Abe Sapien 2: The Devil Does Not Jest & Others [ペーパーバック]

ARC provided by NetGalley

In the Hellboy universe Abe has always been my favorite character. I find him easier to relate to compared to the other characters, in part because he's a bit more intellectual and he acts more like I would, thinking first before leaping into situations. So it's nice to see him getting a volume that is solely dedicated to him (the first since 2008.) In this collection of stories Abe investigates a haunted lake, a sunken U-boat containing a dark surprise, and a reclusive demonologist's house,

In the first story, The Haunted Boy, Abe is takes a case of a haunted lake in Hardin, VT. A young boy had recently drowned and his spirit is appearing, while his friend survived...but perhaps he wasn't the only death? Abe discovers a darkness that threatens to destroy more than one family. It's a haunting and chilling tale, worthy of Abe's investigation. But my favorite thing about this story is the artwork. It's not the normal Hellboy art, which reminds me more of expressionist works, this art by Patric Reynolds is pure realism and fits the dark tale perfectly. It's interesting to see the characters given such depth and shadows, to feel like we can reach out and touch them. But my favorite depiction of all is Abe. He's given such life, such vibrancy and detail that we normally don't see in the stories. I love it.

The next story, The Abyssal Plain, is set out at sea in a Russian U-Boat that sunk in the 1940's. This vessel was carrying a relic of enormous healing powers, the lost Burgonet of Melchiorre, and the BPRD is attempting to retrieve it. But all of the crew may not be dead and the powers of the Burgonet are greater than what anyone thinks and Abe will have to use all of his resources to survive. This is probably my favorite story, because it takes you in a direction that you aren't quite expecting. And it makes you think...what does the BPRD really do?

The last story is possibly the darkest tale of all, The Devil Does Not Jest, where Abe goes to Maine looking for clues to a demonologist that vanished 50 years prior. And discovers that the professor went from studying demons to practicing bringing them into the world...and Abe and others might not survive what he finds. This tale gave me goosebumps and is not one that I would want to read in the dark. The tension builds slowly and perfectly in this story and the artwork will have you believing that every bump in the night is something coming for you in the darkness.

In short this is a fantastic collection. Each story hits that perfect feeling and the artwork makes the characters come to life. And the best part? Abe takes front and center stage in all three stories with Hellboy and Liz Sherman only briefly appearing in the last tale. If you're a fan of Abe like me...or a fan of the Hellboy universe then this book is a must read.

I won't lie. Mike Mignola is one of my favorite comic writers. Hellboy and BPRD are great comics. It's full of supernatural fun. Abe Sapien falls right in line.

I think the best part about Mignola's stories is that he can tell these epic, end of world stories but still make it all seem like personal struggles. These stories aren't of some chiseled, pretty boy with golden locks flowing as he saves the world and gets the girl. These stories are about people who don't know what they are or what their purpose is, but they still struggle against ancient evil. Nothing ever works out perfectly and everyone is left with scars, but they still fight.

It also helps that this book has a story drawn by my new favorite artist, James Harren. This guy is starting to get more and more popular and he is illustrating a BPRD story now called `The Long Death'. His style has a lot of kinetic energy and his monsters are always creepy. There is a scene in this Abe Sapien book that made me scream with more delight than any movie of recent memory. A giant demon bursting through the floor of someone's basement? Yay, pure win.

The book does have art from different artists telling different unrelated stories. So some art may or may not strike your fancy, but the stories are great. If you love supernatural action, then you will love this.

Reviewed by Chris for Book Sake.

I ordered this as a Christmas gift for my son in law in likes these kind of books and it was on his wish list.He seems to like the book very much. The book did not take very long to come in.Thank you very much. I will buy from this seller again. Sincerely June Johnson