Abe Sapien #10 Review

Should we really muster up the gumption to care about this particular, and former, member of the B.P.R.D.? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

Abe saved a small Arizona town from one Lovecraftian menace, but a new killer threatens to devour the last survivors!

Let me start off by saying that I’ve had an affinity for the titular character since I saw him onscreen in Hellboy. Since then, through these current issues and their sister books I’ve become enamored with the world he lives in. And this slightly emotional but wholly personal comic carries my interest for yet another outing as fans deal with a protagonist that’s undergoing necessary growth.

Franchise creator Mike Mignola and Scott Allie work together to craft something that fans expect but newcomers might just find surprising. The two authors at the helm of this series know exactly how to play with the idea of the soldier re-discovering his role. It’s the age old dynamic of taking someone out of their setting, and seeing their learned habits continue somewhere entirely different. And judging by the evil that’s creeping up this small town that’s been spared a lot of the horrors that are consuming the world is about to be happy they have this particular hero in their company.

The art by Max Fiumara is my favorite part of this outing. As the talent effortlessly crafts a stylized but believable rendition that plays up the innate horror aspects of the world while remembering the human portions of this arc. The way he depicts Abe is near perfect, especially when the character goes off and tells someone about his own inner issues, namely a resurgence of memories that he’s neglected to share with anyone. To sum up: buy the book because it’s really good, keep it close due to these illustrations upping the ante.

Abe Sapien #10 is not a proper jump on point for new readers but it is a top notch entry that impresses from the moment you crack open its pages until you reach the assured cliffhanger. It easily comes recommended.

4/5