Broken Frontier

In the final installment of B.P.R.D.: Garden of Souls, Mike Mignola and company put to rest the mystery of Abe Sapien’s origin . . . kind of.

The trip of a story telling us the origin of Abe Sapien is finally over. Some questions are answered, some villains are vanquished, and a certain amphibious man-thing comes to terms with who he currently is. In this issue Abe has to confront some events and actions of his past and how those particular incidents shape the man he is today. In an oddly action packed issue of dramatic revelation and inner conflict, Mignola shows us how complicated it would actually be to live the lives that members of the B.P.R.D. live.

But it isn’t only Mignola, is it? He is helped along the way by John Arcudi, whose writing style balances nicely with Mignola’s. Both men have a knack for telling tales of a more macabre nature, John perhaps is best well known for his work on The Mask, and Mignola for everyone’s favorite noble demon, Hellboy. Their twisted take on superheroics has given readers a surprisingly grounded story that is not only grounded but disturbing as well. In addition, characterization is a strong point in both men’s work, so it should come as no surprise when I say that the characterization is a strong point in the storytelling of this comic.

But it isn’t the only strong point. Guy Davis’ art is also quite strong. His work, which is deceptive in its simplicity, never ceases to amaze. There is no one more capable of drawing a tale with such eerie overtones. The lines are sharp and hard and the foreboding facial expressions he gives his characters can send shivers up a man’s spine. Additionally, his renderings of animals that quite simply Should Not Be and men living inside the walking machines that were once Abe Sapien’s friends are enough to make you quietly gasp in a mix of awe and disgust. In this book, that is quite a good thing.

Everyone who knows anything about Hellboy’s little universe knows that Abe Sapien is a sort of "rock" to all of the other characters. This is probably why he is so likeable. How could you not like a guy who doesn’t know anything about his past and by the way is amphibious, and he nevertheless manages to be the constant voice of reason? Well, now we all know a little more about Abe and I think we are all better because of it.