Agents of the Abyss (The Animated Series!)

 

The Agents of the Abyss first appeared over a decade ago in STF #631, and I have been meaning to bring them back ever since.  What better way than as their own animated series? I'd happily tune into a show like this over a heaping bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios. 

Sub-Mariner, Abe Sapien and Aqualad

 

I am really curious to see how Namor is realized when he appears in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.  Reports are that his backstory will be altered to differentiate him from Aquaman.  I hope they don't change too much and that he is still easily recognizable as the Sub-Mariner from the comics. I'm also very interested to see the underwater filming effects, they are supposed to use a completely different style than director James Wan has been using in the Aquaman movies.

Batman and Abe Sapien

Matt Reeve's Batman movie is ramping up with cast announcements coming every few days.  I do like that they are going with a younger cast that can stay in the roles for a while if this new vision is a hit.  Many have been comparing the villain-heavy story to The Long Halloween, which is a great story to draw inspiration from.  I am also getting the feeling that Batman: The Animated Series will be a big influence on the look and feel of this new incarnation.  Batman has seldom been presented better than in that show, so I hope my hunch is correct.

The Sub-Mariner and Abe Sapien

Of all of the famous water-dwelling heroes, Abe Sapien has my favorite design.  You can tell immediately where he belongs even when he is presented in an above ground scene.  He looks at once other worldly and heroic.  I shouldn't be surprised though, Mike Mignola's amazing ability to create unique looking characters is part of what has attracted me to his artwork for decades.

Abe Sapien and Triton

I have written before about how well realized Abe Sapien was in live action form for the Hellboy movies, and now with the announcement of an Inhumans film, I am looking forward to see Triton on the big screen.  His appearance has varied quite a bit from artist to artist over the years, so there is a lot to choose from when designing his look for film.  Hopefully, the filmmakers will stick closely to the Kirby design, you can't beat the original!

Agents of the Abyss

Aquaman is finally getting the respect he deserves.  For a long time though, he was seen was the weak link in the JLA because of his power set.  It wasn't his fault  though, he just didn't get enough chances to show off his stuff.  hey, it's tough being  a water based hero when your team's headquarters is located on a satellite or the Moon!  It's long past time that we had a super group made up of the greatest undersea heroes.  banded together, they could shine in a way they never could when teamed up with air-breathing partners.

Aquaman And Abe Sapien

I got a kick out of both Hellboy films and it's too bad that a third installment looks doubtful due to non-blockbuster box office figures, creators with other commitments, and an aging Ron Perlman.  I think that the best realized character in those flicks was Abe Sapien.  The combination of makeup, computer imagery, and Doug Jones' physique and performance made Mike Mignola's creation step right out of the comic pages.  While David Hyde Pierce did a fine job voicing Abe Sapien in the first film, I was glad that Doug Jones was given the ability to provide the vocals in the sequel (and the animated films that followed as well).