Comic Book Review - Sentinels #1

The X-Men’s most fearsome foe gets an upgrade… 

Sentinels is the latest story to come from the wider ‘From the Ashes’ X-Men narrative that’s taking mutant-kind into new territory since Krakoa’s fall. Where the majority of these new stories have placed their focus on the heroes, Sentinels follows a group of Sentinel-tech enhanced hunters who operate out of Greymalkin Penitentiary - the former Xavier mansion. With human and mutant relationships ever more strained after the events of Krakoa, can these new Sentinels keep the fragile peace? 

The set-up to Sentinels is pretty simple and writer Alex Paknadel doesn’t pull any punches in telling us that we’re following the bad guys of this new era. Lawrence Trask (the son of the Sentinel creator, Bolivar Trask) is front and centre as he’s been hired to hunt down the mutant kinds most wanted. In true Trask fashion, Lawrence utilises Sentinel technology to turn injured veterans into cyborg warriors with the sole purpose of hunting these mutant threats. While the soldiers who undertake this augmentation willing to accept their upgrades, their actual powers are a complete mystery. Not only do we see one Sentinel with her built-in Hulkbuster armour, but another soon realises she can shoot flames out of her mouth much like Godzilla. It’s a crazy idea but makes each character unpredictable. It’s also this unpredictable nature that gives the Sentinel team a great shot at capturing their first villain… Omega Red!

I’ve been looking forward to this new series for quite a while, and I’m glad to say that Paknadel hasn’t disappointed. While the bulk of this opening deals with introducing us to the Sentinel team and their unique skills, it doesn’t forego any human interaction. Early on we see that the team are fairly new and their composition still isn’t as high as it should be. There’s very little teamwork on show as each member attempts to take down Omega Red on their terms. Likewise, we also dive into the psyche of the team as Paknadel touches upon mental insecurities and a fragile sense of unease. The team's leader, Lockstep gets the bulk of this exploration. Not only do we learn that he has trouble with the chain of command making decisions for him, but he also shows signs of a troubled history. 

At its heart, Sentinels is a very militaristic-driven story. It’s one where we explore the military-industrial complex as humanity attempts once again to keep mutants in check. Its narrative doesn’t pull any punches or even attempt to sugarcoat what’s happening on the page as we get a stark reminder that no one is truly indestructible within this new era. It’s truly a great way to kick off this new series with some amazing tension as it feels like no one trusts anyone else at this point - and we’re only on issue #1! In a way, Paknadel brings a slice of 2000 AD to Marvel with the whole story feeling much like a Futureshock mixed with a little Judge Dredd authority. 

The artwork comes from Justin Mason and Federico Blee and is as rough and gritty as a taught military thriller should be. Each Sentinel displays their personality across this issue yet Mason’s pencil work gives each a shadowy feel of that emotionless Sentinel technology waiting to take over. This does happen at one point in gruesome fashion which harkens back to the scene from Superman 3! The action comes quickly and fast as we get a brutal display of the battle with Omega Red. Each team member is given time to show off their powers whilst keeping completely on the script with the battle at hand. My only real criticism is that we don’t get to see exactly what Omega Red did to the village before this issue. But it’s probably best to leave it to our imagination. 

Overall Sentinel #1 sets off down a very dark and gritty path. It’s a ruthless sci-fi story that’s certainly going to take its cast down quite a dark tunnel with very little light at the end. Paknadel’s writing keeps you hooked straight from the opening page, while Mason’s artwork highlights the true brutality of this post-Krakoa world! 

Rating: 9/10 

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