BOOM! Studios has announced the 2018 launch of an all-new supernatural crime thriller series entitled Abbott. At the helm of this new original series is Hugo Award-nominated writer Saladin Ahmed (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms) and artist Sami Kivelä (Beautiful Canvas).
Abbott follows Elena Abbott, a female journalist of color in 1970s Detroit, as she investigates a series of grisly crimes the police have ignored. These crimes appear to be the work of a dark magical force, the same force that murdered her husband 10 years ago. While searching for clues, Abbott is pulled into the crosshairs of a mysterious power out for more blood, all the while navigating a harsh social environment.
“Abbott is a brilliant, tenacious reporter covering everything from organized crime to police brutality, but she's a shell of her former self. She knows she won't be whole until she unravels the mystery of her husband's murder,” shared Ahmed.
A Detroit native himself, Ahmed had been wanting to write a story set in his hometown, especially during a pivotal moment in its history. While Abbott is his first original comic series, Ahmed has received critical acclaim for his first comics project, Black Bolt for Marvel.
"A cast of hippie wizards, black revolutionaries, and cranky newsmen also appear in Abbott, but the real co-star of the book is the city of Detroit. Set in 1972 ‒ the year Nixon was reelected and Motown Records left for Los Angeles ‒ Abbott takes place against a backdrop of white flight and black renaissance in Detroit,” continued Ahmed.
Sami Kivelä has also been enjoying critical success with his recent Black Mask title, Beautiful Canvas. “I’m very excited to bring Abbott and her world alive. She’s a fascinating character, and I can’t wait for people to explore ’70s Detroit and its shadowy secrets with her,” added Kivelä.
”Saladin and Sami are two of 2017’s breakout stars, and we could not be more excited to bring them together to kick off 2018. A story about the systemic evils of oppression and prejudice that plague our country and the one woman brave enough to stand up against them, Abbott is an exhilarating, thought-provoking series that could not be timelier, despite its 1970s setting,” remarked Eric Harburn, Editor, BOOM! Studios.
Abbott #1 features a main cover illustrated by Taj Tenfold (Sisters of Sorrow) and a variant cover by Micaela Dawn (Victor LaValle’s Destroyer).
Print copies will be available for sale January 2018 at local comic book shops or through the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from comiXology, iBooks, and Google Play, and on the BOOM! Studios app.
