Abe Sapien Dark & Terrible #2 cover image

Dark and Terrible, Part 2 (of 3)

Abraham “Abe” Sapien is a character that appears in Hellboy and related comic book series.  Created by Mike Mignola, Abe Sapien first appeared in Hellboy: Seed of Destruction and is a member of the B.P.R.D., the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Development.  Abe is sometimes referred to as a “fishman” or “merman.”

Abe Sapien is a new ongoing comic book series that picks up after previous Abe Sapien comics and will continue with a series of miniseries or story arcs.  Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible #2 (of 3) is written by Mike Mignola and Scott Allie, drawn by Sebastián Fiumara, colored by Dave Stewart, and lettered by Clem Robins.

Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible Part 2 opens with a flashback at B.P.R.D. Headquarters in Colorado.  Abe and the seer, Panya, have a conversation, much of it cryptic on Panya’s part.  The Ogdru Hem walks the Earth, turning humans into monsters, and Abe’s friends in the B.P.R.D. are foot soldiers in the war against these monsters that have emerged from the ground.  But apparently, Abe is not meant for this war.

In the present, Abe’s quest to avoid his comrades takes him to the hamlet of Grayrock, located in San Juan County, Colorado.  There, he meets a kindly man of god with a rather unruly flock.

THE LOWDOWN:  While the title character was mostly missing from the first issue of Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible, Abe Sapien dominates the second issue.  That’s a good thing.  Abe Sapien is not only an interesting and engaging character, but he is also a character that allows writers to bring out the most interesting aspects of other characters, as they react to him.  Mike Mignola and Scott Allie have a grand time creating chaos around Abe this time.

I simply love the art by Sebastián Fiumara, with its textures and pen and ink-like compositions.  Dave Stewart’s colors bring out the best of Fiumara’s art and makes the art look even more beautiful.  At first, I was only going to read this comic book for the art, but with this issue’s ending slash cliffhanger, I’m also coming back for the story.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of all things Mike Mignola and B.P.R.D. will want to try Abe Sapien: Dark and Terrible.