Abe Sapien #19

by Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, Sebastián Fiumara and Dave Stewart

As Abe tries to piece together his past, the world continues to fall apart. BPRD: Hell On Earth continues to roll forward and it seems like Abe is still playing catch up. It’s hard to tell if what’s happening around him is really affecting him like it is the rest of the world or if he’s too caught up in his own past. At times it seems like he’s still trying to be a good B.P.R.D. agent, even though he’s gone M.I.A., and help people where he can and other times it feels like he’s trying to live up to Hellboy’s legacy as he jumps head-first into danger with reckless abandon. Unfortunately for Abe he’s not quite as durable as ol’ Red was…

On art duties this month is the regular series artist’s (Max Fiumara) brother Sebastián Fiumara, who’s no stranger to the Abe Sapien series having already done a few issues himself. Sebastián’s style, though similar to Max’s, comes off as brighter, and maybe even tighter, than his brother’s work. While Max might have more blacks and his line work might seem almost muddier, for lack of a better term. Particularly when it comes to close-ups on faces and characters, Sebastián excels. He seems to have the perfect balance of detail when it comes to distance to the “camera” and he draws an excellent Abe. Max has done some fantastic work in the Mignolaverse, and it’ll be great when he’s inevitably back, but Sebastián really stepped up and produced a fantastic issue.

And let’s not forget the always brilliant color palette of Mignolaverse veteran Dave Stewart. It has to be said every time because his work is just that good. He does his best to maintain a very similar look across the Mignolaverse, regardless of artist. It’s like Dave’s work is the final icing on the cake, or the last bow on a wrapped present. Always is, and always will be, a treat to have Dave Stewart working within the Mignolaverse.

Speaking of the Mignolaverse, let’s talk about its architect Mike Mignola and co-writer for the Abe Sapien series Scott Allie. In the last few issues, you might say that it feels like Abe has been wandering aimlessly, but there’s something deeper there. Abe is searching for himself and his place in the world, he’s trying to help where he can and it feels like he’s trying to live up to the legacy of Hellboy and slowly it’s starting to all come together. Since returning to his own series, Mignola and Allie have put him through a lot and it looks like they’re not planning to ease up on the poor guy any time soon. Abe Sapien, though certainly a book that has action, is a slow burn but it feels like something big is just over the horizon.

Fans of the Mignolaverse, particularly of good old Abe, really need to pick this up if they’ve decided to skip it, for some insane reason. Abe Sapien is arguably one of the strongest titles in the Mignolaverse and considering the other titles involved, that says it all right there, doesn’t it?