A review of Abyss 1 & 2 By Dave Galanter (Cap) December 29, 2007 Rating: 8.5 / 10

Script: Kevin Rubio
Pencils and Cover: Lucas Marangon
Inks: Nick Schley

Abyss, in its first few pages, might seem like it’s a parody of Batman, but it's not, and when you realize that it becomes far more interesting. Especially when you realize it's not just a parody of comics--which it is, but not just that--and it's a comic book that's poking fun at everything, from Paris Hilton and the media to the military and comic book conventions (as in the conventions of comic books, not the meetings of comic book geeks).

Written with wit by Kevin Rubio, who has an experienced eye for parody, having been responsible for the movie "Troops" which also didn't stand at poking a finger in the eye of merely one topic or genre, Abyss crackles with the same bemused but snide look at the comic book world. (And I'll say now--because I'm not sure where else to put this in the review, the physical and visual quality of this book is excellent. The art is easy on the eyes and understandable and has a wit of its own, and the quality of the cover and paper is top notch. And for under $3? I wish Marvel and DC were putting out a book for that which felt so nice in my hand.)

In issue one, we meet Eric, son of a rich industrialist who has just inherited his father's vast fortune. And his superhero lair and toys. Except that they're super VILLIAN toys, and his father was a very bad man. Assuming he's actually dead. Which--hey, it's a comic book. But Eric is a good guy and while he doesn't immediately think to take his father's wares and make himself a superhero, we can see how it's probably going. Suddenly we're a book that mixes elements Greatest American Hero with parody of Green Arrow with Batman with--yeah, there are too many things in this melting pot to mention.

Don't think Abyss is all one-liners or set up situations that just mirror the absurdities of the comics we read--there's both a story here with some good characters, and there's also a plethora of visual gags. One tiny example? Eric first finds his father's lair when he accidentally knocks over the hinged head of a bust of Shakespeare. You figure like in the original Batman TV series there'll be a switch that opens a secret passage, right? Wrong. He finds cookies. Just as you and I would do, he wonders what's the in "Cookie Monster Cookie Jar" labeled "ALL MINE." You know what he finds there.

If I've made the book sound like a comic book version of the movie Airplane, I don't mean to do that because it has a depth that such parody movies tend not to have. It was clear in the first issue that Eric was more than two dimensional but in issue two it becomes more obvious there's a story that's being told here. Eric is a real character whom one can't help but like and sympathize with and one becomes interested not just in where the plot is going but where he is going.

I'm going to give both issues together an 8.5 jointly, but it's difficult to really rate them yet since it's only half the story. I will tell you this--I'm sticking around for the other half, and should Red5Comics do more Abyss, it'll be on my pull list.

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