Review: Abe Sapien #3

You know, there’s a reason I grab every Hellboy Universe comic as soon as I can, and it’s because writers Mike Mignola and Scott Allie are damn good at their job. This week, the “Dark and Terrible” storyline comes to a close in Abe Sapien #3. The small town in southern Colorado that has served as the main setting for the past two issues has come to a head, and the decisions Abe makes will determine the course of his character forever. The first two issues were great in their own right, but also built this finale up to be something spectacular. And Mignola and Allie, as well as artist Sebastian Fiumara and colourist Dave Stewart have once again pulled it off.

Since it’s the final issue of a miniseries, you’ll have to forgive me for being a tad obtuse when discussing the events of this comic. After all, when you’re wrapping everything up in 24 pages, pretty much everything is a spoiler. What I can tell you is that everything that I’ve talked about in previous reviews is wrapped up here, as the theme of who Abe really is and what role he’s going to play from this point on is very much the central focus of the comic.

One of the things this series deserves so much credit for is Mignola and Allie’s ability to focus on a topic without giving everything away or wrapping it all up too quickly. That identity issue is huge, but the mystery of Abe’s birth and where he goes from here is very much left unclear. We have both resolution and a desire to learn more, which is exactly what you want from the end of a story arc in an ongoing. And honestly, though the “Who am I?” concept is far from an original idea (think Superman or the Martian Manhunter), there are more than enough original twists on the concept to keep me guessing. 

I also really enjoyed seeing the B.P.R.D.’s reaction to the whole mess towards the end of the comic. While Abe’s story is quite enjoyable, it’s really nice to get a sense of perspective here as to the larger ramifications of the actions at hand. Since I don’t read B.P.R.D. yet (I’m going through the archives now to try to catch up), I can’t say whether there’s any crossover between that ongoing and this one, but seeing Abe’s actions in a large scale perspective really adds emphasis to the notion that what’s happening is important, and Abe is far more than just some other agent.

It’s not a perfect closing issue, however. Without giving anything away, I think the final confrontation felt a bit rushed. It seemed like a tactic occurring at the time was completely ineffectual, but then after a truly beautiful and touching moment that gave me all of the feels, the confrontation was over because that tactic suddenly worked now. Maybe I missed something, but after re-reading it twice, I still don’t know what I missed. That said, this minor complaint is the equivalent of pointing out the one slightly bruised grape in a bowl of hundreds of them that taste as good as any you’ve ever had. You can do it, and you’re not wrong for pointing it out, but can you honestly be that picky and still respect yourself at the end of the day?

It’d be remiss of me to forget to mention Fiumara’s excellent work on the art. Just look at the image to the left of this paragraph. Do I even need to tell you why this book looks awesome? Instead of pointing out the obvious things he does right, I’m going to compliment Fiumara on something that many people don’t do, but I really appreciate: his backgrounds. Many artists use the most basic of backgrounds, choosing to place their efforts on the foreground only to save themselves time or effort. Fiumara’s backgrounds, on the other hand, are really well detailed, and they help provide the reader with a great ability to figure out where in the world they are.

If I haven’t made it clear with this and my two previous reviews, Abe Sapien #3 is worth the $3.50 cover price, as is each of the previous issues. To me, they’re worth nearly twice as much. The story telling is superb, the characterization is intriguing and captivating, and the art is gorgeous and shows the dedication of the creative team shining through. Ongoings like these are why I love comics, and being able to recommend a book like this is why I review them. So what are you waiting for? Go read it.

Chase Wassenar, aka MaristPlayBoy, is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. He wants to thank Mignola, Allie, Fiumara, and Stewart for such a great storyline, and he could not be more excited to see what the Salton Sea has in store. You can read his other articles at ToyTMA, follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com.

Review: B.P.R.D. Vampire #3

So far, I’ve been a broken record on B.P.R.D. Vampire. I found both the first and second had the same problem: great setup, but no payoff. For $7.00, I wasn’t sure I could give an unconditional recommendation until I could see the payoff was worth it. Well, I have good news for you: in B.P.R.D. Vampire #3, Mike Mignola, Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon have finally delivered on the promise of the series, and it’s totally amazing. Also, vampires! Actual vampires!

This is the issue in which we start to see payoff for all the great set-up that’s permeated the first two issues. After finding themselves stuck in the crypt, our protagonist, Anders, and his companion, Hana, try to find their way out. But while searching for the front door, Anders finds far more than he would have expected, and it becomes clear very quickly that things are not as clear cut as they originally appeared.

One of the things I love about this issue is the character development through action. Yes, action. That thing the first two issues sadly lacked (last time I mention this; I swear). Seeing Anders in tense situations, both in and out of combat, teaches the reader a lot more about his character than could be shown through dialogue and flashbacks. Yes, those tools can teach us a lot about a character, but when the pressure’s on, one’s true character is revealed, so to speak. It’s a balance all writers have to hit, and this issue strikes that balance beautifully. Anders has gone from a character to whom I held no emotional attachment to one for which I am actively rooting, and I’m definitely excited to see what happens next issue as a result.

My favourite part, however, was the way the issue balanced mystery and payoff. In every story, you need mystery to keep things interesting; no one likes knowing everything that’s going to happen before it happens. On the other hand, if you do nothing but shroud your story in mystery, you run the risk of alienating your audience. It’s a delicate balance, and this issue does it perfectly. We see more of what the characters introduced in the first issue truly are while also having Anders fight a vampire in a spectacularly handled fight scene. It’s beautiful payoff that makes me immediately feel justified in my previous investment to the story. But, in a move that only the best of comic writers know how to do well, Mignola, Ba, and Moon use that very same payoff to tease the next part of the mystery. Immediately, I’m sucked in by the very elements that were just used for payoff. It’s brilliant writing, really, and as a sign of what’s to come, I couldn’t be more excited.

Taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

I don’t know what more I can say about this artistic team I haven’t already said in my previous reviews. They’re awesome. Dave Stewart continues his work as one of the best colourists in the business, and Moon and Ba team up for some of the best vampire design I’ve seen in some time. The art does a great job of conveying scale while still paying attention to detail, and both the locations and individuals are handled equally well. Without giving it away, this book contains one of my favourite panels I’ve seen in a while from a purely aesthetic basis. This is truly a great issue all around.

I had my trepidations about this series, but they’re long gone now. This issue achieves the potential I’ve seen in it for so long and then some. I could not recommend it more highly for the $3.50 cover price, and now recommend that you all go out and catch the previous issues if I’d scared you off before. This is something you need to be reading. Enough said.

Chase Wassenar, aka MaristPlayBoy, is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. He is officially naming this his second favourite Dark Horse miniseries behind Amala’s Blade. You can read his other articles at ToyTMA, follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com.

Review: Abe Sabien #2

Earlier this month, I reviewed Abe Sabien #1, a great first issue of the newest ongoing out of the Hellboy Universe. What made that issue great was the ability to bring up interesting questions without giving an answer (providing intrigue) and still keeping the reader satisfied with the set-up provided. It’s a tough balance to find, and Mike Mignola and Scott Allie nailed it. But maintaining that momentum is equally tricky. Did Mignola and Allie step up to the challenge, or is the second issue a step back? Let’s find out.

First, I’d like to talk about the opening scene. That does seem like a good place to start, obviously, but I mean really talk about it. I both love and hate this scene. At times, it feels quite forced. Without giving anything away, it puts Abe specifically in a location he’d want to avoid in order to gain intel that he should probably know by other means. It doesn’t explain how he gets in or out unnoticed, nor why the woman helps him without alerting anyone else to his position. Given the comic fails to really segue from the events of the last issue, it’s hard to imagine this was the cleanest way to handle things. And the dialogue involved does a lot of exposition about things that are already known to anyone who’s been following Hellboy comics. It feels quite disappointing…

…And then, everything changes. The scene suddenly introduces this theme of identity for Abe that is simply brilliant. Who he is, how he views himself, and how others view him cement themselves as a focal point for the ongoing, and the questions being asked actually provide some depth and insight that are thought provoking. At what point does a man stop being a man? What does it mean to be a man in the first place? And if he’s not a man, then what is he, and how are others supposed to react to an individual so much different than themselves? This scene and the scenes that follow paint both sides of that issue, and, refreshingly, there’s no definitive answer given, at least not yet.

In fact, the closing scene is one of the most emotionally powerful things I’ve seen. Yes, I know I’m being incredibly vague once again, but this is one of those scenes that just can’t be spoiled. There’s a lot of controversy behind religion and acceptance in society nowadays. Wait did I say ‘nowadays’? I meant to say ‘since the beginning of time’. My point is that there’s a certain connotation that preacher characters tend to bring. And some of these stereotypes turn out to be real. But the way in which he defies those stereotypes, and the reaction of the crowd to his decisions…it makes for one of the most emotionally gripping climaxes I’ve ever read in a comic. Not an exaggeration. This thing pulled me in and made me care about both sides of an issue in a way I didn’t think possible. When you can make my sympathies lie with both sides, you’ve painted a strong moral issue. It’s amazing work by Allie and Mignola, and more than makes up for my confusion at the beginning of the issue.

Taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

Oh, yeah, should probably talk about the art. It’s hard to imagine forgetting to mention the work of Sebastian Fiumara and Dave Stewart on the art and colours respectively, but the story was just such a strong focus that I almost spaced it. The team once again does a great job, especially on the monster designs. The creepiness and hardship that fills the story is represented well in the art. [Edit: Originally in this spot, I’d written about my frustration with the art design of a particular character that reminded me explicitly of the Big Daddy from Bioshock in such a way that I found it distracting. As a commenter was kind enough to point out, this is actually a fancy Victorian era diving suit, so its placement here makes sense as a stylistic choice. I’d still have preferred something original here, as that image is so iconic to me that I can’t get over the allusion, but that is completely a personal issue, and I can’t possibly use it as a negative against the artwork, the rest of which I thoroughly enjoyed. My mistake.]

At the end of the day, Abe Sapien #2 is a worthy follow up to its predecessor, and actually does a lot to surpass already high expectations. While the first couple pages are a little rocky in the “well why is this happening” department, the characters and themes presented throughout are handled beautifully, and a true moral dilemma is raised for which I don’t think any character will have answers anytime soon. This is a series you should definitely be reading at its $3.50 cover price. So put down your computer and do it already! Unless, of course, you buy digital comics in which case just open a new tab but you get my point… 😛

Chase Wassenar, aka MaristPlayBoy, is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. Every time he thinks he knows where a Mignola comic is going, he’s proven totally, totally wrong. You can read his other articles at ToyTMA,  follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com.

Review: B.P.R.D. Vampire #2

In my review of B.P.R.D. Vampire #1 by Mike Mignola, Gabriel Ba, and Fabio Moon, I called the opening issues a slow boil with fantastic art that was worth your money. After reading B.P.R.D. Vampire #2, however, I’m suddenly not sure. My assumption was that the first issue was a bunch of plot exposition so that the action could begin in the second issue and take us along from there. Sadly, the second issue contains just as much exposition as the first, if not more, and after two straight issues of nearly nothing happening, my patience is starting to wear thin.
The issue picks up where the last one left off. After discussing his plans with his boss, Simon Anders heads to Southern Bohemia to investigate a potential location for vampire headquarters. Anders is greeted by Hana Novarov, a member of the Czech Communist party, and she gives him a rundown of the history of the area. When an old woman speaks in cryptic words to Anders, they try to use that information to discover where the vampire rituals take place in the area.

Before I get into my issues with this comic, let’s start with the good. Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon’s art is once again fantastic. While not given the same artistic freedom they had with that beautifully chilling eight page scene in the first issue, they are able to do a lot with what they have to work with in this issue. The comic is stylized in a good way, standing out from everything else you would find on your comic store’s shelf without that style detracting from the comic. Since the focus is less on the visuals and more on the story, it does a great job of impressing without distracting from what’s at hand.

Also, the characterization is very well executed. Both Anders and Novarov display a lot of personality here, and their conversations feel very natural as a result. It never feels like plot exposition, even when the comic becomes an information dump to the reader. This is, of course, no surprise to Mignola fans, who have, by now, gotten used to his apt presentation of mythology without ever talking at the reader, but it’s nice to see all the same.

Taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

The core problem with the issue is the structure, namely that for the second issue in a row, nothing happens to grab the reader’s attention. There is a ton of atmosphere built, but much of it hits on the same chords that were emphasized in the last issue. And this issue doesn’t even have the “first issue” excuse of the last one. There aren’t even any vampires shown in this issue!

This is sadly an easily fixable problem: the story should have been a four issue miniseries, combining the two issues that have been released into one. It would have been quite simple to do, as there are several pieces that could be condensed or thrown out entirely without detracting from the overall quality of the story being presented. The book suffers from simply having too much time on its hands, and since you can’t get too far without limiting the rises in action for later issues, it’s forced to meander in a way that feels like your time is being wasted.

B.P.R.D. Vampire #2 is by no means a bad book. In fact, it’s quite good. It’s just unfortunate that we’re two issues into a miniseries and there’s yet to be anything that makes me feel as if the investment has been worthwhile. While the issue’s $3.50 cover price isn’t bad, when combining it with the first, you’re essentially paying $7.00 for what is essentially nothing but set-up. As such, I’m giving a conditional recommendation. If you must be the first to know what happens in every Mignola series, go ahead and pick this up, as diehard fans will forgive this incredibly slow pace. But otherwise, the series has yet to present anything that makes it a book that you must buy now. My advice: wait for the paperback when such pacing issues won’t really matter anymore. Because $7.00 is too much for set-up.

Chase Wassenar is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. He’s still enjoying the book, but if something doesn’t happen in the third issue, he’ll…probably just be disappointed. You can read his other articles at ToyTMA, follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew, or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com.

Review: Abe Sapien #1

The Hellboy Universe is one of the most fascinating universes into which I’ve ever delved. Mike Mignola has been given an incredible amount of free reign to craft the universe as he wishes, while also being given some of the most talented artists the comic world has to offer, at least as far as horror comics are concerned. In crafting this universe, he’s created a slew of complex and interesting characters, not the least of which is Abe Sapien, an amphibious man who served as a top agent for the B.P.R.D. This new ongoing begins quite strongly, as Mignola and Scott Allie have written a very well executed introduction to this new series, and I already can’t wait to read more.

Abe Sapien has been a significant supporting character in the Hellboy Universe for quite some time (he even had a miniseries back in 2008), and his background genuinely has enough depth to support having his own ongoing, rather than the miniseries that other supporting characters have gotten over the years. Most intriguing is the ability explained within this book: he can recover from death. It’s not that death isn’t costly; each regeneration makes him less humanoid in appearance. But the question of who he is, where his powers come from, and what purpose he is to serve are still up in the air. This issue does a great job of introducing the character and the mysteries that surround him to new readers, and you’ll feel at home reading this book whether you’ve read a single Hellboy or B.P.R.D. comic before or not (though if you haven’t…seriously, get on that!).

The story of Abe Sapien #1 can essentially be broken down into two parts. In the first bit, a pair of dark magic users try and fail to summon a demon, providing some foreshadowing that will likely be important later. The rest of the comic provides sets up Abe Sapien as a character by examining his importance through the eyes of his superiors in the BPRD. After slaying a creature, some agents find the truck Abe used to escape, and the search to find him begins anew. I’d say more, but this is really great stuff, and I don’t want to spoil anything. Let’s just say the set-up being presented here ensures this three-part story arc will bring the dark horror edge that we have all come to expect from the Hellboy Universe, as there’s a foreboding feel that things are just about to go horribly wrong for all involved throughout that’s really well done.

Variant Cover Not Indicative of Actual Content. Still Awesome.

Artistically, this book is fantastic. Everything is really well detailed, and the environments presented are all interesting and eye catching. The facial expressions are particularly well done, as you can really get a sense for what the character is feeling beyond the simple “I’m happy” or “I’m sad” that one might expect. There’s a darkness to the shading that really echoes the entire mood of the book, and, no exaggeration, I’d say it’s the best art for which one can hope with a Hellboy comic. Always nice to see a great story get the great art it deserves, and Sebastian Fiumara and Dave Stewart deserve all the credit in the world for their work here.

Of course, the comic isn’t perfect, and there are two things that do deserve to be mentioned. First, the dark sorcerers try to invoke the demon in the form…of Justin Beiber. I’m not even kidding. Part of the spell requires them to give a physical form in which the demon can present itself, and they chose Justin Beiber. That’s…just out of place in a horror comic, and I found it really distracting. I wanted to keep looking at the glorious art, but all I could think was ‘Justin Beiber? Really?’ The only other criticism is the use of a monster as a means to take the reader to where they need to be to find Abe’s truck. It’s not that I’m against the use of the convenience fairy; that part is actually well executed. No, it’s the swiftness with which this monster is beaten. Without giving much away, it’s described as a really dangerous creature capable of causing untold damage to the local populations, but then it’s defeated off panel as if it was no big deal. That just feels weird to me. I know there was a lot of ground to cover, but surely there was a better way to get to the truck than to create this awesome monster and then not use it. I just wish they could have done more with that, but these are minor quibbles to a great book.

Abe Sapien #1 deserves your $3.50 if you’ve paid even the slightest attention to the Hellboy Universe. Hell, it deserves your money even if you haven’t read anything from that universe before. Abe Sapien is an incredibly fascinating character with an interesting mythos and backstory in a creative, dark world. Oh, and the creative team is responsible for the best horror comics probably of all time. Why haven’t you bought three copies of this already? Go read it!

Chase Wassenar, aka MaristPlayBoy, is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. He was kidding when he asked why you hadn’t bought three copies yet, but he honestly wouldn’t blame you if you did. It’s that good. You can read his other articles at ToyTMA, follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew, or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com. 

Review: B.P.R.D. Vampire #1

B.P.R.D.: Vampire #1 is the latest effort from Mike Mignola, Dave Stewart, Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba (Oxford comma purposefully omitted on account of them actually being twin brothers, which is really quite cool when you think about it). It’s another of the flashback stories that the team has been known to do from time to time, allowing them to explore the history of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense without interfering with the ongoing series. The first issue presented here carries all the artistic weight one would expect from this creative team (remind me to tell you all the reasons Casanova is awesome later), but the story cooks at the slowest boil imaginable, for better and for worse.

Full disclosure: While I’ve read quite a bit of Mignola’s Hellboy books and have a firm grasp on what this universe holds, I haven’t actually read any books from the BPRD series, neither the ongoing nor the flashback series. I did some background research into the main character, but the best I could find was a stub page on the Hellboy wiki. That said, like the rest of Mignola’s books, there appears to have been a conscious effort to make the book new reader friendly, so I don’t think it’s an issue as I review this book.

For once, I’d like to start with the artwork of this book. It’s incredible. If you can’t already tell from the image of the cover, this book has some of the most startlingly beautiful dark imagery you’re going to find in comics today. It’s dark and unsettling, placing you in the perfect mood to read a comic like this, but I also found myself fixated on pages long after I would have usually moved on just to take in everything that was happening. Nearly six full pages are dedicated to the vampire imagery before a word of dialogue is uttered, and with good reason. The art is spot on from beginning to end, and it’s probably worth the price of admission alone.

As far as the story goes…well, there’s just not as much to talk about. As you can guess from a series entitled BPRD: Vampire, there are vampires and agents, and the latter aren’t really big fans of the former. Okay, that’s not being entirely fair. A newly formed vampire is welcomed into the vampire brotherhood by some other vampires that just so happen to already be wearing matching outfits and hairdos (not quite sure how she got the outfit coordination message before finding out who made her a vampire, but that’s admittedly a nitpick). The queen of the vampires is Hecate, whose role matches that of her original mythology as a goddess of necromancy and the undead, though she doesn’t make an appearance in this comic. Also, Agent Anders is having nightmares after the events of BPRD 1948, and decides the only way to make things right is to get revenge on as many vampires as he can kill.

Taken from http://www.darkhorse.com

That’s really it. It’s a ton of set-up that will likely pay off, but there’s not much present in this issue alone. Usually, one would expect an introductory issue to have some big moment that sucks you into the story, then take a breather in issue #2 before diving into the chaos for the rest of the series, but this issue is definitely a slow boil. Don’t get me wrong: it’s a slow boil executed quite well, but I did find myself wishing I had something more to sink my teeth into than what’s been presented. When you get right down to it, there really isn’t much to talk about here. When you buy this comic, you’re buying into what it can (and given the creative team, likely will) be.

If this was any other writer, this would be a conditional recommendation, as fantastic art alone is not enough for everybody, but Mike Mignola and company do the slow set-up better than just about anybody. Yes, there could have been more in this issue, but the art and well executed background information is more than enough to justify the $3.50 price tag. Don’t let the slow boil keep you from buying into this book; you’ll get your money’s worth here.

Chase Wassenar is the Lead Editor and Founder of the Red Shirt Crew. He’s read enough Hellboy to know where this is going, and that alone is quite exciting. You can read his other articles at ToyTMA, follow him on Twitter at @RedShirtCrew, or email him at theredshirtcrew@gmail.com.