captaincymru's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
crookedtreehouse's review
3.0
After the disappointment of the last Hellboy trade I read, I debated giving up on Mignola for a while. Instead, I opened up this story of Abe Sapien's first case without Hellboy to see if it would speak to me. And it felt exactly as it was advertised, a Hellboy story without Hellboy.
It's a perfectly fine first volume of a secondary character from a franchise, but there wasn't much heart to it, and the literal Fish Out Of Water aspect annoyed me all the way through.
I don't recommend reading it as part of a Hellboy or BPRD marathon unless this is the first thing you read, and you decide to immediately follow it up with Abe Sapien The Devil Does Not Jest, which I enjoyed more both from an art and storytelling perspective.
It's a perfectly fine first volume of a secondary character from a franchise, but there wasn't much heart to it, and the literal Fish Out Of Water aspect annoyed me all the way through.
I don't recommend reading it as part of a Hellboy or BPRD marathon unless this is the first thing you read, and you decide to immediately follow it up with Abe Sapien The Devil Does Not Jest, which I enjoyed more both from an art and storytelling perspective.
r_lea's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
krismoon's review
5.0
I heart Abe Sapien. This is masterful storytelling and gorgeous artwork. Fantastic first volume. I can't wait to get the second one!
thehmkane's review
5.0
Lovely, fresh tale from Mignola. I absolutely adore Abe, and I like watching him come into his own. This is a delicious, dark tale, in the same vein as Hellboy without being a Hellboy story. Pure art.
ldyliberty's review
Abe Sapien's first solo mission, following up on a tip about a lost warlock's corpse from Sir Edward Grey's private journal. The art made following the action a little hard at times, but overall a good story. It was interesting to see a less certain of himself Abe, just starting out. I like the witch, and the part at the beginning with Edward Grey. Some interesting hints of future stories here. Hellboy is mentioned as being off traveling with an archaeologist I hadn't hear of before, and it's mentioned that Edward Grey disappeared in NY in 1915.
venerablemonster's review
4.0
Didn't think I was gonna like this as much as I did. The fine art style really comes through with Abe running solo. The fun bit with the continuation of an Edward Grey adventure is especially fun after having read the two Witchfinder tpb's.
Abe is a character, much like Hellboy, who thrives solo. Unlike Hellboy, I'd say he actually works well on a team as well. He has incredibly versatility, and it's fun to see that explored here.
Abe is a character, much like Hellboy, who thrives solo. Unlike Hellboy, I'd say he actually works well on a team as well. He has incredibly versatility, and it's fun to see that explored here.
jenstarfury's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0