It’s Abe Sapien Month at Multiversity! To see all sorts of Abe content, like our “Evolution of Abe Sapien” contest, fantastic original art, interviews and more, click here.
With this month being Abe Sapien month, you’d think something was going on with the character. You’d be right in that regard, as the beloved B.P.R.D. character is coming out of his lengthy coma and is set to star in his very own ongoing series. With a first arc written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie and illustrated by Sebastian Fiumara with colors by Dave Stewart, this book is filled to the brim with talent. We’ve said it’s good, we’ve said it’s one to watch, but today? Today is the last day retailers can get orders in before Final Order Cutoff.
We’re going to take one last run at convincing both the readers and retailers out there that this is one book that should be either added to your pull-list or have its orders boosted (you can do that with the Diamond Code FEB130010), as this is going to be a book that is both great and important, and, in our opinion, Dark Horse’s next big hit from the Mignolaverse.
Below, I share five reasons why you can’t miss the “Abe Sapien” ongoing series, and this is having read the first two issues. Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.
Also, check out our “Evolution of Abe Sapien” art contest if you get the chance. It’s a doozy.
1. It’s not just good, it’s great
Team Mignolaversity has had the chance to read both of the first two issues of this new ongoing series, with the second one not completely finished, and it’s easy to see: this is, and is going to be, a great book. Because it’s so centered on one character, it has a different feel than B.P.R.D., and because it’s Abe and not Hellboy, it has a different feel than what’s going on with the Big Red Guy. But one thing is certain, what the first two issues represent is something that is a character driven look at parts of the Mignolaverse that we won’t get elsewhere. And what a damn fine read it is at the same time.
2. Mike Mignola, Scott Allie and John Arcudi
One of the things that makes B.P.R.D. such a standout book is the way that the three primary architects – Mignola, Allie and Arcudi – work together to craft such a unique and riveting tapestry. In Abe, they’re working together again but with Allie more of the driver than Arcudi in this case. One of the things that leads to is perhaps an even more grounded look at the world than B.P.R.D. gives us, as they take Abe on the run and into the depths of a world that is shattered and broken. In the first two issues, in particular, we’re given insight into what some of the most average people in the world are going through, and the results are both fascinating and haunting. For fans of this world, this is another must read, and it gives a very unique perspective to readers in the process.
3. The Brothers Fiumara
Both Sebastian and Max Fiumara – two of the more talented artists around – will be working on the Abe Sapien ongoing series, and as we know from Max’s work on B.P.R.D. 1948, the Fiumara name is one that is perfect when mixed with the Mignolaverse. Having never worked in the Mignolaverse himself, Sebastian quickly establishes himself as every bit of a fit – but in his own way – as his brother. Having read part of the second issue without inks or colors, you can see how much mood and power Sebastian brings to the story, and his Abe is a very human, very real feeling monster, even in a world full of them.
Adding Dave Stewart’s colors to the mix brings even more to the table, as Stewart uses his craft to convey and amplify the storytelling of Fiumara. Really, it’s a match made in heaven, especially in certain flashback sequences.
4. It’s important, but it’s also new reader friendly
For the longtime reader, this is a veritable bonanza. You have a book that in two issues touches on all kinds of B.P.R.D. stories, including but not limited to Garden of Souls, The Pickens County Horror, Cold Day in Hell and more. You can see things happening from around the Mignolaverse and how their implications touch on what’s happening with Abe, and it’s a wondrous thing.
But that does not impact the experience for your average reader. It’s perfectly new reader friendly, and it exists as both the continuation of a long running story and the arrival of something new and something entirely its own. If this is your first Mignolaverse experience, this is still a very good comic, and it might just be your gateway into one hell of a reading experience.
5. Abe is, undoubtedly, one of the best characters in comics
In my opinion, Abe Sapien is the heart and soul of the Mignolaverse. While others may drive more action and some may cause more drama, in many ways, B.P.R.D. has been Abe’s story for its entire existence. Now, that story continues over in his new ongoing series. Given the transformation he’s been through, he’s more uncertain about his role in this universe than ever, but he’s still Abe, and he’s still a good man, and a man struggling to figure out what and who he is.
But you don’t have to believe me. Believe the people who have worked and are working with him.
John Arcudi: Abe is one of the most complex characters there is in comics — more complex, in some ways, than Hellboy himself. His whole history is defined by transformation — and not the typical comics transformation from a man to a man with powers, – but a man lost to time into something completely different, and then from that “something” to a whole brand new thing. And he’s not done changing yet! So for me, I know there are a lot of facets to Abe’s search for the truth, and that’s a lot of fun to work with.
Tyler Crook: I wish I could say that Abe was a super fun character to work with but so far I have only really drawn him as a dead guy in a tank. I wouldn’t say that was un-fun, but it’s not the most fun.
The Hellboy comics have always explored themes of identity and I always thought of Abe as and extension of those themes. Hellboy is a guy who knows what his destiny is suposed to be and doesn’t like it. But Abe on the other hand is a dude who knows he was created for a purpose but has no Idea what it is. He’s had to form his destiny and identity in a historical vacuum, so to speak. And I think that stuff is really interesting. It’s fun to see how he’s gone from a kind of timid agent to a leader of men to a … well I guess we’ll see what’s next. Also he’s a crazy looking fish-man which is super cool.
Brian McDonald: Abe is the kind of character that sparks one’s own imagination as a reader. The moment you see him he is visually arresting and you want to know more. Mike Mignola is also great at the use of incongruities in characters. Hellboy, for instance, is the iconic image of the devil, but he’s a good guy. Not just a good guy, but also a regular guy in every way. And that kind of incongruity is irresistibly compelling.
With Abe Sapien you have you have an intelligent, emotional fish-man. We don’t often think of fish as either emotional or intelligent so I think that marriage makes readers want to peer more deeply into the murk of his character.
For me, getting to write Abe’s first solo book was a real honor. I was a fan from his very first appearance In Seed of Destruction. I just feel lucky to have been there near the beginning of his life and make a small contribution to his character.
Continued belowI’m a little proud whenever I see him anywhere.
Peter Snejbjerg: Abe is, first and formost, a wonderfully designed character, a truly alien being. That’s from the artist’s perspective, so to speak. Beyond that, he is also very much the thinking man’s monster, a man (?) trying to figure out his place in turbulent world. Anyway, that’s my two cents, I just draw the funny pictures, y’know.
Scott Allie: Abe’s struggle is different from Hellboy’s. He wanted to know what he was, he sought it out, and then he had a hard time dealing with it. Revelations about his own identity have caused him confusion about who and what he really is. Abe shows us that it’s noble to seek the truth, but that you can’t be expected to know what to do with it.
