The Sentry

This is a really interesting take on the Marvel Universe. The art was beautiful and the story was compelling.

Who is the Sentry? Rob Reynolds. An alcoholic, who can't hold on to his job or even his wife. No one cares about Rob Reynolds. And then one night, he remembers. He used to be a hero. The Sentry. The Golden Guardian of Good! No sooner does he remember his past than his greatest enemy, the greatest threat to the entire universe emerges-- the Void. But even though the Sentry is back, he's still alone. His wife wants nothing to do with him; she dismisses his words as another alcoholic relapse- and the rest of the world has forgotten him, just like he forgot himself. Rob lets his wife go and takes his serum, the source of his power. He is the Sentry again. From there, he finds his best friend, Reed Richards. Even the Fantastic Four have forgotten Reynolds. Why? Reynolds even questions himself. Is he crazy? The greatest value of this book is its look into the other heroes of the Marvel Universe. Namely The Hulk, Fantastic Four, Spiderman, and Angel of the X-men. The Sentry is something to all of these. Even the greatest heroes have admiration for the Sentry. Who is he to the Hulk? Believe it or not, a protector. The Hulk is a small, wounded child, and the Sentry is his friend. He calms him, helps him get over the sheer animalistic rage that rules his life. He's the Hulk's 'Golden Man'. To the Fantastic Four, he is Reed Richard's greatest friend. The unfailing hero, the Sentry. An unstoppable force who pulls the Four out of the fire. The man on par with Richards' own intelligence and leadership. To Spiderman, a mentor. He knows who Peter Parker is, and shows him his potential. He gives him a pulitzer prize, letting him take the only picture of the Sentry ever taken. Revealing his identity to the world. Beyond his effect on the other heroes we know, the Sentry is still a valuable addition to Marvel. He's not your average hero. His power comes from a heroin-like addiction to the Serum which gives him power. His marriage is failing, and he can't hold a job. His boy-wonder is decapitated and blinded after an encounter with the Void. He's a human being, like you and me. Five stars isn't enough for this book.

Rob Reynolds wakes up in the middle of the night sensing the return of the greatest enemy he has ever faced - The Void. It has been quite a while since Rob has donned the blue and gold costume of the Sentry and his recollection of his spandex wearing days are sketchy at best. He even doubts the validity of these memories but when the Void takes over the body of his dog, Rob decides that the Sentry must come out of retirement to thwart the plans of his arch-rival. The truth of the matter may be that Rob is merely a delusional ex-alcoholic who has receded back into the bottle or, even worse, is simply going mad. And the secret potion that Sentry needs to gain powers could very well be some good old Tennessee whiskey that happens to make Rob "fly". Could Sentry be the imagination of a deranged, middle-aged man? Jenkins keeps you guessing. Jae Lee once again demonstrates his unique penciling style which made the Inhumans maxiseries a fan favorite. For Sentry, Lee has added some extra moodiness, along with an imitation of the Don Heck Avengers era. I must say I had a good laugh at the "Dark Knight Returns" homage as the professor tries to warn Sentry about the prolonged usage of the serum. As I was reading this book, the premise and feel of the story reminded me very much of the classic Miracleman series by Alan Moore, although Jenkins' script borrows little else from that title. Sentry may not be groundbreaking but nevertheless, it is a worth while read although many fans still retain a grudge for the hoax surrounding this project. I believe it is one of the best media stunts ever to get people excited about a comic book. Oh well.... Review by Brian Grindrod

This book is second only to their Inhumans. It is about a guy who remembers his past life as a hero and it seems nobody else remembers him. If you buy books for art, this one has : Jae Lee, Mark Texeira and Bill Sienkiewicz!!!!

This is one of the more intriguing stories of the last few years. Obviously the hype about a "long-lost" Marvel character draws the reader in, but the real story is about addiction. It is really an excellent social commentary by Paul Jenkins. Great art as well.