Abe Sapien Volume 1: The Drowning
These days, the Hellboy spinoff B.P.R.D. is more fun than its parent comic. This second spinoff shows that the fault, if fault there be (Hellboy is still righteously thrilling), doesn’t lie in Mignola’s writing (John Arcuda has principal B.P.R.D. scripting duties). Although hardly chatty, the first arc of Abe Sapien is neatly planned, the story of Hellboy’s amphibious colleague’s first solo case for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. Abe’s assigned because the remains of a wizard must be retrieved from a ship that sank in 1884; he’s a natural for the job. But the remains have already been removed, they’re of something much more dangerous than a wizard, and Abe must fight first the guardian of the remains and then, in league with that guardian’s spirit, worse-than-wizard’s demon henchmen. He is incompletely successful, which is fortunate for all those who want more Abe Sapien. That should be everyone who reads The Drowning, not least because Alexander’s drawing chops arguably exceed Mignola’s on his home turf. A movie version couldn’t look any better. --Ray Olson