Comic Book Review - Sentinel Issue #9

Rob reviews Sentinel Issue #9...

There's panic on the streets of London as Alan Holloway channels his dark side (and inner punk) to bring us 80-page of tantalising terror! 

What's it all about? Well, we're about to hide behind the sofa as we journey into the realms of '77'!

Sentinel is one of those comics that amazes me issue after issue. With each being a mini digest that features a complete story, both Alan Holloway and Ed Doyle have one crazy imagination. So far Sentinal has tackled every genre going, and much like its Starblazer inspiration - every issue is vastly different from the previous. This time around Holloway tackle the horror genre as he teams up with veteran artist Neil Sim, as well as Sentinel co-creator Ed Doyle, Andrew Richmond and Sinclair Elliot. Not only this we also see the return of Philthy Luca who just happens to be guest editor for this issue. It's all delightfully frightful, and a great addition to the growing Sentinel library.

There are three tales to get through here so let's get on with the show...

First up it's both Holloway and Doyle who delve into the Illuminati. It's 1977 and the Queen is celebrating her Silver Jubilee. As the crowds gather we're introduced to "Royalist" Bob Blainey and conspiracy nut Darren Selman. While these two don't know each other, it's an encounter that'll change Bob's life! 

So far, so good. This opening tale plays upon that old theory about the Royal Family being lizards, as well as parodying the famous incident of Michael Fagan in which he broke into Buckingham Palace. Doyle's signature art style works wonders here. The use of black & white not only adds a somewhat chilling tone to this tale, but it also works wonders in bathing each scene with eerie shadows. Character design is also exceptional and the 3-page "dinner" scene is just fantastic. 

Next up we head off to Newcastle as Holloway brings us Monster Ink. It's a classic haunted house/creature feature as two geordie graffiti artists get more than they bargained for. It's incredibly hard not to read this without adding a terrible Geordie accent to the text. 

Andrew Richmond provides the art for this tale which is on par with that seen within 'To Be A Hero'. Again the signature Sentinel black & white style works well, especially when coupled with Richmond's cross-hatching. The scenes involving the monster are particularly gruesome with copious amounts of gore. 

Rounding out this nightmarish menagerie is 'Seven Penny Nightmare'. This time Holloway teams up with Sentinel newcomer Sinclair Elliot to bring a satirical look into comic publishing - with a horror twist.

Johnnie Walker and Paddy Milton are hard at work devising and edgy new comics. Taking inspiration from A Clockwork Orange, The Omen, and Death Wish, the duo head off to publishing editor Greg Hart. Things don't go to plan and Greg trashes the mock-up comic and throws Walker and Milton out of his office. Later that night Hart is accosted on the dark streets by non-other than Chucky Bronson and The Mechanical Tangerine - characters from Walker and Milton's book. The two characters aren't best pleased with Hart's reaction to their respective strips and as such, they make the editor an offer he can't refuse. 

Sentinel Issue #9 makes for a great read. While it's different from other Sentinel issues, the three-strip format works well. Alan Holloway's writing is not only quick and sharp, he packs plenty of story in there too. Each artist brings their flair to proceedings and is perfectly matched to their respective strips. My only criticism is that aside from the exceptional cover, we didn't get to see anything else from Neil Sim. I've been a fan of Neil's work for a while and now the artist has broken away from The77, I'd love to see him tackle a "normal" Sentinel Issue. 

Rating 9/10

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev