McKeever continues to prove he's one of the most underrated and important talents Marvel has going for it these days. It's not the boy-and-giant-robot riff or the action that's compelling. It's the depth of the characters, and not just the main players either. McKeever puts a great deal of thought into each and every character -- even the throwaway, bit players -- and it shines through in this script. The lighter tone of the artwork here maintains a sense of fun in the book, but the detailed colors and computer effects balance it out with a more mature look as well. As much as I enjoy Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona's Runaways, Sentinel stands out as the strongest in the Tsunami line, and one of Marvel's top tier books, in terms of quality. It's completely puzzling as to why that's not the case in terms of sales as well.
A crasher plane is sinking slowly into the marsh outside Antigo, Wisconsin, and the only ones around who can help the survivors are Juston Seyfert and the giant robot at his command. Still, there's only so much a giant robot can do, and Juston scrambles to find a way to help the people inside. To make matters worse, he has to contend with the approaching authorities, some of which are federal agents assigned to track down the Sentinel robot. Meanwhile, the people trapped inside the fuselage take stock of their lives as they try to figure out who the kid outside might be.
The Udon artists really convey the drama of what's going on inside the downed aircraft. The intensity of emotion shines through, and though the style in which the characters are rendered is somewhat cartoony, they never seem silly. The shadowing and colors reinforce the grounded and dire nature of the circumstances. Udon's depiction of the Sentinel robot's tech is detailed and appropriately cool as well.
Though the main plotline involves Juston's attempts to juggle his guilt, sense of responsibility and fear of getting caught, the real highlight of this issue is the drama that unfolds in the airplane. McKeever pens some convincing dialogue that brings three minor characters to life. There was a genuine quality to the characters' actions, fears and hopes, and I'm pleased that we'll get to see more of them in next issue. I also appreciated how the antagonist of the story -- the federal agent in charge of the Sentinel investigation -- isn't a one-dimensional villain. He's a standup guy with a law enforcement background. He's doing the right thing... or at least what he perceives the right thing to be.
Another strength of McKeever's writing is that he doesn't walk down the predictable or conventional path. In this world, people get hurt when a plane crashes. In this world, a teenager makes some big mistakes, has some major lapses in judgment. Things don't fit into tidy, little packages. There are always consequences.
