Abe Sapien, Vol. 4: The Shape of Things to Come

Abe Sapien

by Mike Mignola, Sebastian Fiumara (Illustrator), Max Fiumara (Illustrator)

Direct from the pages of Hellboy and B.P.R.D.! A mutated Abe Sapien fights carnivorous monsters crawling out of the desert sand, a fortified militia that's walled Phoenix off from the rest of the world, and a viscous zombie swarm, while a mad necromancer rises over the monster-infested ruins of Seattle.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Supernatural

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Mike Mignola was born September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California and grew up in nearby Oakland. His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age (he doesn't remember why) and reading Dracula at age 13 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered.

In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.

In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.

Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.

Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first story. Abe meets up with a Hispanic family outside Phoenix and they have some discussions about their Mayan ancestry and their legends about the fifth age. Then some big monsters show up and chaos ensues.

Next, Abe wanders into a small town that is largely unaffected so far. After they burn out an infestation of breeding frogmen, they must deal with some gypsy youths. This fell apart at the end. Once the zombies show up, Abe just leaves town and we don't get any answers on what the kids were doing or the zombies deal.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Abe Sapien book. He's fast becoming my favourite Mignolaverse character, in the absence of Hellboy. Abe's a fish(man) in the desert in this volume; very much out of his comfort zone. The artwork's really good, too. Some of the sound effects are weird, though. At one point, Abe pushes somebody over and the sound effect they use is 'BAM!' I've seen a lot of people get pushed over in my time and never once has it made a sound anything like BAM...

I'm going to crawl back under my rock now until my hospital appointment later today... Ugh...

[Wing Kee · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happened to these two stories? Did it get lost?

I love this character so much and when he got his own series I was very happy, I wanted to explore his journey in this Mignolaverse's new status quo and for the first 2 books it was good, it showed us a side of Abe that was introspective and deep, so how does this 4th book fare?

World: The art is weird, I was not a fan. I like stylized art but I don't like it when the art hinders the telling of the story and is unclear. The character models are ugly and they are mushed up together so I have difficulty in telling character differences. The framing (I don't know if this is a writing problem or a artist problem) is choppy as heck making for a very jumpy and chaotic read. The world building is still wonderful, this is still the best part of the book with pieces of the world explored and readers seeing more of this messed up world. The Inca angle was interesting and raises questions and gives us something different. The small town aspect is also good as I'm always up for some character studies in smaller environments.

Story: This is where the wheels fall completely off for me. I don't know what it is but the storytelling here is super choppy and jerky. I've never read anything from Mignola like this before, is it because of Allie? I don't know, but yeah it does not read good. It's fast it's jumpy and I was constantly disoriented. These were suppose to be tales that world built and also character built but the stories just ended up being a chore for me (kinda like reading a Grant Morrison story) and I did not enjoy it. There were bits and pieces that I liked, especially the first tale, but the second tale is simply broken.

Characters: I wanted more character work and I did get it to some degree here. Abe and his feelings were looked at in the first tale in the desert, his questions about self and his place in the world, it was good. I liked that he is hesitating in going back to the BPRD, I like how the fallout from Devon's comments and the things he's sees makes him want to hide, it makes him very human. However, what I did not like was the choppy writing in the second tale which pretty much leaves me scratching my head. I don't really know what happened, are they zombies are they no, is the Sheriff crazy or is he now. I can see hints and pieces of character development here and there but it's lost in the choppy story and the jumping multiple storylines that don't really combine well.

I wanted to like this book but in the end it is the biggest disappointment I've had ever reading a Mignolaverse book, it's lost it's not sure what it wants to do and it's choppy as hell. At the end of this book all I can say is that there is an Inca legend tie in, Abe doesn't want to go back, and...maybe Zombies but that's about it. I wanted to know more about Abe but these two tales failed in that regard.

Onward to the next book!

[Ola G · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10 stars

Honestly, I feel like Mignola's just lost direction in his Hellboy-verse. Sapien is such an interesting character, but the doom and gloom of monster-infested Earth, with all this talk about Vril and other Hells beneath Hell is simply mind-blowingly boring. Right now there's nobody left in this comic, or other Hellboy-related comics, that I care about. All these characters wade knee-deep in blood and pus and other bodily excretions (and "body" in this context is defined quite broadly indeed), and there's no aim in sight. It's also so formulaic it's painful. Sapien comes to a new town/meets new people, has some recollections, the town/people is/are destroyed by demonic spawn/zombies/insert the monster of your choice here, Sapien leaves.

So, while this still manages to scratch an itch for crazy body horror, with Mignola's unique style and designs, the story is unsalvageable at this point. It's just rambling, incoherent, and superfluous. Unless Mignola finds a goal to this gory meandering, I'm not reading anymore Hellboy-verse comics.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems that Abe Sapien's in neutral. Even with Mignola and Allie working on it, the series just seems to be treading water. There are two collected stories here, and neither of them really seems to advance Abe's arc. He wanders into an area with new people, they do stuff, sometimes there's a monster, and he moves on. The second story doesn't seem to have much resolution at all (and the first one's resolution is basically 'let's run away'), and there's more impact from the mysterious villains that we occasionally jump to than anything that happens to Abe himself. I liked Abe as a character, but this just seems dull. Figure out what he's going to do and start moving him in that direction, please. These half-baked stories don't do him or the larger BPRD world justice.

[Artemy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewed as part of Abe Sapien, The Dark and Terrible Volume 1 Omnibus

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5

Abe continues his journey through a monster filled wasteland. Mike Mignola has managed to provide Abe a worthy spin-off from the B.P.R.D which is no easy feat. Remember all those years ago when it was Hellboy and the B.P.R.D? We've come a very long way. I'm catching up on the Abe series before I read the finale volume. This volume continues the great work done by all the people behind the scenes and it's assisted by the incredible artwork.

Why the 5?

The series is playing out like a weekly tv show with the mythology playing out behind the scenes. I'm enjoying this more than I had expected. I'm reading this in the hardcover omnibus and it's the best way to enjoy these books. I only hope Lobster Johnson ends up in a similar style as that's one series that's near impossible to find in trades. This volume has Abe confronting more people who are in a strange situation due to the larger storyline. It's yet another storyline that accepts Abe and that is a little hard to process. I am enjoying this series and recommend you read it along with the Hell on Earth series.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

A transformed Abe continues to wander an apocalyptic world... there are some interesting bits and a better storyline than the last volume, but it seems one has to dig up a few other titles in order to get the idea of what's happening in this one. I'll stick with Hellboy and Baltimore for a while.

[Iva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Історія Ейба видається пережовуванням по колу головної ідеї сольної серії про Червоного, що теж отримував лише натяки щодо свого походження та пряме нав'язування "більшої ролі" тощо. Втім, як то мені здається, із Ейбом та роль не буде закріплена ніякими пророцтва и чи ще чим і дійсно буде висмоктана з пальця. Вже зараз ясно, що робитиме цей некромант і вже зараз ясно, що протиставлятиме йому Сапіен.

Однак, гарними елементами серії лишаються різноманітні міфи. У цьому томі - маянські.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant art, excellent writing and interesting characters - another awesome volume in this series.
I'm also fascinated by the character Gustav Strobl and can't wait to see more of him!

[Siona Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the art in this a lot (it's grown on me since the last volume), but, and it may have been due to the environment in which I read this, I found the story to be very confusing. Especially with the side story involving Agent Vaughn (I think that's his name, but I don't remember lol, it's been a few hours since I actually read this). So far, this has been the weakest volume.

[Baal Of · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story came across to me as more disjointed than usual. But then I was running a bit of a fever when I read it, and I'm afraid that may have affected my perception. I probably ought to read it again, but I have such a backlog, I don't know if I ever will.

[Sonic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok stuff I think. Not their best work, maybe, but the story seems to connect with the B.P.R.D. story-line.

[Storm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shape of Things to Come 4*

The shape of things to come #1 is set in Arizona I believe. Monsters have come, Arizona is ruled by an unofficial "militia" and the Mexicans at some holding area have all been slaughtered. Things are so bad the band of Mexicans Abe runs into are taking their chances out in the desert. This first part has a lot of character development, and really great storytelling.

The lead female's father was a Mayan priest of sorts, and the backstory of Mayan gods sacrificing themselves to re-create the sun echoes the theme of Creation requiring Sacrifice. They do not think this will happen again as there are very few to no gods left, and humans are just not worth it. Profound. Bits like this make Mignola's Hellboy and associated properties worth reading. Added to that there is some very creative paneling done, so this is worth 5*.

Unfortunately, the second part did not live up to the first. I had such high hopes too. It does progress the plot forward somewhat, but not in an interesting direction although Abe does kick ass in a fight, thanks to his work and Hellboy's training.

To The Last Man 4*

After reading other one offs, it felt like a relief to go back to the "main" Abe plotline except there are several things occurring concurrently. Many threads are unraveling at once, the whole story seems very disjointed and the loose ends keep being loose until the end of this short arc.

Main story. Abe stops at a town with a nice Sheriff. He continues to be judged on his looks instead of his behavior or heart. The Sheriff knows he is a good man but does not want Abe to meddle with the "new age hippies" camping at a golf course despite Abe's suspicions. Hey Sheriff, if you want to live longer you should listen to an Agent who has spent a lifetime investigating the paranormal. Their instincts are usually right.

Subplot: One agent that has been reanimated by Gustav Stroble has no idea how he is alive again but realizes he is that Gustav's slave. Gustav is either a warlock or necromancer, and is possibly related to Ashley Stroble the Exorcist? They travel in an old fashioned horse and carriage which while anachronistic is actually more practical in the current world in which they live. The man is seeking answers for why his communion with hell is not working. As a fictional character I guess he's unlucky not to have read Hellboy Omnibus Volume 4: Hellboy in Hell

[Bill Coffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Vol. 3, we begin to see the pivot of Abe Sapien from “that other superhuman BPRD agent” to his own character, spurred along by a global apocalypse that was detailed in the BPRD series. In Vol. 4, we see a physically transformed Abe traveling the wastes of the American Southwest in search of some certainty that people do not see him as one of the monsters plaguing the Earth. As he encounters fellow survivors, we see Abe grappling with questions of his own monstrosity, but the more he confronts them, the more we see his humanity.

Increasingly compelling reading, this. If Vol. 1 and 2 left you feeling flat and Vol. 3 had you wondering if this new direction was going to work, worry no further. Abe Sapien has clearly founds its direction and heads into much more nuanced and mature territory. Great stuff all around.

[Jake Blaha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is absolutely fantastic, some of the greatest of the overall Hellboy world so far. The plot on the other hand has gotten so distracted. The… adventures (?) Allie places Abe on in this volume are messy and have strange messages behind them. Abe Sapien’s story in this volume is easily the least enjoyable part. The last 20 or so pages somewhat redeem the book, though, as it excitingly furthers the overarching plot of hellboy and the bprd’s world with some callbacks that are finally starting to birth consequences. Idk I love this series so much, but it just seems like the hell on earth plot line is freezing over. The apocalypse is much sleepier than I anticipated at the end of the war on frogs run. I’m not going to stop reading though lol

[Skyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of graphic novels has a very depressing storyline with no redemption in sight. The earth is being destroyed and humanity is being wiped out, but the story itself is super slow and just seems to be meandering aimlessly along. New characters and new monsters are introduced and then killed off in every new volume. I like Abe Sapien as a character, but he is written like a flat, one dimensional supporting character even when he’s the main character in his own series of graphic novels. I’m going to have to give up on reading the rest of these. It’s too close to real life.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abe hitches a ride with a group of Hispanic spiritualists who riff on the end of the world and what it could mean- lots of good dialogue here. Of course, they mostly all end up dead or injured and Abe has to go back out alone to a small desert town, a group of hippies are doing blood magic and only Abe sees through the kindly neighbor facade. Hell is without a leader (Hellboy was down there slitting throats) and whatever caused THIS is still in flux. A good story overall with nice art and design but not one I’d necessarily be dying to come back to.

[Jake Kilroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a real bleakness to this arc, where the world's unraveling and Abe seems to struggle to find worth in the moments outside of immediate action. He's got a good soul he doesn't know what to do with in this particular stretch of American journey, but he's finding one supportive spirit after another, amidst a whole lot of very bad trouble—living, dead, or otherwise.

[M.i.]

Abe's story is distinctly unique from Hellboy's, and at this point, a few years removed from reading HB's fantastic series ... I am beginning to buy in to the fact, the apocalyptic setting of Abe's stories, might just be more bleak.

[Evalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm having such a great time reading everything from Abe's half of things - in fact, I now really interested in reading this and Hellboy side by side just to see how that feels. But that's a project for another time.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole series could be called chasing Abe. He leaves the BPRD and for part of the series, is trying to make a final break with the agency.

[Koen Claeys · Rating 1 out of 5]

WTF?!?! How can the creators of this comic deliver such a confusing mess?? Terrible!!

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories here are dark and depressing the world in not in good shape with evil everywhere. Still interesting but less action and more character driven.

[Brannigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

We continue to follow Abe as he wanders America trying to find himself. I have to say I’m getting bored. Thankfully by the end of this volume he makes a decision but still doesn’t find a purpose.

[Kael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing: 3.5
Art: 3

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't really care for the dour Sapien, who is better balanced out amongst other characters in BPRD. These stories are like if Wolverine moped around all the time. Like the art a lot though.

[Melly]

Another classic comic book for all.

An extremely rich and well built story that resonates deep within you after you finish reading it.
Can't put it down

[Al Capwned · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series took a very wrong turn if you ask me. Not that I really liked it anyway.

[H. Givens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is still just confusing and I really want the apocalypse storyline to be over.