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Hype Machine: Abe Sapien

By | March 4th, 2013
Posted in Columns | % Comments

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.

The cover for Abe Sapien #2 by Sebastian Fiumara

Before I wrote for this site, what drew me to it was the gusto and enthusiasm that dripped from its posts. If a book was getting a bad review, usually, it was because the reviewer thought it could be so much. There wasn’t the “holier-than-thou” gloating of so many other sites, and I was always relieved to see topics covered honestly and hopefully.

So, to see us dedicate an entire month to a book or a character, the way we are with “Abe Sapien,” it shows that we are enormously enthusiastic about the project. And, goodness gracious, are we excited about this book.

An exclusive page from Abe Sapien #1 by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie and Sebastian Fiumara

For those who are already readers of “Hellboy,” “B.P.R.D.” and the related books, this series is a wonderful chance to spend some time with a fan-favorite, if still underrated, character from the B.P.R.D. If you’re a new reader, this series is a great chance to get a peek at that world from a limited perspective. And, most importantly, if you’re a fan of comics at all, you will get a dynamic, beautifully illustrated, clever, fun book.

Abe has been in a coma-like state for the past two years, after being shot by Fenix in “B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: Gods,” and this series picks up shortly after he is awoken from that state. The book, at least through its first two issues, focuses on Abe’s journey away from the Bureau.

Unlike Hellboy, his friend and former co-worker at the Bureau, Abe is someone who is constantly seeking out the truth about his life; Hellboy went running the other way from his past, whereas Abe dug deep into his past, so that he may avoid becoming what was prophesied of him. Both have destinies they are trying to avoid, but Abe isn’t afraid to find out what the destiny is.

An exclusive page from Abe Sapien #1 by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie and Sebastian Fiumara

Abe’s journey, for this initial arc, is illustrated by the great Sebastian Fiumara. Fiumara is a new addition to the Mignolaverse art team, following his brother Max into the fold. Fiumara has an almost San Francisco-indie feel to him, while also having this realistic streak that makes even the craziest images he can conjure appear rooted in reality. He is part Richard Corbin, part Guy Davis.

I mentioned earlier that Abe, in my opinion, is the most underrated member of the B.P.R.D. I mentioned this to my Multiversity brethren David Harper and Mike Romeo, both of whom disagreed, and at that time (due to it being late at night and a not insignificant amount of I.P.A. I had ingested) I couldn’t really articulate my reason as to why, but it later came to me. Since his injury, the series has continued on strong, and to be totally fair, outside of a stray mention, I didn’t miss him all that much. This is partly because the last two years have seen so many amazing artists come aboard the B.P.R.D. train, and the story has expanded even further into new and interesting places, that Abe’s presence hasn’t been as pronounced as it may have been 5 or 8 years ago.

But now that he is back, it seems inconceivable to me that he was gone for that long, or that he wasn’t constantly on the forefront of my mind. It was only once he returned that I realized how essential he was, and for that reason, I would say he’s underrated. Take that, David and Mike!

The series is still a month away from launching, and many details, including how Abe got out of his coma, are not yet revealed (that particular detail, presumably, will come out in “B.P.R.D. #105” this month), but this much is clear: it is great to have Abe back.

“Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible” #1 will be released on April 3. Tell your local comic shop to pre-order you a copy today, with the Diamond Code FEB130010!


//TAGS | 31 Days of Abe | Hype Machine

Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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