Abbott: 1973

Abbott #2

by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivelä (Illustrator)

Elena Abbott is one of Detroit’s toughest reporters, who must now exhaust all her abilities as a reporter and a supernatural savior to rescue Detroit from dark forces trying to corrupt the city’s most important election—but at what cost to her own life?

A WAR FOR THE SOUL OF DETROIT. Elena Abbott is one of Detroit’s toughest reporters—and after defeating the dark forces that murdered her husband, she’s focused on the most important election in the city’s history. But when someone uses dark magic to sabotage the campaign of the prospective first Black mayor of Detroit, it becomes clear to Abbott that the supernatural conspiracy in her city is even greater than she ever imagined. Now Abbott must exhaust all her abilities as a reporter and a supernatural savior to rescue Detroit—but at what cost to her own life? Miles Morales: Spider-Man mastermind & Eisner Award-winning writer Saladin Ahmed and acclaimed Machine Gun Wizards artist Sami Kivelä return to the Hugo Award-nominated world of Abbott, as the eponymous unstoppable reporter tackles a new corruption taking over Detroit in 1973 and the supernatural threat behind it. Collects Abbott: 1973 #1-5.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, LGBT

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2021

About the author

Saladin Ahmed was born in Detroit and raised in a working-class, Arab American enclave in Dearborn, MI.

His short stories have been nominated for the Nebula and Campbell awards, and have appeared in Year's Best Fantasy and numerous other magazines, anthologies, and podcasts, as well as being translated into five foreign languages. He is represented by Jennifer Jackson of the Donald Maass Literary Agency. THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON is his first novel.

Saladin lives near Detroit with his wife and twin children.

Reviews

[exploraDora · Rating 2 out of 5]

***2 stars***

I really hoped I'd like this graphic novel, but unfortunately it wasn't for me. I feel like the story itself had a lot of potential and the art is beautiful, but the writing was terrible. I just couldn't look past that.

I still think many will like this way more than I did, though..

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the setup for Abbott. Elena Abbott is a black, lesbian reporter for a Black newspaper in 1970's Detroit. She also stumbles into the fact that she's the Lightbringer, with supernatural powers she doesn't really understand. She tries her best to protect Detroit from the Umbra, a malevolent force being used by a shadowy contingent of magicians.

In this volume, a new boss has bought the newspaper she works at. While he seems to have ethics, he's also very sexist and demanding. The mayoral election is approaching and for the first time, there's a real chance Detroit will elect its first Black mayor. She starts investigating some racist propaganda pamphlets that are being left in the doors of White people. Meanwhile, the members of the Umbra keep coming after Elena.

I really like how Ahmed uses Detroit as a character in the story. I lived in the area for some time and he uses real world places like the Detroit Institute of the Arts as the backdrop for the story. Coleman Young really was elected mayor in 1973 and would remain the mayor for the next 20 years. Detroit has a long history of racial divides and strife and I like that Ahmed isn't glossing over any of it.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second outing doesn't quite have the energy of the first as it falls into a middle-of-the-trilogy lull, with tough-as-nails reporter Elena Abbott spending the whole book fighting a succession of acolytes to the ultimate big bad. And either Abbott is way overpowered or the henchmen were way underpowered because there is not much to any of the battles in time or effort beyond a blast or two of light.

Still, I'm going to round up to three stars because I like the characters and hope the next volume helps them live up to their potential. And I hope there is a next volume, because there are a lot of unresolved storylines and a couple huge cliffhangers.

[Mallory Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

i enjoyed this comic so much--i mean, queer black woman journalist at the forefront of a supernatural battle?? the whole thing was so good! elena abbott is a great character and i loved her relationship with amelia and the reflection of the era on their interactions. this is great for fans of a traditional or vintage comic who want to experience that format from a nuanced perspective. i'm looking forward to reading more of Abbott in the future.

thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an ARC through netgalley!

[chelsea reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf @43%.

i really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. i didn't like the storyline and plot - i found nothing about it captivating. the characters were flat and boring. and i didn't like the art style.

i understand that other people will probably like this book more than me.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley

A great follow up to the first volume. I think Abbot is such a great main character and I liked that we got to see more of the relationship between her and Amelia as well as introducing a few new characters to the mix. Overall just a really solid and well-paced story, would definitely recommend to people who like horror or mystery but want more diverse characters [something that is still fairly hard to find in mystery/thriller stuff in particular].

[Frédéric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent ideas, poor translation on paper. Abbott is a good character, the time, place and social context are very interesting but the main plot is treated without much originality and conviction.

We’re obviously in the middle arc of a 3 parter so the book suffers the usual lull before the end of level boss with the mandatory mid-level underlings fights and all that.
Bad Shadow people want to kill nice Light lady because that’s their what they do and Abbott is so overpowered there’s no tension whatsoever. So the story lazily follows its marked path up to the final twist.

Abbott’s brother and his zanny friend are introduced but only serve as background sidekicks like Rick and T.C. in a Magnum episode. The character I actually found most interesting was Abbott’s new boss at the paper; supporting a Black mayor for Detroit yet having very conservative views on women. Not the most original ever but still more than the 2 former.

Art is rather meh, without much of storytelling to speak with.

[Kay ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great follow up to Abbott that let us explore new characters and cute domestic moments between Elena and Amelia. That ending was not expected and I need the next series to come up ASAP!

--

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel was set during the time period where African Americans didn't have rights the way they fought for. I honestly wasn't expecting the science fiction part of the graphic novel to take place the way that it did but, I loved it! We follow our main character who has a girlfriend and brother who are side characters. Our main character is the only female to work at the newspaper as a reporter and when it changes hands she runs into sexism. No matter the jokes or smart remarks her new boss makes, our main character perseveres and makes a positive situation out of it all. I highly recommend this graphic novel to anybody who loves sci fi and historical fiction tied together!

[Benji Glaab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Volume 1 this was a fantastic read and I'm happy to see this is an ongoing series now. I have always been intrigued by a historical setting that gives a story great bones. American Civil rites movements, and 1970's Detroit is an awesome backdrop to tell a story. This volume feels a bit more rushed for whatever reason and didn't really feel like there was much depth in a case to be solved. Instead page time was given to developing Abbott's relationships and building some plot to give this story legs in the long run.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, love this series. More Elena Abbott, please! Abbott is a cross between a Pam Grier blaxploitation starlet and Kolchak, the Night Stalker. She's a reporter for a small paper in Detroit and constantly comes up against supernatural threats. This time around, she's investigating a smear campaign against the first potential black mayor of Detroit, when things suddenly get much more serious. Her girlfriend is taken hostage and Elena must martial the assistance of her brother, Elmer, and his friend Nutcase to try to get her back. Excellent urban drama and look at Detroit circa 1973. I hope Ahmed and his artist collaborators have many more Abbott stories in store for us...

[LesbianBarista · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I thought this was a stand alone, so I'm sure there's things I'm missing in this review!

Don't let the description fool you, there is no dead husband! It's not spoiler but it's necessary to know because I kept expecting the other shoe to drop and the stress gave me a headache. I know typically the people that write the descriptions for books and graphic novels sometimes don't read the content but... c'mon whoever did this. You showed your ass.

I love mysteries and I LOVE when it's a small hero with powers both solving the mystery and kicking ass with her powers. The noir-esque style was absolutely stellar with the great storytelling. If you haven't read Abbot (which I didn't! Oops) being thrown into the middle of this story isn't an issue. It actually made it pretty interesting to read and now I'm excited to go back and read what I can piece together is the actual start of the story.

Saladin Ahmed made great characters, and it's a sign of a great writer when you introduce them for two pages and I am immediately attached to them. I don't want anything bad to happen to any of these characters and it makes me so nervous to know they have more story to tell.

Please let Elena and Amelia have their happily ever after... somehow!

There was one continuity error that bugged me, which is small, but like... the dog? At the start it was brown and white and at the end it's just solidly white and I don't know if it's a part of the larger story or if it is just a missed color but whatever. Not enough to take any love away from the book, but just something to kind of ?? at.

A really solid read that's entertaining and engaging!

[Eliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was not aware that Abbott: 1973 was part of a larger series until after I started reading this. But since that was my fault, I tried not to let that influence my enjoyment and overall rating as much as possible. With that said, there were definitely some pieces of the story that I missed and felt lost on, so I do recommend reading the earlier works before this one. This was still pretty easy to follow, and I was able to pick up on the missing pieces relatively easily, but it definitely would have been easier if I had the context.

Overall though, this was objectively a pretty solid read! I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere the most, and especially the art style. I did find the plot the be a little predictable and basic, but still enjoyable. The dialogue was good for the most part and I liked the character relationships, but I found it to occasionally be just a bit overdramatic. The plot also felt rushed at times; I would have liked to spend more time with certain characters and have some scenes be more drawn out.

I’m not sure if I’ll want to continue with this series, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to read the first volume!

[Emmett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down.

As much as I enjoyed the first Abbott, this one left something to be desired. While the art was great, the story did feel a bit rushed. The pacing was a little too quick, the action a little too simple, challenges too easy to overcome… and it all came to an unsatisfying conclusion. All the likable characters from the first volume are back, with some new introductions to the cast- but there was very little character development as it was sacrificed for action.

Surprisingly, I was more interested in Abbot’s life as a reporter rather than as a hero in this volume. I think the reason behind her powers should have been revealed at this point and maybe we also need a fresh villain?

I would be open to checking out the next volume, but I do hope it answers more questions than it presents. For anyone thinking of picking this up, make sure you read the previous volume first!

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Vish · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

*Thank you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for the ARC. All my opinions are my own*

I really liked the art style in this. It was very dark, spooky and atmospheric for October. I loved the 70’s vibe and clothing (not the blatant racism and sexism our character has to go through). I have to say I was confused with the fantasy elements in the story. I had to double-check that this was the first volume (it is) so I didn’t miss anything. I tend to be confused about the magic and the world in the first volume because there’s not much dialogue to flesh out the world (duh) but as I read the series I know I’ll understand more. Will definitely be continuing the series.

*EDIT: Found the first volume! It's Abbott published in 2018

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to netgalley for providing me with a copy for this book to review.

As someone who enjoyed the first bindup of Abbott (published in 2018) very much I was excited to dig into this next installment - and I'll have to say that it didn't disappoint at all! The art style is cool, stunning, and visually inventive, and just really nice to look at. The characters are compelling and the plot upholds a tense atmosphere throughout every single issue.
My only criticism of this book is that it felt very much like a sequel, succumbing to what I would otherwise call "second book syndrome". Nevertheless, it was still very enjoyable.

[Leilani Mroczkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is FIRE. I am so here for this Black, queer, demon-fighting journalist. I definitely enjoyed the first volume more than this one. 1973 moves really quickly and doesn’t have the same suspense building as the first volume. I felt like this volume was setting up for the next. But I love the characters and I LOVE the illustrations and coloring. In addition to the supernatural story that is unfolding, the writer weaves in issues stemming from racism and sexism that the protagonist must also overcome which makes Elena’s character seem so real. Highly recommend!

[rachel, x · Rating 4 out of 5]

#1) Abbott ★★★★☆

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

All right I'll admit I probably should have read the first series before diving into this one. That doesn't mean Ahmed doesn't do a good job of bringing new readers up to speed on what is going on. There is enough back story dropped, without a huge exposition dump, for the reader to understand that Elena Abbott is someone who is proud of who she is, has supernatural abilities that she is learning about, and a fierce desire to do what is right while protecting her loved ones.

I have some recollection of the time period, yes I'm that old, and Black owned newspapers still existed in some large American series. Unfortunately the sexist attitudes of the paper's, Elena's employer, new owner were also still prevalent at the time.

Will I be around for more stories about Elena, her friends and family, her fight against forces of supernatural darkness and racism? Yes, there remains plenty that Ahmed has left himself to work with here. Does Ahmed do a solid, good job of growing Elena's character, yes.

At the risk of getting into trouble, did I enjoy that Ahmed portrayed Elena's sexuality (she's a lesbian) her desire to fight racism with truth without bashing the reader over the head, oh hell yeah. He does this a whole lot better than many woke writers I have encountered this past year.

(Full disclosure read as digital floppies).

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

My review of the first Abbott volume still applies here: Abbott: 1973 is decent when it's about Abbott, Detroit reporter, and it's bland and confusing when it's about Abbott, "Lightbringer." Apparently, Abbott has to fight her way through all the mystical demons in Detroit to prevent them from halting the election of the city's first black mayor.

A narrative where a reporter uncovers white supremacist attempting to falsify an election in the 70s? Boy, that would be fun. Abbott: 1973 hints at that storyline initially, then devolves into the supernatural stuff. The book continues to be well-paced with excellent period art, but I couldn't be bothered with all the purple villains floating around.

[Jaclyn Hillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great addition to Volume 1 of Abbott. She is still fighting against sexism in the workplace, and the dark supernatural beings that haunt her dreams. But now they’re after the ones she loves. Please tell me there will be another volume, because I need more!

[Václav · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3,7 of 5 for nice mystery comics)
I was curious about the second arc of Abbott because the first one was pretty nice, fresh and with nice art. Well, the art stays - looks good, invoking seventies and working well for both magical and real aspects of the story.
Considering the story, the first half is a bit slow, copying the first arc and good old genre tropes. Of course with Boom and this topic, you must expect extra effort in the "woke" department. But with Abbott, it works fine. Because the premise and the gradation of the story are pretty simple, the first half feels a bit slow and dull, but the second half jumps into the action. I really liked the new character (Nutcase), he's like the little bit of spice which made a significant difference. Also, Abbott's brother is a great addition and expansion to Elena's background.
Overall, despite some flaws, I had fun, but I'm not sure if I will follow next Abbott's adventure. And there will be one because of that big ass cliffhanger...

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This graphic novel had so much potential but it just wasn’t for me. We follow a queer black reporter in 1970’s Detroit who has some sort of magical/mystical powers. I was so interested in this story as someone who lives in the Detroit area, loves graphic novels, & queer POC books. It unfortunately fell at for me. To start, we are just thrown into the story with no real idea what’s going on or what the magical/paranormal really is and it left me so confused. I will say that I loved the artwork, it was beautiful and colorful, but other than that there wasn’t much else I enjoyed. I feel that many people will love this story, it unfortunately just was not for me.

[Fox Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow, I read this not knowing it was the second of a trilogy until I read the other reviews here, and I think that really affected my experience in reading it.

I really thought I'd love this based on the premise, but it was a struggle to complete and even up to the end I never really connected with any of the characters enough to care about the overall story, which is a shame because it was a very cool story. I know a lot of people would really love this, I just wasn't one of them.

[Nicole Geub · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is great! Edgy and dark with magic abound! The main character is a lightbringer and fights against the evil Umbra who seem to be evil magical spirits. She's a news reporter in Detroit in the 70's and also fights these magical creatures on the side. The ending leaves you totally wanting more so I can't wait for the next arc in this series!

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this volume much better than the previous. The story just seemed to flow much better. Set against the turmoil of 1973 Detroit, we have a gritty drama laced with supernatural horror. My biggest complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger and I'm not sure if we'll ever get to see the conclusion.

[Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent story, it's just all over and done with so fast. This should have been extended across a few more issues. I have another problem with her powers. She has way too much power so the enemies have no sense of danger at all and she doesn't suffer for using the powers either, very lazy.

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

hahahaha what

Rep: Black bi mc, Chinese American lesbian li, Black side characters

[Josephine Taylor]

DNF @ 30%

I just lost interest

[Thomas Bruso · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second volume of Abbott does not have the drive and enthusiasm of the first volume. If there is a third book, I hope the storyline can get back on track.