REVIEW: Abbott 1979 #2

Detroit is officially under supernatural siege in Abbott: 1979 #2. Will Elana embrace her destiny and help save her community?

The Umbrea, a mystical embodiment of hopelessness and despair has been set loose upon Detroit. And Elena has been tapped as the one to stop it as a Lightbringer. She is struggling with both her newfound powers and responsibilities and needs help from friends from her old neighborhood and from another dimension. The issue is a mix of 70’s blaxploitation, hard-boiled detective tales, and psychedelic flower power. It might sound like a bit too much but writer Saladin Ahmed masterfully intertwines the genres to create something truly unique. Elana may not have here hero thing down pat yet buut she’s far from a damsel in distress. In fact, all of the characters have personality and an air of mystery to their backstories and relationships with one another to keep their interactions interesting.

The art is gritty matching the urban noir vibes of the writing. The coloring is mostly dark, the environments are mostly inner city focused, and the characters are drawn with a rough edge to them. One can almost hear the Curtis Mayfield being played as the characters inhabit the world created here. But there are also elements of the fantastical, Elana has magical powers after all and when she uses them, they look cool. But her magical guide Sebastian is the artistic highlight. If legendary Guns N Roses guitarist Slash was a wizard in the 1970’s he’d look like Sebastian. Being colored in shades of black and white only add to his cool factor. Overall, the art of Sami Kivela and the coloring of Dan Jackson is a perfect match. It compliments the story being told, and helps both build the world and bring it to life.

Abbott: 1979 #2 is an origin/destiny story with style thanks to its unique setting and protagonist. A take no mess lead character trying to help her community and dealing with social issues of the time while also trying to figure out how to deal with actually having magic powers. Elana is tasked with bringing light to the darkness literally but the symbolism extends to her real-life environment as well. It is a very intriguing mix of the two. And with questions about her past and some messy interpersonal relationships in play, it looks like she’ll have a lot more to deal with than an impeding one-on-one fight with Umbrea. If you are looking for a new comic that mixes the familiar with the very unique, this is an issue well worth checking out.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4.5 Stars
Coloring – 4 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Saladin Ahmed
Art by; Sami Kivela
Colors by; Dan Jackson
Letters by; Jim Campbell
Published by; Boom! Studios

Author Profile

Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.