Abe Sapien Volume 1: The Drowning [Paperback]

Mike Mignola (Author), Jason Shawn Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2008

A century ago, paranormal investigator Edward Grey fought and destroyed a powerful warlock off the coast of the island of Saint Sebastien. In the early 1980s, the B.P.R.D.'s newest agent was sent to retrieve the warlock's remains. But Abe Sapien is ill prepared for the dark forces that block his way. Written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, and featuring the haunting art of Jason Shawn Alexander (Damn Nation, The Secret, The Escapists), Abe Sapien: The Drowning is the story of Hellboy and B.P.R.D. mainstay Abe Sapien's first solo adventure.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

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

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (September 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595821856
• ISBN-13: 978-1595821850
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #322,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mike Mignola is best known as the multiple award-winning creator, writer, and artist of "B.P.R.D." and "Hellboy", but has fostered several other projects like "The Amazing Screw-On Head" and "Baltimore" with Christopher Golden. Although he began working as a professional cartoonist in the early 1980s, drawing 'a little bit of everything for just about everybody' - including characters like Batman and Wolverine - he was also a production designer on the Disney film "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Mignola also acted as a visual consultant to Guillermo del Toro on "Blade 2" and the film versions of Hellboy, which were broadly adapted by del Toro from the original comic series. Mike Mignola currently lives in southern California with his wife, daughter, and cat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Amazing Art for a wonderful comic!, August 20, 2009

By 

Luke R. Zwanziger - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Abe Sapien Volume 1: The Drowning (Paperback)

The story is a five issue arc following Abe Sapien's first solo mission after long being assigned on many cases with Hellboy.

This story is inked by my now favorite comic book artist, Jason Shawn Alexander. His wonderful art style is created by inking straight away with little or no pencils. His art drips, and oozes with an edge, giving a clear sense of emotion, relying heavily on the dark shadowing to convey the images. The art gives a sense of foreboding, exhilaration and excitement. I was completely taken, absorbed in the pages, soaking in the images, and when I was done, I went back to page one. Alexander's art tells the story just as well as Mignola's words, which often are sparse letting just the images tell the story. In the end it is beautiful.

The coloring by Dave Stewart was amazing too, winning the 2009 Eisner Award for Coloring on this run.

Whether you are a Hellboy fanboy/girl, or just want some of the best comic book reading, I definitely recommend you pick up this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never Trust a Priest on Fire - No Matter How Good His Sermon Is., November 30, 2008

By 

TastyBabySyndrome "Matthew Lewis, author of M... ("Daddy Dagon's Daycare" - Proud Sponsor of the Little Tendril Baseball Team, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abe Sapien Volume 1: The Drowning (Paperback)

Abe Sapien, the lexicon of knowledge and the dispatcher of Rasputins the world over, has not always been the way we know him. In 1981 he was, in fact, a field rookie and nobody knew how he would perform. His first mission carried him to a little island called Saint-Sebastian (not to be confused with the one off the coast of Spain), to recover a ritualistic dagger from the body of a warlock named Vrooman because the BPRD thought the dagger could be inherently valuable to them. The thing they didn't count on was the fact that Vrooman had secrets of his own, they the island had a horrid past, and that Abe would be walking into something that would ultimately hit the island like a plague and consume souls like moths in flame.

Personally, I was happy to see a little more Abe out there to look at because I have long wondered what the Ictho-Sapien's past was like. In Drums of the Dead we saw a little piece of what he was, and in the Hellboy Companion it talks about Abe in a bit more detail. Still, Abe is an enigma and enigmas are fun to watch unravel - and especially so when Mike Mignola is doing the frame-by-frame. As the mission comes to a head and Abe finds himself confronted with a few oddities, we see the "thing" from his past and are reminded again of the name he had for a time. This is what I like about Mignola's presence - first, anything that he wants to happen can happen and, secondly, he makes great pieces of literature. Mignola actually said that he never considered himself a great writer because he tells his stories with pieces. If only he could see the thing in the mirror.

One thing I was a little torn by was the guest artwork. I liked Jason Alexander and thought some of his characterizations were quite good, but I did not like the things he did with Abe. When he constructed the body profile, for instance, it looked too gaunt and too - I hate to use this word - normal for my tastes. This happens when you have quests, however, and when you get accustomed to a specific way of doing things. Since Mignola is the mind that brought us Hellboy and the others, it is hard to shake the people he gave life in his way. Still, Alexander did good work and did not disappoint by making things too cartoony or too bland.

Anyone reading along with Hellboy might like this, anyone taking in BPRD will like this, and anyone that is interested in adding on will enjoy it as well. A newcomer's book this may not be - I'm not sure because of the movies and all plus the story is about Abe and maybe you like Abe. I recommend it highly, enjoyed the read, and say "buy it but know it as well."

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Story, Great Art, October 13, 2008

By 

Uthor - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abe Sapien Volume 1: The Drowning (Paperback)

Another great story from Mignola, but not drawn by him. He abandoned drawing BPRD a long time ago, brought on a new artist for Lobster Johnson, and finally gave up drawing Hellboy itself.

The story follows Abe on his first solo mission and, of course, things get FUBAR. Ancient wizards, demons, witches, and sea monsters all appear. The story shows Abe resolve to get the job done right even when he is given an easy way out. It shows the tough job the BPRD crew has keeping the world safe paranormal foces.

With Abe Sapien, Mignola brings aboard another great artist to help him out with telling stories. Alexander has a very loose style (straight inking with no pencils) that almost looks painted in black before being expertly colored by Dave Stewart. If Mignola continues to use amazing artists, I'm fine with him giving up art duties in favor of fleshing out the Hellboy universe.

It is a little more wrapped up in its own mythologies than the looser and more action oriented Lobster Johnson and the latest Hellboy and BPRD stories. A little more action and cutting the back story down a bit (almost an entire chapter, alone) would have quickened the pacing a bit.