Sentinels Book 3: Echoes
by Rich Bernatovech and Luciano Vecchio
SENTINELS #3: ECHOES
(Nov 2005)
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The increase in quality in production values and aesthetics for this series seem to be on a crash course. What I mean is: in the three issues we've seen so far of SENTINELS, it has evolved from a quality first effort of a publishing ingenue to a high-class, stylish, avant-garde book that deserves to be taken very seriously.
The impressive spectacle that is the cover showcases the myriad variety of characters and story, beckoning the reader invitingly to dive right in. The characters have evolved, and Luciano's and Rich's artistic skills have evolved as well. The art itself is more fluid and stylish, and the characters themselves have grown. They are not the run-of-the-mill static characters; wearing the same uniform day-in and day-out. Their costumes changes, their outfits change... hairdos change, relationships change... mirroring real-life.
This story brings to a close--or so we're led to believe at the onset--several dangling plot threads from the first two books. Mind
you: this is a BOOK, not a comic. It's a graphic novel, the size and breadth of an epic tale. Sin and Gospel's bittersweet reunion, Rapture and Templar's lust/hate relationship, the children of Firebomb, Splash, Serpenta... it seems that the generational links are key in this series, and it is starkly apparent by the time you finish this book. Not since Marv Wolfman and George Pérez began working together to spin the twisted, interwoven tales of the Titans have I enjoyed a plot so much. The first two books lead us to believe that they're just a bunch of random events... adventures that these superheroes go on.
But the repercussions of those events all come to a head in this issue; convoluting the plot and bringing it to a roiling boil. I fully thought that the series could end with this book until I got to the last two or three pages; and now I'm left hanging by my fingernails; breathlessly awaiting what's to come.
Luciano's pencils -- adeptly inked by Rich -- evoke so much emotion that I actually felt myself drawn into the characters' lives. The art evokes so much feeling that it's like watching an Imax movie or even being a part of the story. There's a page that shows the characters relaxing after their horrible ordeals... where two of them are seen from above, sitting by a koi pond. The water ripples and the swimming fish are so well-rendered that they seem to break the "fourth-wall"
and let the reader catch a secret glimpse into a special moment in the characters' lives.
I thoroughly recommend this series. If you're a fan of the Pacesetter, George Pérez has again contributed some magnificent art to this issue's gallery. GO GET IT!
Marcus Mébes
production editor: PACESETTER
Thu, 11 Jan 2007 16:51:28 CST
