Abbott #5

Elena Abbott faces down the shadows in Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivel's breathtaking ABBOTT #5. The BOOM! Studios comic features complex artwork fitting the equally complex narrative that is one-part fantasy and one-part social critique. Read Full Review

Ahmed's premise and character design is top notch, but is elevated by lines from Kivel, and so on with colors from Wordie, and letters from Campbell. It's sad to see Elena Abbott go, but only because we want to see even more of what she's capable of. Read Full Review

The art in this run has been great to compliment the dark, horror images that we see and when things are all over, we get the gorgeous ray of light that really stands out in the entire run. There are a few pages with some interesting choices of style for the panel layouts but it all still flows very nicely. From the beginning, Elena has left a very strong impression on me and I believe any reader can find enjoyment in this series. Even though this is the final issue, it is clear that Elena still has more stories to tell in the future. Read Full Review

"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]. Read Full Review

A great ending to a really good, topical story that could have used a little more development with the villain. Read Full Review

The series finale was totally satisfying, even if a little anticlimactic. The art team delivered their fullest to the end and I'd love for the hint of Abbott's story continuing to bear fruit one day. Read Full Review

The final moments of this miniseries exude anti-climax. All of the hallmarks of a big moment are there, but what actually occurs on the page has little to do with the events that came before. Read Full Review

Abbott left me with more questions than answers. While it is a visual masterpiece, the story falls short. Elena is certainly an interesting character and there's a lot that can be done with her. I'd welcome further issues to explore her world and properly flesh out her destiny and her newfound abilities. As it stands, this final issue leaves something to be desired. Read Full Review

Abbott #5 closes out a series with a lot of promise that faltered in its own execution. The story and pacing are clunky, the text walls often tell more than show, and the great art isnt enough to make up for the narratives faults. Unfortunately, this one doesnt earn a recommendation. Give it a pass. Read Full Review

RaisingBlack

Jun 04, 2018

Abbott comes to a solid close but it feels like Ahmed cut the story short. The moments are solid and Kivela's art is amazing, but all of this would have been best served with more time. More time to build our main villain. More time to explore the supernatural. More time to explore the vivid supporting characters and Abbott herself. Ahmed has been doing such solid work that it is easy to forget he is still pretty new to comics and now that the number of books has increased we may see some dips in quality of his books since his brilliant run Black Bolt. I did not like this book as much as the stories that lead up to it but that is because I needed more story and Ahmed is very likely to revisit this world down the line. Overall this w as a good book with high action, great art, and satisfying ending in a mini-series (not sure if it was supposed to be a mini from the start). This would be a solid book to pick up in trade. Readers of this book should check out Shadowman over at Valiant if they want a similar story and tone to Abbott. I hope to see more work like this in the future. more