Review of Sentinels #1 Comic

Art by: Justin Mason

Colors by: Federico Blee

Letters by: VC’s Travis Lanham

Cover art by: Justin Mason, Federico Blee

Cover price: $4.99

Release date: October 9, 2024

Sentinels #1, by Marvel Comics on 10/9/24, catches up with a new team of nanotech-enhanced mercenaries tasked with capturing dangerous mutants for imprisonment and experimentation at Graymalkin Prison.

Is Sentinels #1 Good?

Whenever you’re starting a new title with a new cast of characters, a creator has absolutely one job that supersedes all others. A creator must prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, why that comic needs to exist. The comic in question must have an engaging character, a personal or professional crisis, or an unbelievable twist that signals to the reader that this comic is worth your time and money. Does writer Alex Paknadel prove that Sentinels #1 deserves to exist? Read on.

Sentinels #1 begins with the titular Sentinels dropping into the middle of a Russian village to acquire their latest target. The team is composed of individuals with checkered pasts, and they’re outfitted with adaptive nanotech suits that give them enhanced protection, firepower, and more. The team is directed from Graymalkin prison by the familiar mutant character Lawrence Trask.

Alex Paknadel begins the issue with Marauders-ish tone as we’re thrown into the middle of a mission with a group of not-so-heroic characters, complete with colorful codenames straight out of a G.I. Joe cartoon from the 1980s, who have jobs to do. From the actions and reactions of the team members, the nanotech and their professionalism under pressure are a work in progress.

Shortly, we learn the team’s target is longtime X-Men villain Omega Red. The villain wastes no time emerging from the shadows and attacking as soon as he sees the Sentinels. The fight gives everyone a chance to show off what their unique nanotech suits can do. Lockstep, the team leader, can pair with other machines to control them remotely. Sawtooth can absorb metal to add to her bulk and become a giant mech. Voivod becomes a living bomb.

Paknadel makes the team’s capabilities eclectic enough to be diverse and interesting, but the logistics behind their abilities are somewhat vague. How does Voivod blow himself up and still survive? Is that ability practical? How does Sawtooth turn into a large, complex-looking mech by absorbing the blade from a snow plow? Yes, sure, it’s “just a comic,” but you have to at least make it believable.

Voivod delivers the blow that knocks out Omega Red for capture. During the fight, Shellback begins to malfunction as the nanotech grafts begin to take over his body from the inside out. Trask sends word to terminate Shellback on the spot as a failed prototype, and Voivod carries out the order with extreme prejudice.

To Paknadel’s credit, sending a team into the field with buggy tech is a great way to create instant tension. We also learn that the team members have to take mood stabilizers as part of the bonding process, which makes for even more tension when not everyone adapts to their technological and chemical treatments with equal proficiency.

Later, Lawrence Trask is lectured by Warden Ellis for sending the team into the field and terminating one of its members without her authorization. Trask is unconcerned with Warden Ellis’s authority, so she storms off to report her concerns to the board. Meanwhile, the team settles in back at Graymalkin to receive the next injections of mood stabilizers, but Lockstep’s mood darkens when he learns Trask has already assigned a new team member, codenamed Drumfire, without briefing him.

The preceding collection of scenes helps to inform the reader that not everything is running like a well-oiled machine. There are competing interests, egos, and agendas at every level. Some agendas are clear. Others are not. Paknadel smartly stacks drama on top of drama at every opportunity.

The issue concludes with Trask proving his worth to the board, Drumfire proving her worth by shooting Omega Red with Godzilla breath, and Onslaught out of nowhere.

What’s great about Sentinels #1?

Well, it’s certainly different than any other comic coming out of the From The Ashes era. Alex Paknadel pulled a world and team (almost ) from scratch, so kudos on the effort and inventiveness.

What’s not great about Sentinels #1?

Looking back on the opener, Alex Paknadel’s job, above all else, is to justify this comic’s existence. Unfortunately, he didn’t succeed. The characters, for now, are blank slates that aren’t particularly compelling. The team’s mission isn’t particularly unique or interesting because there isn’t a goal or obvious stakes. The drama, while copious, essentially amounts to people you don’t care about being mean to each other.

Further, there’s no setup to help readers understand what’s motivating this team and their bosses. Why is Graymalkin after top-level mutants for experimentation? Why did this group of people sign up for a dangerous job as guinea pigs? Why should a reader care about anything that’s happening in this comic?

If, after reading a comic, you can’t come up with a compelling reason to keep buying the title, the creators missed the mark.

How’s the Art?

Justin Mason’s art style is decent but short of typical Marvel house-style quality. Mason’s pencils/inks are sketchy, details get lost in the wide-shot panels, and Mason’s hatching technique is rough. The art in this issue is perfectly in line with a B-tier or C-tier indie publisher, but sub-par for a $4.99 Marvel comic.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Sentinels #1 is one of the more unique comics to come out of the From The Ashes era of X-Titles, but it just doesn’t need to exist. The characters aren’t compelling, the motivations and stakes behind the team’s missions aren’t clear, and the art is below average for a Marvel comic. Drama, for its own sake, isn’t good enough..

5/10

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