No end in sight.
Creative Staff:
Story: Mike Mignola and Scott Allie
Art: Max Fiumara (Page one: R. Sikoryak)
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: Clem Robins
What They Say:
Having joined a Santa Muerte cult, Abe settles into a small Gulf town with hidden ties to the zombie massacre he failed to stop in Arizona. With more lives depending on him than ever, will he fail again?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
When I was a kid, it seemed like most of the TV shows I watched were about people traveling the country, searching for something or running away from something, and getting into adventures along the way. They had some vague notion of a destination, but you knew they’d never reach it. Kwai Chang Kane would always travel the West, David Banner would never put down roots, and Michael Knight’s dead hands would have to be pried from Kitt’s steering wheel. Their goal really didn’t matter—it just provided the impetus for their journeying, a reason for them to go to new places and find trouble. The story would never end, only stop, and it worked well enough for the time.
I don’t see that much anymore. Shows now have season-long arcs with a few episodes scattered here and there unrelated to the larger narrative. This is also true of comics. It used to be you’d pay your quarter to see the villain of the month get beat down. S/he would enter town, cause a ruckus, only to be beaten by the hero, and the status quo would be reinstated. This has changed as well to the point where done-in-one comics such as Paul Dini’s run on Detective Comics or Warren Ellis’ recent reinvigoration of Moon Knight are considered exceptions to the rule—almost throwbacks to a bygone age.
It seems like Abe Sapien is straddling that line. There is a larger narrative at work here, but it almost seems like an excuse to tell these smaller stories in a hell-blasted America. This series began with the idea that Abe’s recent mutation is either related to or is somehow a result of the apocalypse, and we’re told that Abe is looking for the truth, but we never really see it. He allows himself to be distracted by other concerns. He still acts the hero, but it’s less because of altruism and more because he’s too afraid to discover the truth. This makes the series feel like it’s going nowhere. We’re eighteen issues in and we’ve learned very little about any of the mysteries that plague Abe. It’s perfectly fine to stretch out the story and mystery, but stretching too far makes it lose its power and readers return not because they’re enjoying the story, but because they hope they’ll finally get some answers.
I imagine that it sounds like I hate this comic. I don’t. However, I can’t shake the impression that it’s been running as hard as it can to stay in place for the majority of its run. There are certainly high points—the art is excellent and the setting is exciting—but this lack of narrative propulsion drags everything down. It also doesn’t help that I have trouble identifying with some of the characters, especially Grace. Right now she and Abe are traveling with a Santa Muerte cult. They’ve found a Gulf Coast town seemingly untouched by the horrors that have been ravaging the country, but Abe is uncomfortable there and questions why it’s safe. Grace simply takes it as good luck and is irritated about Abe’s inability to accept it.
The two seem to be in a dysfunctional relationship, but I don’t quite see why they’re in a relationship at all. Abe feels something for her, but I can’t tell if it’s because he feels responsible and protective of her or if he feels attracted to her. Grace seems to be drawn to him, too, but it’s almost like they’re two planets caught in each other’s gravity. They fall toward each other because it’s inevitable and not because there is something between them—attraction, fascination, or love. I’ve mentioned before that the two seem to be using each other as crutches. Abe appears to be using her to keep from seeking answers, and Grace appears to be using him as protection. Now that they are traveling with a group of people that she trusts, it will be interesting to see if she starts pulling away, but that’s only if my reading of the situation is correct.
In Summary:
As much as I hate to say it, Abe Sapien is a comic that I always look forward to reading, but more often than not find disappointing. The quality of the art and writing are fine, but it feels like it’s going nowhere and only gives us the pretense of a plot arc. Like Kwai Chang Kane, Abe travels a hostile America—a world not of his making (at least that we know of)—ostensibly on a quest, but really just wandering from one situation to the next. I do hope that it will come together and that the entire run will actually work better once it’s over, but for right now I can’t say I recommend it for anyone other than hardcore Hellboy and Abe Sapien fans.
Grade: C
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Dark Horse
Release Date: 10 December 2014
MSRP: $3.50
