Preacher: All Hell’s A-Comin – TBP 8 of 9
Writer: Garth Ennis
Art: Steve Dillon and John McCrea 

Come one, come all. Let me tell you about one of the greatest quotes I have ever read. If you are very sensitive to gender issues, then enter warily. You may disagree with its point; it may make you want to shout. But regardless of that, it flows off the tongue wonderfully and will definitely make you think.

Garth Ennis is a genius. He’s not only an amazing writer for story, but he’s got dialogue down to a science. Wil complains about comics he’s read so far not being dark enough, and I tell him constantly that he needs to read Preacher. I feel like Preacher is one of those series that can single-handedly get someone into comics. It’s that enjoyable and is that well-crafted.

Unfortunately, my sad story is that I’ve actually been reading it for 3 years now, and I still haven’t finished. My first two years were very sporadic, but this year I finally cracked down on getting it done and have bought a TPB each month for the past three. So here I am on the second to last and coming across this brilliant quote. Hit the jump, folks.

To set the scene, this takes place on page 30 (open up you manuals). Young Tulip and her dad are talking while at a restaurant. Her dad had just had a confrontation with Tulip’s principle (a woman) that could’ve gone down like a fight. But her dad, instead, was polite. So with that context, they begin talking (and I’m soooo sorry that I won’t have a capture of this — I should have a scanner in my hands in about a month, and we won’t need to worry about this).

Tulip: “Why were you being so nice to Mrs. Carlyle, Daddy?”
Dad: “Us fellas have to be polite to you ladies, little petal. It’s how we’re raised.”
(next frame)
Tulip: “How come?”
Dad: “Hmmm. I ain’t exactly sure, little petal.”
(next frame)
Tulip: “It might be to make up for ladies generally havin’ less fun.”

Wham, bam, thank you ma’am! Something so ridiculous like that saying actually makes sense when you think about it for a few moments. I’m not going to interpret that quote for you, but doesn’t that make you think? On many levels even. I don’t think people ever really do think twice as to why they’re more polite to women. That question alone is worth pondering, let alone the answer. Could politeness just be a form of retribution? So interesting. It’s like the whole, “well, equality doesn’t just work on the positive” argument. This is not my opinion, so don’t quote me on supporting this, but comes from a history textbook I once read that made the argument: with equality in wages, comes equality in needing to enter the draft. Another quote to make you think. Ennis seems to be tapping into an amazingly controversial topic by throwing out a rather light-hearted, yet sensical answer.

And then you take it into the context of the story. Tulip, of course, ends up becoming a gun-wielding, kick-ass, smoking hot, independent, won’t-take-shit from anyone, woman. Something that many people would consider exactly to be “fun.” I know a lot of men would consider that to be fun. Did that quote change her life? Will it change yours? It’s definitely one I will remember. I also know times have changed since when that quote was set, but I’ll remember it for what it was and in that comic, meaning it was a strong quote with a strong point.

Definitely a thought that could lead to heated debates and spark bad feelings. But it’s also a thought that Ennis does such a good job at taking the realities of life and not sugar coating them. No, this has no frosting on it; this is how life is.