Abbott: 1973

I have nothing but respect for exaggerated retellings of events that happen in the past; a light from a reporter to expose the dark secrets. I'm really liking Abbot as a character, she has wants that clash with her inner mission. But there's so much going on that she doesn't seem to have time to relax and enjoy the simple things in life. Just goes to show the more progress people can make, there'll always be threats to take it all down. Just look at her new boss, the man means well especially when it comes to presenting the best of what people can do. But he's also a cruncher, a sexist, and severely underestimates the less direct forms of opposition.

Even when you have the power to simply turn the power people use against you, the battle never gets any easier. Despite Abbot's fighting spirit, not everybody has the patience or can take on the heavy burden of responsibility for a cause. Abbot looks vulnerable in these cases as every major victory against a systemic problem seems to be paid for with a personal life's sacrifice.

I love, love, love this series. More Elena Abbott, please! Abbott is a cross between a Pam Grier blaxploitation starlet and Kolchak, the Night Stalker. She's a reporter for a small paper in Detroit and constantly comes up against supernatural threats. This time around, she's investigating a smear campaign against the first potential black mayor of Detroit, when things suddenly get much more serious. Her girlfriend is taken hostage and Elena must martial the assistance of her brother, Elmer, and his friend Nutcase to try to get her back. Excellent urban drama and look at Detroit circa 1973. I hope Ahmed and his artist collaborators have many more Abbott stories in store for us...

At first I did not realize this belonged to an already established series! But it was easy to grasp the story through context and the well-written narrative which was beginner friendly without being pandering. I have ready many comics in my day and the pacing and story beats were familiar and comforting. This book is not breaking boundaries but it doesn't have to. I appreciate that it knows what is is and does it well. Instead what it brings new to the table is a powerful queer woman of color. I love this representation! It is sorely needed in more "superhero" genre comics. There have been a number of gay characters of the years, numerous belonging to the x-men which I can recall. But rarely have they been the central character, simply one of an ensemble cast. So I appreciate the focus here. Overall, I really enjoyed this read. If you're a fan of the supernatural action genre that has been very popular in recent years I highly recommend it.

This was solid, though I wish I'd read the original 2018 run of Abbott before diving into this. The plot still made total sense, but the emotional stakes probably would've been higher, since some of the characters would've been more familiar. I particularly liked the relationship between Elena Abbott and her girlfriend Amelia, and I am curious to read further issues, given the cliffhanger this ended on.

This collection of 5 comics drops us into the middle of a fierce election between a corrupt white mayor and potentially Detroit's first black mayor. Elena Abbott, a local journalist, is working hard to ensure that those trying to meddle with the election are revealed. We quickly learn that hatred-fueled supernatural beings are interfering with the town's residents, and Elena is the Lightbringer with powers against them. Will Elena stop them before they sabotage the election and destroy the people that she loves?

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Comic book/Graphic Novel; Supernatural, Historical Fiction
Location: Detroit
Reminds me of: Alyssa Cole's When No One is Watching

This gave me serious Alyssa Cole "When No One is Watching" vibes - where racist neighborhood meddling has supernatural undercurrents. I liked how it pairs light vs. dark and that the journalist main character can shine light on the darkness with her work. It was exciting as she fought to uncover who / what was threatening her loved ones and the neutrality of the upcoming election.

This was a sequel to a previous series of comics, and I suspect if I'd read these, I'd be more familiar with the backstory and be more emotionally invested in the characters. Because I hadn't, some of the character and story just fell a little flat.

I definitely related to her battles to be a badass journalist pushing against a boss who just wanted to feminize her and relinquish her to domestic spaces. His efforts to make her dress more conventionally and show her off as a prize felt equal to the evil faced with the supernatural spirits.

I saw so much potential in this comic and am eager to read the preceding comics to see if it provides that deeper context I wanted here.

Thanks to @boom_studios and #netgalley for this eARC.

Author Saladin Ahmed's latest work 'Abbott: 1973', traces the life of reporter Elena Abbott's journey as she covers the city election and trying to protect the city from evil powers. I absolutely loved the way author has infused in the story the issues of racial discrimination, woman's rights and the rights of African American people through the mastery of writing style and narration. Overall, it was a great experience going through the work. I give it 5 stars and highly recommend it.

With Abbot: 1973, Saladin Ahmed proves once again why he is one of the most talked-about names in comics today. Abbott continues to be one of the best titles in comics publishing and Abbott: 1973 is no exception.

Abbott:1973 stars a queer, black superhero lead against a gritty 1970s Detroit setting. The art style feels old school 70s/80s Marvel, which is fitting for the setting of the comic. And it even feels like Spider-man with the main character being a journalist/news paper reporter. I didn't realize this wasn't a standalone, and while it was easy to get into and understand, I think it would be better to read all of the parts together as intended.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love the setup for Abbott. She's a black, lesbian reporter for a Black newspaper in 1970's Detroit. She also stumbles into the fact that she's the Lightbringer, with supernatural powers she doesn't really understand. She tries her best to protect Detroit from the Umbra, a malevolent force being used by a shadowy contingent of magicians.

In this volume, a new boss has bought the newspaper she works at. While he seems to have ethics, he's also very sexist and demanding. The mayoral election is approaching and for the first time, there's a real chance Detroit will elect its first Black mayor. She starts investigating some racist propaganda pamphlets that are being left in the doors of White people. Meanwhile, the members of the Umbra keep coming after Elena.

I really like how Ahmed uses Detroit as a character in the story. I lived in the area for some time and he uses real world places like the Detroit Institute of the Arts as the backdrop for the story. Coleman Young really was elected mayor in 1973 and would remain the mayor for the next 20 years. Detroit has a long history of racial divides and strife and I like that Ahmed isn't glossing over any of it.

Thank you to Saladin Ahmed, Netgalley, and BOOM! Studios for giving me a chance to read this lovely comic!

Our story is set in 1970s Detroit and follows our main character Elena Abbot, a black lesbian who works for a black newspaper. As she is investigating the white supremacy pamphlets being left outside of white homes in light of the potential first black mayor, she is also coming to terms with her powers as the Lightbringer and her role in stopping the malevolent supernatural force the Umbra. As both sides of her life begin to mix, she realizes that it may be up to her to stop whatever evil lies below the surface.

I absolutely loved this! I can safely say there is nothing that I would change about it in the slightest. I love our queer poc rep in both Elena and her girlfriend, and especially as lead characters! I loved that social issues such as sexism and racism are not shied away from and are instead explored and put into context. It made the story feel so much more alive as opposed to existing in a vacuum! I absolutely love the art style, everything is so detailed in the classic comic style but so vibrant and colorful to fit more modern audiences. And on top of all that, the plot is so interesting. Unlike anything I've ver read.

If you're looking for a different type of read, definitely pick this up. It will not disappoint.

Official title: Abbott 1973
My title: Abbott of Light
Author: Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivela, Mattia Lacono
Publisher: @boom_studios
Fav character: Abbott
Readability: Smooth
Type: Graphic Novel
5/5
PUB DAY: Oct 12th, 2021

Abbott the investigative reporter, living in 1973 Detroit, USA, is out here killing nodes, fighting sexists and being awesome. LOVED IT!

Elena Abbott, reporter and awesome super-powered human, has had this whole life-changing experience involving a murdered husband and an evilness called ‘the umbra’, before we meet her in this volume. She has recovered from her loss and is now dating her gorgeous childhood friend, Amelia. However, things are changing in Detroit and their lives will be threatened.

The city is about to elect its first ‘black’ mayor, if the telephone polls are to be believed, and naturally, the down and trodden people are excited about the prospect. That is, until ‘caucasian’ residents begin receiving incendiary flyers filled with racist and vile propaganda against the darker residents. Naturally, this begins to change the tide of the election but Abbott senses there is more to the story and decides to investigate.

She is met by resistance by the new Editor in Chief of the Detroit Chronicle, and ex-marine sexist who believes female reports shouldn’t stress themselves beyond their frail capabilities and should always be eye candy for him to consume. Abbott doesn’t allow herself to be caught up in office drama, politics and secrets.

‘The umbra’ is back, spreading its evil energy through the hatred simmering in Detroit, and it must be stopped. Abbot must find those responsible for the racist flyers and t.v. commercials, find the umbra before it claims the lives of those she loves, save Amelia from the gangsters she once worked for, learn how to use her powers and defeat the evil intent on corrupting Detroit. You know, basic things. 😏

I recommend the read.