Rank These Custom “Preacher” Comic Book Covers

If you’ve ever stared at a Preacher comic book cover for way too long, wondering whether you should be impressed, slightly disturbed, or both… welcome home. Preacher has always lived at the crossroads of western grit, supernatural horror, and deeply inappropriate humor, and its cover art leans into that vibe hard. When AMC’s Preacher TV series hit its stride, the network commissioned a series of custom comic-style covers from some of the biggest names in comics and invited fans to rank them. That’s where the real fun begins.

This guide walks you through the wild world of these custom Preacher covers, explains what makes them stand out, and offers a fan-friendly ranking of the eleven pieces used to promote the show’s fourth season. Whether you’re a die-hard reader of the Vertigo series, a TV-only fan, or just someone who loves bold comic book art, you’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for the twisted beauty of these images and maybe a few ideas about how you’d rank them yourself.

A Quick Refresher on the World of Preacher

The original Preacher comic, created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, ran under DC’s Vertigo imprint from 1995 to 2000. The series followed small-town Texas preacher Jesse Custer, possessed by Genesis a being born from an angel and a demon and suddenly gifted with the commandingly literal “Word of God.” From there, he hits the road with guns, a grudge, his ex-girlfriend Tulip, and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, on a quest to make God answer for abandoning Heaven. The result is a head-on collision of religion, black comedy, ultraviolence, and heart.

While Dillon handled the interiors with clean storytelling and sharp acting, the covers were painted by Glenn Fabry, whose hyper-realistic, often unsettling realism turned every issue into a tiny horror-western movie poster. His work became a defining part of the book’s identity, helping the series stand out on crowded comic racks and contributing to its eventual cult-classic status in both comics and later TV. Custom cover art that celebrates the show and the comic has a high bar to clear.

From Panel to Primetime: Why AMC Commissioned Custom Covers

When the Preacher TV series on AMC approached its final season, the network leaned into the comic’s artistic legacy. To honor both the show and the original Vertigo run, AMC commissioned a set of custom Preacher comic book covers from a stacked roster of artists. The list included:

• Dustin Nguyen
• Glenn Fabry (two different specials)
• Mike Allred & Laura Allred
• Mike Del Mundo
• Neal Adams & Tim Shinn
• Steve Dillon & Matt Hollingsworth (two covers)
• David Mack
• Erica Henderson
• Steve Ellis

These covers weren’t just marketing images tossed onto a poster. They were designed as square, comic-style pieces that could slide seamlessly into the visual history of Preacher recognizable to longtime readers but immediately accessible to TV fans. Ranker collected them into a fan poll and encouraged viewers to vote their favorites up or down, turning cover appreciation into a community event built around taste, nostalgia, and pure gut reaction.

How to Judge a Preacher Cover Like a Pro

Before we get into the rankings, it helps to know what you’re looking at. Great comic book cover art isn’t just about “cool drawing.” It’s a mix of style, storytelling, and emotional punch. When you’re ranking these custom Preacher covers, here are a few elements to keep in mind:

1. Storytelling in a Single Image

Preacher has a big, messy universe: cowboys of death, corrupt religious orders, bar fights, angels, demons, and a whole lot of barbed dialogue. A strong cover hints at a specific moment or mood from that universe maybe Jesse framed as a doomed preacher-gunslinger, Tulip mid-stride with a gun, or Cassidy bathed in neon light. The best covers reward you the longer you look at them, letting you imagine the scene before and after that frozen moment.

2. Tone and Attitude

Preacher’s tone is uniquely off-center: sacrilegious but thoughtful, violent but weirdly romantic, grim yet hilarious. Effective Preacher cover art doesn’t just show characters; it sells that tone. Humor and horror might live in the same frame. A grin might be charming and threatening at the same time. The custom covers that feel “right” for this world are the ones that capture that mix.

3. Artistic Voice

Part of the appeal of these custom covers is seeing different artists re-interpret the same core material. Dustin Nguyen’s watercolor looseness, Mike Allred’s retro pop-art lines, David Mack’s mixed-media elegance, Erica Henderson’s expressive cartooning each approach tells you something new about the characters. Ranking them isn’t just picking a favorite image; it’s comparing artistic voices and how well they fit the Preacher mythos.

4. Iconic Factor

Finally, there’s the question: “Would this look right as a trade paperback cover or framed on the wall of a comic shop?” Some images just feel instantly iconic something that could represent the series to someone who’s never read a page. Those are the covers that tend to climb to the top of fan rankings.

Our Fan-Friendly Ranking of the Custom Preacher Covers

Let’s be clear: any ranking of these covers is subjective and ripe for argument which is exactly why it’s fun. Using the criteria above, here’s one way to rank the eleven custom Preacher covers, from “great” to “absolutely unforgettable.”

#1 – Glenn Fabry, Cover 1 (Special 02)

Putting one of Glenn Fabry’s custom covers at the top feels almost inevitable. His work defined the original Vertigo series, and his AMC piece brings that same unnerving realism to the TV incarnation. The expression on Jesse’s face carries layers: faith, fury, exhaustion, and a hint that he’s about two seconds away from doing something catastrophically stupid but morally justified. The painterly texture, stark lighting, and almost photographic detail make this feel like a bridge between comic and prestige TV a perfect visual ambassador for the franchise.

#2 – Dustin Nguyen (Special 04)

Dustin Nguyen is known for loose, atmospheric watercolors, and his take on Preacher leans into mood over strict realism. Where Fabry punches you with detail, Nguyen drenches the scene in feeling soft edges, smeared shadows, and colors that look like they’re bleeding across the page. It feels like a memory of Preacher rather than a snapshot, which fits a story that’s constantly haunted by the past. It’s the kind of cover that rewards rewatching and rereading: you notice something different each time.

#3 – Mike Allred & Laura Allred (Special 03)

The Allreds bring bold lines, graphic shapes, and a vintage pop-art sensibility that somehow manages to make apocalyptic theology feel fun. Their cover emphasizes clean composition and strong color blocking the kind of image you can read clearly from across the room. It’s playful without undercutting the stakes, capturing the “sinners on a road trip” energy that makes Preacher so distinctive. If you grew up on classic superhero comics and then wandered into Vertigo territory, this cover will hit you right in the nostalgia.

#4 – Mike Del Mundo (Special 09)

Mike Del Mundo specializes in surreal, almost dreamlike covers, and his Preacher piece feels like a hallucination brought to life. Figures may dissolve into smoke, colors swirl in unexpected directions, and symbolic elements (crosses, guns, desert horizons) float through the image like pieces of a fever dream. It nails the show’s more psychedelic spiritual moments and the sense that reality itself bends around Jesse’s power and responsibility.

#5 – Steve Dillon & Matt Hollingsworth, Cover 1 (Special 01)

There’s something special about seeing Steve Dillon the original interior artist step into a promotional cover role alongside colorist Matt Hollingsworth. Dillon’s linework is never flashy, but it’s incredibly clear and character-focused. On this cover, the expressions do a lot of heavy lifting: Jesse’s simmering determination, Tulip’s no-nonsense resolve, Cassidy’s sly, dangerous charm. Hollingsworth’s colors emphasize mood without overwhelming the clean lines. This one feels like a love letter to readers who started with the comics long before AMC rolled a camera.

#6 – David Mack (Special 05)

David Mack’s contribution leans into collage and painterly abstraction. You might see layered textures, religious iconography, and fragments of faces or hands, as if the entire moral universe of Preacher has been torn up and reassembled on the page. It’s a more interpretive piece of cover art, not as immediately “readable” as some others, but rich with symbolism. Fans who love Preacher’s philosophical side the questions of free will, faith, and consequence often gravitate toward this one.

#7 – Neal Adams & Tim Shinn (Special 08)

Neal Adams is a legend of superhero comics, and his take on Preacher brings a classic, almost Bronze Age sensibility to a very modern, very R-rated property. The anatomy is dynamic, the poses heroic, and the rendering crisp. Tim Shinn’s colors help bridge the gap between traditional superhero drama and Vertigo grit. This is the cover that might convince an old-school Batman or Green Lantern fan to finally check out whatever madness this “Preacher” thing is about.

#8 – Erica Henderson (Special 06)

Erica Henderson injects a dose of expressive, character-driven cartooning into the mix. Her style, often associated with witty, character-focused series, highlights the offbeat humor and relational dynamics in Preacher more than the gore or theology. The result is a cover that feels unexpectedly approachable almost cozy until you notice the guns, the glances, and the “we are absolutely not safe” body language. It’s a smart reminder that Preacher is as much about messy relationships as it is about divine gunfights.

#9 – Steve Ellis (Special 07)

Steve Ellis brings energetic, almost kinetic linework to his cover, making everything feel in motion even in a frozen image. Maybe it’s a blown-out desert backdrop, maybe it’s Jesse and company locked in mid-action, but either way, you can practically hear tires screeching and bullets whizzing. It’s not as painterly or experimental as some of the others, but it captures the series’ action-adventure streak extremely well, and that counts for a lot.

#10 – Glenn Fabry, Cover 2 (Special 11)

Fabry’s second entry sits lower on this particular ranking only because the bar he set for himself is absurdly high. It remains a beautifully rendered piece: muscular anatomy, carefully observed clothing, and that familiar “this person has definitely seen some things” expression work together to capture Preacher’s emotional exhaustion. It’s the kind of cover that might not leap out at first glance but sticks with you once you’ve spent time with it.

#11 – Steve Dillon & Matt Hollingsworth, Cover 2 (Special 10)

Last place on a list like this doesn’t mean “bad” it just means “less instantly iconic than the others.” Dillon and Hollingsworth’s second cover feels more like a character piece or transitional moment than a flagship image. That can make it a little quieter compared to the in-your-face surrealism or painted realism of other covers. Still, it’s easy to appreciate if you love Dillon’s ability to make even a simple pose feel loaded with story.

Collectability: Do These Covers Matter for Comic Fans?

For collectors, cover art is more than decoration it can affect demand and long-term value. Original Vertigo issues of Preacher already attract steady interest thanks to the series’ cult status, its Eisner-winning run, and the boost from the TV adaptation. Key issues like the early appearances of Jesse, Tulip, Cassidy, and the Saint of Killers tend to see especially strong prices on secondary markets.

The AMC custom covers were created primarily as promotional visuals rather than standard-issue comic covers, but they still influence how fans discover and emotionally connect with the property. When an image goes viral or becomes a commonly shared “face” of the series online, it indirectly reinforces demand for original comics, collected editions, and related merchandise. In other words, even if you can’t bag-and-board all of these specials, they’re still part of Preacher’s visual legacy and that matters in a franchise built on unforgettable imagery.

How to Create Your Own Ranking

Want to play along at home? Here’s a simple way to build your own top eleven:

1. Pull up the full set of custom covers side by side (or print them out if you’re old-school).
2. Give yourself a “first impression” round rank them quickly based on instinct alone.
3. Then do a second pass where you think more critically about storytelling, tone, and composition.
4. Notice which covers climb up or down when you move from gut reaction to analysis.
5. Finally, pick your #1 and ask: “If someone saw only this image, would they understand what makes Preacher special?”

There’s no single correct ordering, and your list will probably shift over time. That’s the sign of good art: it stays alive in your head, and your relationship with it keeps evolving.

Fan Experiences: What It’s Like to Rank Preacher Covers

Ranking these custom Preacher comic book covers isn’t just an intellectual exercise; it’s an experience that pulls you straight back into the world of Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy. Imagine sitting at your desk or kitchen table with the covers pulled up on a laptop, coffee (or something stronger) at your side. You start scrolling through them one by one, and before you know it you’re not just “voting” you’re remembering the first time you cracked open a Preacher trade paperback or binged the AMC series too late on a work night.

Maybe Glenn Fabry’s painted faces take you right back to the first Vertigo issue you ever bought, when the sheer intensity of that cover made you feel like you were doing something a little bit forbidden. You remember standing in the comic shop, thinking, “I probably shouldn’t be reading this,” and then buying it anyway. When you see Fabry’s AMC cover, it taps into the same rebellious thrill, and suddenly it’s at the top of your list before you’ve even tried to be “objective.”

Then you hit the Dustin Nguyen piece, and the whole mood shifts. The watercolor textures and soft edges remind you of long nights reading comics by lamplight, when everything outside your room felt a little hazy and unreal. You might not recall the exact plot of every storyline, but Nguyen’s cover catches the emotional residue that sense that Preacher is less about doctrine and more about damaged people trying to fight their way toward some kind of truth. You move it up a couple spots in your ranking because it feels like the show and comic look inside your head.

When you get to the Mike Allred & Laura Allred cover, you might flash back to the first time you realized comics could be both retro and subversive at the same time. The clean lines, the almost vintage vibe it’s like someone designed a rock poster for a band that only plays in dusty desert bars full of angels and criminals. If you’re the kind of fan who loves flashy, easily readable images, this one leaps into your top three. If you prefer something a little stranger, you may still appreciate it as the most “poster-ready” piece of the bunch.

Somewhere along the line, you notice that your personal history is shaping your ranking just as much as composition or color theory. Maybe you give bonus points to David Mack’s mixed-media approach because you discovered Preacher at the same time you were getting into indie art and experimental zines. Maybe Erica Henderson’s cover resonates because you see a bit of yourself in the characters’ expressions tired, sarcastic, still stubbornly moving forward. Even Neal Adams’s more traditional heroic style might remind you of back-issue hunts with a parent, sibling, or friend who introduced you to comics in the first place.

If you share your list online in a forum, a group chat, or on a fan site the experience shifts again. Suddenly you’re defending your hot take that Steve Ellis is underrated or that one of the Dillon & Hollingsworth covers works better as a mood piece than as a marquee image. Other fans pull out details you missed: a background symbol, a clever color echo, a tiny expression that changes how you read the scene. Your ranking evolves in real time as you look again and think, “Okay, maybe that one deserves to be higher.”

By the time you’re done, you’ve done more than just assign numbers to pictures. You’ve revisited the entire journey of Preacher from comics stands to television to fan polls and mapped your own history onto it. That’s the real power of ranking these custom covers: it turns you from a passive viewer into an active participant in the story’s afterlife. The series may be over, but every time fans argue, celebrate, and reshuffle their lists, Preacher lives on in full, blasphemous color.