Rob reviews Sentinel Issue #10: Newtopia...
2021 was a successful year for team Sentinel. Not only have they enjoyed continued success via consistent crowdfunding - and a growing backing on social media. 2021 also saw Sentinel creator (and writer) Alan Holloway create the narrative for a whopping 5 issues and the creation of the all-ages "experiment" - Crackpot on top of this as well. As we head into 2022, Alan Holloway is busy weaving his magic for yet more issues of the successful mini digest. The first of these is 'Dark Matter' - a gritty sci-fi that centres on a group of badass mercenaries.
But before we get into 'Dark Matter', Sentinel marks its milestone tenth issue with 'Newtopia'.
'The city of Newtopia, Earth, the near future. Sure, we got flying cars, but Newtopia is not a good place to live. It's dark, damp and populated by low lives in low places. There are also aliens. Yeah, those off-planet weirdos stayed behind after their race gave the humans a technology boost. All the good ones left, but the ones who like to play with humans' lives stayed to offer us random "upgrades" for a lot of money. It certainly makes Newtopia more interesting, not knowing if the rando you're jacking might have a pyrokinesis habit he's just about to fry you with. Anyone with any sense would get out, and that's what Nick and Connie are trying to do. They have one rainy night to stay ahead of their pursuers and make the score of their lives, but when you run in Newtopia, there's always something happy to trip you up...'
The primary characters, Nick and Connie are the "outcasts" of this world, yet in trying to keep their heads above the depths - they're already at the bottom. Due to owing money for his recent upgrade, small fry Nick finds himself with quite a sizable bounty on his head. Craving a way to escape from Newtopia - and to pay off his debts - Nick convinces Connie in a daring heist on the resident anti-alien lawbreaker - Burdis. However, Nick has bitten off more than he can chew.
When it comes to the story, for the most I quite enjoyed the world that Holloway has constructed. Within Newtopia there's plenty of inspiration from other sci-fi dystopias such as Blade Runner's Los Angeles and Judge Dredd's MegaCity-1. There are plenty of towering "blocks" as well as numerous advertising signs that I'd imagine are distinctly neon. However, there's also a seedier element as we're teased with bounty hunters, illegal body modifications, and rampant crime. All these potential plot points could certainly be revisited if we're to return to Newtopia, but sadly they remain underdeveloped.
That's occasionally the issue with producing a complete story within 64 pages. Often it works, and in other moments it doesn't. Whilst we do get a somewhat satisfactory look into this word, overall it feels very flat. Holloway ferries his characters through scenes at a rapid pace which doesn't leave much breathing room. In the space of a few pages, we go from a couple who are on the run, to them than planning a heist. There are also moments where Nick's cognitive upgrades are used as a means to an end. No sooner has the action picked up the pace, Nick has ended it with a point to his temple. It just feels a little too rushed and there's no in-between. As such the cast of 'Newtopia' is very hard to connect with. I never felt an attachment to either Nick or Connie, and come to the conclusion I was glad that what happens happened.
Maybe I'm being overly harsh, and Alan if you read this review please don't take this the wrong way. Just there are a lot of ideas at play with 'Newtopia' and I do hope we get to revisit the world. If anything to flesh it out more.
Continuing the theme of featuring a guest artist for each issue, 'Newtopia' sees Holloway team up with Dave Metalfe-Carr. Those of you who've read the amazing Crackpot (check out my review here), would have seen Metalfe-Carr in action as he illustrate the strips 'Tammy's Troubles' and 'Trixstar'. With 'Newtopia', we get a style filled with bold lines that create some memorable looking characters and some incredible rainfall. There's also plenty of cameos too, such as Birdis' bodyguard being Alan Holloway, and not to mention the numerous background businesses, and the portraits in Burdis' office - and even Burdis himself. And to top it off, I think Stan Lee makes an appearance too!
Fans of Sentinel will have no worries in giving 'Newtopia' a read. Alan Holloway has laid the foundations for something that I hope he revisits - much like a lot of his other creations. Much like 'Kazana The Slayer', there's a lot thrown at you in 'Newtopia' and as such most of it is lost due to the restrictions of the mini digest formula. But away from this, there is still a somewhat enjoyable story. Holloway continues to weave the vast scope of his storytelling, and Dave Metcalfe-Carr makes a welcomed addition to the growing list of Sentinel contributors.
Rating 8/10
Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev
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