Last year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought Sentry to the big screen in Thunderbolts*. For movie audiences, this was their first introduction to the powerful character whose trauma became a major element of the film, but for comics fans it was just a chance to see one of Marvel’s most complex characters on the big screen. Co-created by Paul Jenkins, the Sentry is Marvel’s most dangerous hero, one with the power of a million exploding suns but also with a dark entity within him, the Void.
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The Sentry returned to the pages of comics this week with Sentry #1. Written by Jenkins, the series of off to a solid start. In Sentry, the Void resurfaces and threatens to unravel reality itself meaning that the Sentry doesn’t only have to battle the usual hero things like cosmic forces and criminal empires, but also the monster within himself. Now, ComicBook has an exclusive first look at Sentry #2 and we also sat down with Jenkins to talk about all things the Sentry.
Sentry Is a Story Less About the Powerful Hero and More About the Man Within
ComicBook: Before this new series, it had been a long time since you’d worked with The Sentry in comics. What has it been like returning to the character?
Paul Jenkins: It’s been a gradual return in some ways because I was lucky enough to consult on the Thunderbolts* movie, so Sentry was never far from my mind. What has struck me is how many new fans Thunderbolts* created, and how the character of Bob Reynolds resonated with so many people. I’ve always said that he was important, because even if a person doesn’t struggle with their mental health so much, they probably have friends or family members who do. Bob’s someone we can relate to, and so returning to the character gives me the privilege of connecting to all those new fans as well.
The first issue of Sentry is out this week and I have to say, just the first couple of pages emotionally devastated me. What goes into writing this character, considering how emotionally complex he is, that might surprise readers?
I love that question – I haven’t heard it before. I think readers would be surprised just how far I focus away from his power set. His “power of a million exploding suns” is a fun aspect, but it’s entirely secondary to the story of the man and his struggles with his mental health. It’s not about how powerful Bob is, it’s about how vulnerable he is. In fact, I tend to think some writers get into difficulty when they’re focusing on Sentry’s feats of strength and moving away from the more personal issues.
It’s pretty clear right out of the gate that this is going to be a very emotional story. What can you tease about where Sentry is going to take readers — and Bob?
Obviously, I don’t want to give away too much. But by now, the first issue will have dropped, and people have seen the five-page teaser. If you were emotionally devastated by that teaser, the series itself is probably going to devastate you further. We’ve shown how as a little boy, Bob could never forgive himself for not being able to rescue the Russian space dog, Laika. Her death decades before Bob’s birth broke his little heart, and he has never recovered. This series deals with how grief and loss affect us, how we sometimes never fully recover, and how much loving someone can hurt. I know (because I’ve seen issue #3) that it’s going to make our readers bawl their eyes out. Hopefully, in a cathartic manner. I promise, it’s worth it. You’ll understand why at the end.
Which aspect of the character would you say is the most challenging to write — Sentry, Bob, or the Void?
Hmm. I am really mostly writing about Bob. Void represents how Bob cannot forgive himself, and Sentry is his idealized self. But it all revolves around Bob, and how he makes his way in the world.
There are a lot of people who have come to know Sentry from the Thunderbolts* movie. While the MCU and the comics are obviously not the same thing, how would you say this comic might appeal to fans coming to this character from the movie?
Another good question. Honestly, I think the “Thunderbolts” Bob is closer to my version than most. After all, Jake Schreier told me they mostly used my second series as a basis for Lewis Pullman’s portrayal. So, I am pretty hopeful fans of the movie version will easily be able to adapt to my version. They’ll have to learn a couple of characters: Bob’s wife, Lindy, his little superpowered dog, Watchdog, and his AI assistant, CLOC. But I think they’ll quite like those characters.
Everything You Need to Know About Sentry #2 (And a Look at Sentry #4!)
In Sentry #2, “Hulk vs. Sentry! The Crystalline Plague is spreading — and no one knows what it wants. Cities fall silent under frozen corpses, E.M.P. storms rage across the globe and the Hulk himself is infected! As chaos escalates, Sentry fights to keep the Void at bay … but every battle drags him closer to the darkness inside. From a brutal showdown in the Siberian Wilds to a catastrophic strike against Kingpin’s Empire, we plunge deeper into a mystery that threatens the entire planet — and the corrupted. Mind of its most powerful hero!
Written by Paul Jenkins with art by Christian Rosado, Sentry #2 hits shelves April 22nd.
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