Abe Sapien #2: Dark and Terrible

Sometimes 22 pages are not enough to tell your story. It’s one of the downsides of the comic medium and some books get hit hard by the page limitation. It’s one of the main reasons many people simply wait for a trade to be collected, something I know a few of my companions are guilty of, myself included. This is also what hurt the first part of Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible. By the time anything interesting happened, the book was over. While it was a good read, it did lack the spark that may drive a reader into the arms of Part 2, which is unfortunate because Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible Part 2 is an extremely satisfying climax, an issue that should have been dubbed Part One.

The book picks up where last issue left off, with Abe on the run from the B.P.R.D. After stumbling around a forest, Abe seeks sanctuary inside a church. After a brief chat with the resident priest, Abe learns that monsters are springing up all over and transforming normal people into beasts. After some well-deserved rest, Abe eavesdrops in on the priests Sunday sermon and wouldn’t you know it? The priest is crazy town banana pants, believing the monstrous transformations are a gift from God. But when the townsfolk decide to hang the priest, it’s time for Abe to unveil himself and calm the townsfolk down.

Like I said, this book should have been Part 1, in fact if you missed the first part, you should have no qualms about grabbing this issue. It not only has a better story, but is loaded with backstory about Abe’s past, giant monsters and most importantly; Abe! Having the star of the book actually in the book, doing stuff? What a concept! All kidding aside, Part 2 is the true start to Abe’s solo series and it’s what one would come to expect from Mignola & Co.

Fiumara’s art is still outstanding, one of the pluses from Part One, and he even manages to step it up a notch with Part 2. The grittiness to his style gives the book a feeling of urgency, letting the reader know that the world is coming to an end, and it’s not going to be pretty. This is especially apparent during the priest’s sermon which gets ugly fairly quickly. Who knew a priest would have such a devastating left-hook?   

Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible Part 2 of 3 is a far superior book than its predecessor in every aspect. It’s packed with plot, great art and actually stars Abe. So those who were on the fence after Part 1 should be more than satisfied with this purchase. This is how you are supposed to fill 22 pages.    

Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible Part 2 of 3

Story: Mike Mignola & Scott Allie

Art: Sebastian Fiumara

Colours: Dave Stewart

Letters: Clem Robins

Cover: Sebastian Fiumara

Publisher: Mike Richardson for Dark Horse Comics