Prelude for the Deceased Part 1

by Min-Woo Hyung

In the frontier of the American West, a veil of evil threatens to engulf humanity. Servants of the fallen angel Temozarela are paving the way for their dark lord's resurrection. One man stands in the way of the Apocalypse -- Ivan Isaacs -- a fallen priest who sold his soul to the devil Belial for the power to fight evil. Armed with a wicked blade and silver bullets, Ivan will give the heretics a baptism of blood in his pilgrimage for humanity's redemption...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591820081
• ISBN13: 9781591820086
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: TokyoPop
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

A Fantastic Start

I had never heard of this manga until I went to a used book shop and picked up the first 10 Volumes of this manga for $25 and I must say it was well worth the money. Anyway, this is my review of this wild and awesome manga. Priest starts off with several small pictures depicting a man on a cross and a dark stranger in dialogue, but this mystery quickly takes a back seat as we see a priest reading from the bible, tons of flesh-crazed zombies, a stranger dressed in a long coat, and set in an Old West town. Quickly the action picks up as the zombies attack the man in the long coat who fights back with what can be best described as a "Tommy Gun" and a sawed-off shotgun, blasting the zombies with ammunition, but just as the stranger in the long coat faces off with the priest, the scene quickly changes to a train already in progress where several large, onimous looking boxes are heavily chained down. The stranger in the long coat (who's named Ivan Issacs) boards the train that quickly turns into a bloodbath as an outlaw gang leader is led by Marshalls to stand trial for their misdeeds, but the gang has something to say about their leader's imprisonment. The train soon turns into a bloodbath for all the innocent's on the train, but the tide quickly turns as whatever is in the crates begins to come to life. Ivan Issacs does what he does best, and that's to kill, but these towering creatures are easily able to kill several men at once, what chance does one other man stand against such dire odds. Well, when you're armed with a Tommy Gun, a Sawed-Off Shotgun, and several sticks of dynamite, you can really level out the playing field. This is one of the strangest stories I have read, vengeance, zombies, the old-west, and "new-aged" type of weapons all rolled up into one neat little ball, well, I guess you can't really call it neat because you're hardpressed to find any pages in this book that doesn't contain some sort of bloodshed. The drawing is amazing and the action sequences are masterfully drawn. Just the whole idea in this story is enough to grab hold of you and hang on. After reading this first volume, I was eager to read volumes 2-10 just to see what happened to Ivan Issacs and his journey, but those reviews are best left for another day. In conclusion, if you like zombies, if you like the old-west, if you like to read about one man's quest for revenge on those who took everything from him in life, go out and get Priest (and yes, there are several religious tones to this story but nothing that is necessarily preachy).

Uniquely entertaining

Since there is plenty of plot summary to be found in the reviews below, I'll concentrate on why "Priest" is a unique,moving and enthralling series.My first bit of praise has to go to the artwork, which is hands-down the most 'western' of any manhwa/manga I've read. It defies both the typical Korean and Japanese cartoon styles, and indeed the author says that he was influenced by the stark black and white style of "Hellboy" and spaghetti westerns. Although I'm in love with the cover paintings, the inside art is equally as wonderful, even if it is different.As for the storyline, in this first book there is precious little for a shoujo fan to look for, as it primarily focuses on violence, massive zombie slaughtering and vengeance. This may turn some off, but the tragedy that is Ivan Issacs life reveals itself slowly over subsequent books. There is a bit of romantic tragedy that I found was similar to that in Wuthering Heights even. And the religious politics and secrecy are certainly very realistic and true to life. But the supernatural is dealt with equally as well, as it appears that Hyung has done his homework in regards to apocryphal allusions. And lets not forget that this whole things plays out in a demented vision of the old west, which adds an unusual dimension to the story.As the series doesn't have an ending yet, I find this to be a surprising and unique series in a genre filled with overused plots and ideas.

BEST BOOK I EVER READ!

This was a really great book i can't wait till i read the next one in the series. This book is about a priest named Ivan who sold half his soul to the devil. And in return he becomes imortal. He is trying to get revenge for his wife Gena. In this book he fights on a train with the "CHILDREN OF HELL".I suggest that mature readers should read this only.

Gothic horror, action, and religion in the Wild West

The original definition of the word "sublime" is something so terrifying that it becomes beautiful. Priest, then, is sublime. It takes place in an ambiguous time period: within the Wild West (1860s-1880s), with World War I era weapons (1914-1918), and yet is 300 years earlier than the "modern" day (1700?). Oh, and there are zombies. Lots of zombies.Priest is a brilliant, original, violent, dark, creative, and incredibly enthralling work of fiction. Damned to Hell for unleashing the fallen angel Temozarella from his ancient prison, the late priest Ivan Isaacs sells half his soul to Temozarella's demon rival Belial. Belial returns Isaacs to earth as an undead gunslinger, armed to the teeth with an arsenal of guns, blades, explosives, sorcery, and demonic abilities. His mission: prevent the awakened Temozarella from conquering the world, beginning with the Wild West. While tangling with the walking dead and remarkably horrifying demons, Isaacs must also fight with Belial for control of his own soul -- all the while mourning the loss of the woman he loves.Priest is told over the course of hundreds of years in a not-particularly-chronological order. The cast of characters is simply wonderful, and the way in which all the pieces of the story fit together is simply brilliant. This is a not a tail for those faint of heart -- or weak in faith!

Great Artist, Great Story

I really like this guy's artwork. It's vivid and distinct and seems original to me, compared to other artists. Religion mixed in with gothic horror and a graphic portrayal of the way things might have been, Priest is one of my favorite stories of all time. This book isn't recommended for those who are offended easily.