Preacher Vol. 8: All Hell's A-Coming

Ennis continues to craft one of the best long-running stories in comics, giving us characters who are both flawed and heroic, in a classical sense. No, there are no cape-wearing supermen in these books, but we get treated to people who seem to love, and hate, and _feel_ the same way as the rest of us, if perhaps a bit more intensely.

"Preacher" the comicbook series is drawing to a close, and this trade paperback collects the stories leading up to the final story arc, "Alamo." The characters meet one another again, preparing for the final act of this story, and spend most of "AHA-C" reflecting on their own pasts and learning what each other have been up to in the intervening months. The characters have to accept where they've been before they can prepare for where they're going, and it's safe to say that a vast majority of the readers will be along for the ride.

Dillon's art in this book is on par with the rest of his efforts in "Preacher" thus far. Eight big books in and he still shows no sign of slipping. Even the superficial obscenity and violence come across well from his drafting table, making "All Hell's A-Coming" one beautiful book.


This book is really good.   June 1, 2000
10 out of 13 found this review helpful

The eighth installment in the PREACHER library departs from much of what made the book so successful in the fisrt place. Blood and gore take a back seat, as Ennis and Dillon choose to concentrate more heavily on character development, most noticeable in the characters of Tulip and Cassidy. There is just enough blood to satisfy the gore-hounds, but also enough excellent dialogue and plot development to interest those who would never imagine a mere comic book could be this thought provoking. Jesse and Tulip's relationship is put to the ultimate test, which we glimpsed in the finale of WAR IN THE SUN (my personal favorite of the PREACHER collections) and the outcome is interesting to say the least. All in all, this book is an excellent prelude of the earth shaking events that will no doubt transpose at the conclusion of the current series-ending "Alamo" storyline. One more thing: Mark my words, Arseface will be remembered as one the great tragic characters, on par with Shakespeare's Hamlet and Tarantino's Mr. Orange.


Too much plot? Of course not!   October 2, 2000
James Wilkinson (Leeds, England)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

The general problem almost everyone seems to have with "All Hell's A-Coming" is that that nothing much happens. Of course, if they mean that there aren't the usual amount of shootings, murders and gruesome deaths then they're perfectly right. Throughout this TPB (The one-shot "Tall In The Saddle" excepted) there are surprisingly few deaths. What we have in its place, however is superb characterisation, some insightful revelations on the pasts of both Tulip and Cassidy and tonnes of excellent jokes.

Those who want blood, guts and mutilation might want to turn back to Dixie Fried, which was basically the antithesis of this TPB; lots of gore and death but no real movement in the plot. Those who really care about the characters, however (and with Ennis' sometimes surprisingly compassionate writing this is easy) should enjoy this book wholeheartedly. "Even Hitgirls Get The Blues", the issue beginning a two-part look back at Tulip's formative years, shows that Ennis really can write touching and moving rites-of-passage stuff with the best of them, whilst Jesse's discovery about Cassidy's dark past (told in flashback) adds further layers onto a character who started off as the stereotypical rakish "lad". To add unneccesary fights and blood would utterly devalue these stories.

Although none of this really moves the background plot forward - Starr's machinations aside - it does provide excellent character profiles and credits the characters and reader with some intelligence. The only part of this book which actually feels like padding is Jesse's road trip, with him picking up various hitchhikers - including some very familliar characters - as he travels to see Amy. And a scene in which a fat gentleman wearing blue suede shoes who used to be a rock and roll star (yes, HIM) is picked up by Jesse pushes the book just a little too close to silliness.

Oh, and the one-shot (featuring art work which, for some reason, mimicks Dillon's style) is a so-so actioner with some fairly good jokes and a big continuity slip-up (in case you can't figure it out, Jesse kills a couple of men in this pre-Gone To Texas story, yet in GTT he claims never to have killed a man before. D'oh!)

An excellent TPB, which once again proves that comic books can have "real" characters too.


Almost there...   September 1, 2002
C. Fletcher (California)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is the next-to-the-last (the penultimate, if you will) in the series of collected Preacher graphic novels, and it's a good one. It's probably not as good as Salvation, but still it's one of my favorites.

This is the last bit of breathing space we're allowed in the series before the plot takes over and bulldozes us towards the conclusion in book nine. Here there's still some room to move sideways as well as forward.

The books starts with some backstory on Tulip. We visit her childhood and find out why she's who she is, and why she's so good with a gun. Then at long last Tulip and Jesse are reunited.

There's also some Grail business to take care of, and we get some QT with Arseface before Cassidy shows up at the end of the book like a mangy dog at the door step. Jesse makes an appointment with him to settle their difference like real men...at the Alamo. And on we go to the rousing conclusion of the series...see you there.


Gets good again   June 9, 2010
Justin A. Schreier
If you have followed this series at all, then you are coming close to the end. And i feel that the series of "Preacher" dipped a little right around the 3rd issue, but thankfully picks up right around the 7th issue, and this volume 8, is a great example. Your not sure what to think about Cassidy any more, Jesse seems lost and found at the same time, and things are starting to draw to a close. All in all, a great entry to the series