The Sentry, series good, so so, bad?

[Effect]

As to not jump the gun again like I kinda did in the preview for #7. Can anyone give their thoughts on the Sentry series (the first mini and the current series)? Have you enjoyed it? Disliked it? Feel the character has a lot of potential for some interesting stories?

Other then the Void, have any of the villans he's gone against given him trouble?

Do you see him more os as a cosmic character based on Earth or a more Earth based character?

Is the current series and ongoing on? Or will it be a mini?

Does Sentry work better as a solo title or as apart of a team (New Avengers)?

Could the character carry an ongoing series?

Where do you think he'd stand in terms of the Civil War issue?

Has there been word if the character will stick around or will be tossed to the side? Has the mini and current series sold well?

Anything else would be great. Thanks.

[Tony Starkz]

If you're debating whether you should buy this or not,let yourself decide.All you're going to get here is another endless debate.

This has always been one of the hottest topics on message boards.I can tell you that in a couple of minutes,all you're going to get are people who hate Sentry and call him Marvel's answer to Superman,and people like myself,who love the character and feel that everything that makes his character is really good stuff.

[Effect]

That isn't to much of a problem. It's good getting both sides of the situation. Helps me to decide.

[mattspideyrocks!]

Y'know what I think? In my opinion, Superman can go eat sh** and die compared to Sentry. Answer to Superman or not, Sentry is awesome. This 8 part story has been awesome all the way through and I hope he gets used plenty more in the future.

[The Shadow]

I like it, a lot.

I'm not a JrJr fan, so the art isn't a selling point to me... but the story is loaded with twists and turns that will keep you coming back.

I hope that after this mini series the Sentry can get past the Void and have some new adventures... but as it is I like the fake flashbacks to "missing" past of Marvel comics.

[Tony Starkz]

It was mentioned at NYCCon,that a Sentry ongoing could possibly be in the works.

[Will.S]

Sentry is good stuff. And to answer your questions:

Other then the Void, have any of the villans he's gone against given him trouble?
The only thing I've seen give him trouble was when he went up against multiple nukes from the Crazed General. Otherwise he casually beats most of his opponents with ease unless they have a more intelligent thought out approach.

Do you see him more os as a cosmic character based on Earth or a more Earth based character?
He's more of a earth based character with off the scale power levels. From what I've read though his power level fluctuates depending on his psychological condition.

Is the current series and ongoing on? Or will it be a mini?
The current series is the second mini-series to date. It'll be collected soon and will be a good companion to the first mini.

Does Sentry work better as a solo title or as apart of a team (New Avengers)?
I think he works better as a solo title but he can work with the Avengers just as well. We haven't seen too much of his input as a team member since Breakout but he'll be kicking ass during the Collective arc and the NA Annual with the Super Adaptoid.

Could the character carry an ongoing series?
Yes, definitely.

Where do you think he'd stand in terms of the Civil War issue?
He'll most likely be for registration since he can easily side with the fact that heroes should take responsibilities for their actions.

Has there been word if the character will stick around or will be tossed to the side? Has the mini and current series sold well?
I don't think he'll be tossed aside anytime soon. The current mini is selling pretty well and his first mini TPB has been a hot seller ever since his announcement of being on the New Avengers.

[Mick Martin]

I haven't read the new series, but I'm looking forward to checking out the trade.

I really dug the first Sentry series in the beginning, but I felt the ending was anticlimactic. A lot of it hinged on the "surprise" concerning the "relationship" between Sentry and The Void, and I can't speak for anyone else but I saw it coming a mile away. I got the feeling a lot of other people did too, maybe I'm wrong.

If what Jenkins said in interviews right before the series started is accurate, that the issues are each pretty much self-contained rather than part of a big arc, I think I'll be pleased. I think Jenkins does really well in one or two-part stories, but I tend to not go for his longer stories.

[Sentinel K]

It's awesome. Its the first comic I read when it comes out. So many twists! Just when you think you know something, its turned on its head again? So many questions!!

I'm loving the JRjr art too. The Sentry rocks.

[Ivan Isaacs]

I like the Sentry, I loved the initial miniseries (one of the few Jenkins projects I not only can stand but really loved) but this new series was nothign for me. I found it so boring that I dropped it after #2 despite JRJR drawing it.

[Grizsly]

Sigh.

Should I even bother?

I'm not feeling too fiesty today, so I'll just say I think the Sentry is the crappiest character to emerge in AGES from Marvel and should be killed forthwith, or at least given to a more capable writer.

Oh yeah and the Void thing is getting more tired than a narcoleptic on line at the DMV.

[abyss]

The first mini by Jenkins was extrememly good I'd reccomend picking that up I haven't read the current mini yet im waiting for the trade.

[Tony Starkz]

My .02 of Sentry,he rocks,he rules,and he's a mentally effed up badass.

[Shellhead]

Sentry is a blatant photocopy of Superman, with an inherent character flaw that greatly restricts the potential of the character. See, Sentry has a dark side, called The Void. They are both powerful characters, Sentry and The Void, but they are inextricably linked. So, like it or not, every single comic that Sentry appears in will also involve The Void. Aside from The Void problem, Sentry is vastly more powerful than most Marvel heroes, so his battles against villains who are not The Void tend to be short and unsatisfactory.

In summary, there are only two kinds of Sentry stories that you are likely to read:

1. Sentry easily defeats villain(s).

2. Sentry is stalemated by The Void.

And that's it. Since The Void is the only thing that really keeps Sentry from just being a really boring copy of Superman, it looks like Sentry is stuck with it. That means that this is getting old fast. Doctor Doom is a great villain, but if he had appeared in every issue of Fantastic Four since 1961, everybody would have lost interest by now. The Void is nowhere near as interesting as Doom, so Jenkins or Bendis or somebody needs to come up with some alternatives fast.

[unkiedev]

Not a fan of this series...But I still believe in the character. I wish the book was better.

[Harlock]

So far the current series has been so so for me. They've taken a long time to get to the point and the plot twists are so transparent Stevie Wonder could see them coming. The art is decent, and we are getting some nice insights into the Sentry/Void/Robert, but it could easily have been a 6 issue series. So, I can't call it great, I might call it good, but I am left so so more than anything.

[The Shadow]

Sentry is a blatant photocopy of Superman

How so?

with an inherent character flaw that greatly restricts the potential of the character. See, Sentry has a dark side, called The Void. They are both powerful characters, Sentry and The Void, but they are inextricably linked. So, like it or not, every single comic that Sentry appears in will also involve The Void. Aside from The Void problem, Sentry is vastly more powerful than most Marvel heroes, so his battles against villains who are not The Void tend to be short and unsatisfactory.
That doesn't sound like Superman at all.

In fact I think the mental differences (Sentry is always afraid with no confidence while Superman is supremely confident) are two HUGE differences.

Granted both fly... but so do a lot of other characters... Superman is an alien while Sentry gets his powers from a serum which he is addicted to while Superman isn't a drug addict.

I think Samaritan in Astro City, Mr Majestic and Hyperion (in Squadron Supreme and Supreme Power), Gladiator (with the exception of the purple mowhawk) are more like Superman than the Sentry ever could be.

[BlackKnight]

I like the limited series, however I see a problem with the charater down the road, if you get rid of the void, you eliminate sentry's one weakness, basically turning him into a super-strong, super-fast, boring copy of any other strong guy from the DC or marvel universe.

However, and here is the problem if you don't remove the void or seperate them, you will just end up with the same story over and over, that being Sentry dealing with the void.

I hope that the writers can see a way out of this, that I don't.

[Loestal]

I like the limited series, however I see a problem with the charater down the road, if you get rid of the void, you eliminate sentry's one weakness, basically turning him into a super-strong, super-fast, boring copy of any other strong guy from the DC or marvel universe.

However, and here is the problem if you don't remove the void or seperate them, you will just end up with the same story over and over, that being Sentry dealing with the void.

I hope that the writers can see a way out of this, that I don't.

He will never be fully seperated from Th Void...just as Banner will never be fully seperated from Hulk. Same basic aspect.

[Shellhead]

He will never be fully seperated from Th Void...just as Banner will never be fully seperated from Hulk. Same basic aspect.

That analogy is somewhat off. Hulk is the hero, so of course we want to see him in action. And Hulk may be super-strong, but he gets beat from time to time. Bruce Banner is the man, so he's kind of like a built-in supporting character. The classic Hulk stories showed Banner trying to help people as a man, and then when the situation become overwhelming, he would turn into Hulk and start smashing things. That gives writers two sympathetic characters to write about in every Hulk story.

Bob Reynolds *is* the Sentry, they have the same personality and memories, for whatever that's worth. And that hero has been defined as so powerful that most villains can't hold up in a fight with him for more than a second or two. The Void is tied to Sentry, although Jenkins has been toying with the readers as to what that exact connection is. Either way, we're stuck with the Void as a recurring villain, because almost nobody else is capable of fighting Sentry for long. So we are stuck with an endless conflict that lacks potential... Sentry vs Void, Void vs Sentry, etc, etc, etc. Writers are stuck with the one hero and the one villain, like horrible siamese twins.

[Doom Hammer]

Bob Reynolds *is* the Sentry, they have the same personality and memories, for whatever that's worth.

Not true.

Bob Reynolds *is* The Void.

Read your Sentry, buddy. You'll learn things. :D

[Sentinel K]

Not true.

Bob Reynolds *is* The Void.

Read your Sentry, buddy. You'll learn things. :D

True.

Just one of the reasons I've really liked this mini.

[Tony Starkz]

Not true.

Bob Reynolds *is* The Void.

Read your Sentry, buddy. You'll learn things. :D

Tell that to the people I've been contending with in the Sentry #7 thread. :rolleyes:

[Ravenheart]

The series has been okay.If it ever became a regular series I don't know if I'd pick it up.

[BlackKnight]

He will never be fully seperated from Th Void...just as Banner will never be fully seperated from Hulk. Same basic aspect.

The dynamic between banner/Hulk and void/sentry are totally different. The Void is sentry's only weakness period, take the void away and you are hard pressed to find a villian that can even go toe to toe with sentry. Don't take the void away and the stories will become old because they will all be about sentry and void fighting.
You see, to me the sort of wrote themselves into a corner. Once again that is just my opinion.

[Effect]

It's really the whole Sentry = Void idea that bothers me about the future of the character. If everything he does calls for a balance done by the Void, where does it end? If the Void is the only one that can match him, does that mean he's Sentry vs Void 24/7 since any other enemy would make a boring situation?

I had a chancen to tracked down, #2 I think it was of the recent series. Didn't buy it but just flipped through while in the shop. Is it me or does it seem like Bob/Sentry's wife is basiclly adding to his problems. The whole scene where she got all disappointed when he de-Sentryed into his normal state and she wanted him back all buffed up. I don't know about you but that kind of treatment is enough to pissed anyone one and drive them insane. Knowing that you wife wants the superhero and not you.

Learning now that his actions caused her, yoda instructor, as said in the other thread to die, I don't feel to bad about that now. Does this type of treatment by her towards him continue? Where she wants the muscle Sentry and not the actual made she married?

If so then I wouldn't really mind if she herself ended up dead at the hands of the Void or something else. No one, male or female, needs that kind of treatment from their wife or husband. I"m actually glad that Superman never went through that, basiclly cause they were the same build but that isn't so with Sentry and Bob. Damn shame.

[Harlock]

It's really the whole Sentry = Void idea that bothers me about the future of the character. If everything he does calls for a balance done by the Void, where does it end? If the Void is the only one that can match him, does that mean he's Sentry vs Void 24/7 since any other enemy would make a boring situation?

I had a chancen to tracked down, #2 I think it was of the recent series. Didn't buy it but just flipped through while in the shop. Is it me or does it seem like Bob/Sentry's wife is basiclly adding to his problems. The whole scene where she got all disappointed when he de-Sentryed into his normal state and she wanted him back all buffed up. I don't know about you but that kind of treatment is enough to pissed anyone one and drive them insane. Knowing that you wife wants the superhero and not you.

Learning now that his actions caused her, yoda instructor, as said in the other thread to die, I don't feel to bad about that now. Does this type of treatment by her towards him continue? Where she wants the muscle Sentry and not the actual made she married?

If so then I wouldn't really mind if she herself ended up dead at the hands of the Void or something else. No one, male or female, needs that kind of treatment from their wife or husband. I"m actually glad that Superman never went through that, basiclly cause they were the same build but that isn't so with Sentry and Bob. Damn shame.

Well, to me that's been part of the whole theme of this series.

I mean, here's this guy. He has the power to choose who lives and who dies. His power makes him focus on the entire planet at the expense of those he loves around him. We see it in his distance from his wife and her (admittedly this seems forced by the writer) interest in her yoga instructor. We see it in how he uses Hulk. He has the power to save the world but not the power to save his personal relationships. And that's part of his anger and probably part of the Void's power.

It's kind of weird to think about, but it is taking the "with great power comes great responsibility" thing to its most extreme. With Ultimate power comes ultimate responsibility. Were I in that case, I know not how i would react. I'd love to spend time with my wife and kids, but if I do, I know there's a good chance dozens of people may die from something I could've prevented. It's enough to drive anyone crazy.

[Effect]

True but what I read, it didn't seem like he was causing the problem with the wife. At least that's not how I took. Now i haven't read read before or after that issue but it seems like she was the one that had a problem with the normal version of her husband and wanted Sentry.

I mean, I think it would be normal for him to want to distance himself from her if that is what he did. Who would want to be around someone that makes it clearly they are only interested in one aspect of you but look clearly disappointed and somewhat depressed when you are your normal self. Shouldn't she be to blame for this instead of him?

Now one has to wonder, was she like this before Sentry made the world forget him? Seems like she's pretty shallow, likes Sentry and all the comforts of the tower ans such yet when it comes to her normal husband she clearly shows she's disappointed, directly to him and even tries to get him to turn back into Sentry for her.

That's something different from him distancing himself first. It would appear like it was a result from her actions.

[HarperDJ]

I stopped at issue 5...the art did not move me. I have been seeing issues in the 'bargain bin', so maybe I will get lucky and find 6-8 in there. The story is rather interesting with some nice twist, but again, I cannot get down with the art. Sorry folks.

I do hope that the character remains. There is a lot that can be done with him. What Bendis did with him in the last issue of NA was comical. There is a lot that can be explored with such a character. I don't believe that in my time of reading comics that there has ever been a person like Bob. I could be wrong...but I like the character of Bob.

[Tony Starkz]

7 issues in and this baby hasn't missed a beat.

[HarperDJ]

7 issues in and this baby hasn't missed a beat.


Tony, you are going to make me jump back onboard. LOL

[Kevinroc]

That analogy is somewhat off. Hulk is the hero, so of course we want to see him in action. And Hulk may be super-strong, but he gets beat from time to time. Bruce Banner is the man, so he's kind of like a built-in supporting character. The classic Hulk stories showed Banner trying to help people as a man, and then when the situation become overwhelming, he would turn into Hulk and start smashing things. That gives writers two sympathetic characters to write about in every Hulk story.

Bob Reynolds *is* the Sentry, they have the same personality and memories, for whatever that's worth. And that hero has been defined as so powerful that most villains can't hold up in a fight with him for more than a second or two. The Void is tied to Sentry, although Jenkins has been toying with the readers as to what that exact connection is. Either way, we're stuck with the Void as a recurring villain, because almost nobody else is capable of fighting Sentry for long. So we are stuck with an endless conflict that lacks potential... Sentry vs Void, Void vs Sentry, etc, etc, etc. Writers are stuck with the one hero and the one villain, like horrible siamese twins.

I definitely wouldn't call The Hulk a "hero." He's the "protagonist" but he's definitely not a hero. The relationship between Banner and the various incarnations of The Hulk is what keeps the series going.

The Sentry and The Void relationship is a bit different from the Banner/ Hulk relationship, true. But Bob Reynolds being The Void does change some of the foundations of your arguement.

[Tony Starkz]

Tony, you are going to make me jump back onboard. LOL

Trust me,if you stopped after #3,I feel sorry for ya.