Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Abe Sapien #1
Dark Horse Comics
Mignola, Allie, Fiumara & Stewart
The first issue of the Abe Sapien ongoing is a very entertaining read. Abe is on the loose and while the BPRD is chasing him, there are forces at work that will draw him back in to what he does best: solve mysteries that involve the supernatural. The comic's strength is in its character work as Mignola and Allie form a great team to deliver a nice opening issue. This series looks to be a great one in the making.
The comic sets up the larger threat simmering out in Colorado in a very creepy opening scene. From there we get the brass of BPRD setting the stage for the missing Abe. As they bicker about what to do and why they should or shouldn't do anything about Abe, we find the title character stowing away on a freight train.
Abe sits among three hobos in an empty car listening to the monsters stories that the trio trade off. The character work here is fantastic. Each of the characters only has a few pages to push across the plot threads and establish themselves and they do so wonderfully. Abe's entrance into the conversation is subtle but grand at the same time as the reader becomes very aware whose title this is. This train car sequence is fantastic as the tension mounts.
The artwork is tremendous. The art has a more polished look than that of a Hellboy book, but the coloring is still dark and dreary as this is clearly a horror story. The comic book's art definitely brings out a lot of drama, which is perfect for this story, especially in the train scenes. The tension is enhanced well because of the artwork. I enjoyed the visuals in this book very much.
While the comic doesn't reveal the complete threat, it does tease it well enough to get me back for more. Abe is a compelling character and while he is obviously tied to Hellboy, he can and clearly does do just fine on his own. I definitely recommend checking this comic out. I like where this comic is heading.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
