God, in a very literal sense, and get some answers. Along the way he encounters his estranged girlfriend, who is also a highly trained marksman, and a hard drinking Irish Vampire. The comics skilfully mix religious iconography, pitch black humour and stylistic tropes from classic Western tales. In Cassidy, the Irish vampire whom much of the series' most iconic stem from, writer Ennis and artist Dillon created a truly unique character, one that keeps the readers laughing and engaged no matter how far fetched the subject matter becomes. The episodic nature of the comics, with each arc lasting 5 to 10 issues, could be effectively adapted into TV, in the same way that The Walking Dead has tackled different stroylines from its source material, taking on a different story arc each season. Tackling the material would be daring, but keeping the humour of the books intact would go a long way in proving to detractors that the story is worth telling.
Is It Happening? For a time, it seemed like Preacher was destined to make a home at HBO, probably the only place that could do he story due justice. In 2002, a pilot script was ordered and X Men's James Marsden was cast in the titular role, with each issue providing an episode of the series. Development continued until 2008, when HBO abandoned the property, finding it too stylistically dark and religiously controversial. Fans hope in hell that Preacher will one day grace their television screens.