REVIEW: Abbott #5

Is there a term or phrase in comics for the perfect ending? Is there such a thing as a great comic closer or the perfect comic book close out? In gymnastics, figure skating and acrobatics it“s called “sticking the landing.”“ In literature, critics and reviewers use fancy French-derived words like ”˜denouement“ to describe endings that seamlessly resolve complicated narrative threads. Of course there is no such thing as a perfect ending, but Boom Studios“ “Abbott,”“ brought to you by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivela, and Jason Wordie has just set an exceptionally high bar for how comic artists conclude a story arc.

Readers have likely been both anticipating and lamenting the release of issue #5. We“ve been anticipating how Ahmed and company might possibly be able to convincingly conclude what has been a wild and wonderful ride through 1970s Americana. “Abbott”“ is a story centered on the city of Detroit but somehow brilliantly resonant with America writ large, in all of its mediated, racialized, sexist splendor both in the 20th century and in the 21st. Some readers (present company included) have also been lamenting the fact that “Abbott”“ is a mini-series, limited to only five issues. It is the kind of comic that we need and want more of in our current cultural and political moment.

Abbott“s eponymous protagonist is a heroine whose only super powers are her keen journalistic acumen, the flash of her camera, and her own peculiar inner light. This light guides her through the darkest enclaves of racism and sexism in her profession, but this isn“t the total substance of this story. In fact, Abbott“s inter-sectional themes are grounded ”“ inextricably ”“ in the brilliant detective story of the series itself. People (who happen to be Black) have been disappearing. And because those who have disappeared are socially invisible, Abbott becomes their only hope for justice ”“ which in this world also means that she is their key to an ultimate liberation from oppressive demonic forces.

The otherworldly elements of “Abbott”“ are fantastically realized in the visual artistry of Sami Kivela and Jason Wordie, but the driving engine of “Abbott”“ is the story, a narrative that was almost unruly with its heady mix of police misconduct, Black world-building, and an arcane retrograde racist as its antagonist. But the story was never out of control. “Abbott”“ is a storyworld crafted by a master in his prime. Ahmed is as capable in this sci-fi fantasy milieu as he is in the superhero genre ”“ maybe more so.

In many parts of the real world (less so in America), passengers applaud when a pilot makes a safe landing. It is just one way that they signal their gratitude for the person most responsible for making sure they are able to walk away from their travels intact and healthy. “Abbott”“ is sort of like a flying time machine. It whisks through 1970s Detroit in one instance but can quickly and authentically pivot into the netherworld of the undead in another. It has brought its readers on a journey through 1970s Detroit, the world beyond and back ”“ with an extraordinary amount of agility and care. And most importantly, Ahmed and company have delivered a denouement that resolves many of the series“ most complicated questions even as it leaves readers wanting more and more. [Insert applause sound effects here]. 4.5/5

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Saladin Ahmed (A) Sami Kivela (CA) Taj Tenfold