The regular “Abe” scribes are joined by Michael Avon Oeming (“Powers”) for a special one-off issue set thirty years in the past and, if we do say so ourselves, “Abe” gets some of its mojo back.
Written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie
Illustrated by Michael Avon OemingAbe dives into a horrific cavern believed to be a portal to the Mayan version of Hell!
David: After seven issues of pure Abe travelogue business, artist Michael Avon Oeming joins Mike Mignola, Scott Allie and Dave Stewart in a flashback story in this week’s “Abe Sapien” #8. Brian, after the last issue was a bit of a downer for both of us, does this revitalize things a bit for you?
Brian: It does, for a few reasons. First of all, it ties the series into “B.P.R.D. Vampire.” which was an absolutely amazing mini. It also brings back Prof. Bruttenholm, which is never a bad thing for a Mignola comic, as he is one of the more fascinating players in the Mignolaverse. But more than anything else, this was another beautiful comic, and one that let Abe be underwater for a good chunk of it, which has been sorely lacking in the series thus far. I recognize that to complain about the lack of underwater adventures seems a bit silly, but I’m a guy who loves me some underwater action.
How’d the issue strike you, David?
David: I thought it was an excellent, exhilarating read. As you said, it was great having Bruttenholm back, but this really felt like Abe going on a a classic adventure. It’s interesting having this come the week after “The Three Gold Whips”, but it’s two weeks in a row where we had a more old-school styled Mignolaverse book. And this one was great, as it starts to build the world of vampires more and answers some questions – like, “where the hell have they been?” – as they seem to increase in importance with books like “Vampire” and “The Abyss of Time”. It’s also just a great solo Abe tale that finds him underwater and making things happen, and it’s a joy to see Oeming bring his very angular, fluid art to the table with Stewart coloring him.
It’s a creepy, exciting story, and it’s just what the doctor ordered, my friend.
Brian: Oeming is such a singular artist, and yet, his work here seemed to fit right in with the (forgive the term) Mignolaverse house style. Not that all the art looks the same, far from it, but all of it shares a certain tone and feel. In other words, all of it shares Dave Stewart. I can’t think of another colorist whose work you can identify almost instantly.
David: Yeah, has there ever been an artist that owns a color more than he does? Red is a different weapon in his hands than anyone else’s. It’s incredible the way he uses that color.
I really loved the practicality of the gods here, in that they aren’t really gods, but Prussian vampires. It was an elegant solution, and it as per usual underlines the cleverness of Mignola and Allie. This was by far their strongest performance in this book yet, and I think a big part of it was that they really gave Abe something to do. He literally had a mission here, and for me, having that as something to grasp onto made this book a far stronger read than previous issues.
Brian: Agreed – this issue was all forward momentum, despite being a flashback inside a flashback (Abe tells Bruttenholm his story in a story set in 1983), whereas past issues have felt a bit meandering. Now that the current status quo has been established for Abe, let’s hope this kicks off a series of issues that are more goal oriented and less mood-defining.
So now that we’ve had a few vampire focused stories – this, “B.P.R.D. Vampire,” “The Pickens County Horror” – what is your take on Mignolaverse vampires? Is it a welcome addition, or can you take them or leave them?
Continued belowDavid: I can’t say I have any issues with them. People have a lot of issues with vampires, but for me? They’re like anything. If done right, they work. Generally speaking, I love the idea of the vampire community as some sort of sleeping giant in the Mignolaverse. We don’t know where they stand, we don’t know what their deal is, and we don’t even know where they are really besides Deliverance-ville. But I don’t think this team is one who wastes time, and I do think they’re being built to have greater importance going forward.
Just throwing this out there, and I know this is me displacing a traditional, hopeful narrative form on an atypical universe that is about as bleak as possible at this point, but what if Anders ultimately unites the vampires and helps turn the tide? Unlikely, sure, but I’d buy that.
Brian: I’m with you – no such thing as a bad idea, just bad execution. I think, unfortunately, the vampire pop culture resurgence hit its tipping point about six months before “Pickens,” so it probably felt a bit overkill when it first came out, but I think just about everything vampire-related has been pretty great thus far.
I think Anders is in the Ashley Strode category, in terms of a character belong to a certain creator(s). Just as I doubt we’ll see Strode again before Cameron Stewart has some time, I doubt we’ll see Anders in a non-Ba/Moon title anytime soon. That said, a Ba/Moon “Anders unites the vampires” series? Just take my money now, please.
David: Yeah, it’s unlikely for the reason you yourself said, but a boy can dream. How do you feel the vampires fit into the overall scheme of the Mignolaverse? Do you think they’re going to be more important going forward, or are these more one-off stories?
Brian: Well, we’ve heard that John Arcudi isn’t a fan of vampires, so I don’t think it’ll cross over into the main “B.P.R.D.” book, but I could see them being on the fringes of the stories for some time.
I mean, at some point, we’re going to start moving towards the endgame (literally the end of the world), and I don’t think vampires are necessarily an important part of that. But, then again, who knows!
Anything else to add before grading?
David: I think regardless of what John thinks of them, it does seem like they have some sort of role to play. That said, we do know that this is just something Mike wants to do, so maybe they don’t. I’m not sure! It will be interesting to find out.
I’ll give this issue an 8.0. It’s an exciting, well-done comic that got me more amped for this book than I have been in a while. More of this, please. What do you give it, or do you have something else to add?
Brian: An 8.0 seems fair to me, too. This issue had just about everything you’d want from an Abe comic.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
