The Sentry: Reborn (Comics) | Review

What happens when the world's most powerful hero can't trust his own mind? Sentry: Reborn examines mental illness through a superhero lens, asking whether godlike power makes psychological trauma more dangerous rather than less relevant to address.

This 2005 eight-issue limited series follows the original Sentry mini-series that reintroduced Bob Reynolds. Writer Paul Jenkins (Origin, Wolverine: The End) and artist John Romita Jr. (Avengers Vs. X-Men, World War Hulk) explore what really happens when containment and suppression feed the darkness you're trying to escape from.

The story connects to New Avengers where Tony Stark and Reed Richards attempted solutions for Bob's fractured psyche. Reborn examines whether their intervention helped or delayed an inevitable catastrophe destroying everything Bob wanted protecting from himself and demons.

Bob Reynolds struggles daily maintaining sanity while the Void, his dark counterpart, grows stronger daily. The Sentry represents ultimate heroism but Bob is just a terrified man who barely functions without constant medication and psychological support from people who deeply fear what he might become if control slips.

The series explores how Bob's mental state warps reality. His powers respond to psychological stability rather than will. When Bob feels confident, the Sentry emerges golden and heroic. When fear and self-doubt dominate, the Void manifests as pure destruction nobody can stop.

Tony Stark and Reed Richards attempt helping Bob through technology and science. They build containment systems and develop medications to suppress the Void. But their approach treats symptoms rather than causes, ignoring deeper psychological wounds fueling Bob's fractured identity and giving the darkness immense power.

The Void isn't a traditional villain. It's Bob's repressed trauma and self-hatred manifesting as sentient force wanting to drag him into nonexistence. Every time Bob tries being heroic, the Void whispers he's a fraud, that everyone would be safer if he disappeared completely.

Supporting characters react with fear disguised as compassion toward Bob. They claim wanting to help but actions suggest they're more interested in containing a potential threat than healing a damaged person. This isolation worsens Bob's mental state, feeding the cycle strengthening the Void while slowly weakening his grip on reality.

The series examines the cost of being Earth's most powerful being when you can't trust your mind. Bob lives in constant terror of what he might do during psychotic breaks. Every weakness feels like catastrophe killing millions, compounding his anxiety and creating feedback loops.

Flashbacks reveal Bob's past and the origins of Sentry and Void. These glimpses suggest the Void wasn't separate but Bob's coping mechanism for trauma he couldn't process. The more he tried forgetting and suppressing, the more autonomous and powerful the darkness became.

Action sequences demonstrate the Sentry's godlike abilities while highlighting Bob's deteriorating mental state. One scene shows him saving a city while having a panic attack, internal monologue contradicting the heroic image. Another shows the Void emerging during weakness and devastation follows instantaneously.

The emotional core questions whether redemption exists for someone whose existence threatens reality. Bob wants helping people, but his presence endangers everyone constantly. The series asks whether continuing to fight is selfish when giving up might be heroic.

The superhero community debates handling Bob. Some advocate permanent imprisonment or neutralization. Others believe he deserves help and support despite risks. These debates mirror real discussions about mental illness, danger and society's responsibility to individuals needing help but potentially posing certain serious risks.

The climax builds toward Bob confronting the truth that the Void is part of him, not a separate enemy that can be defeated or eliminated. The resolution explores whether acceptance and integration are possible or if some psychological fractures run too deep to fully heal.

Paul Jenkins captures mental illness with accuracy. Bob's monologue shifts between lucid moments and spiraling anxiety. Dialogue reveals people talk around mental health. The script doesn't romanticize Bob's condition or suggest superpowers make trauma debilitating.

John Romita Jr.'s artwork shifts stylistically depending on Bob's mental state. Sentry scenes feature clean lines and dynamic poses. Moments where the Void influences become distorted with harsh shadows and fractured compositions. This visual style communicates psychological state without ever requiring excessive exposition.

Dean White's coloring establishes mood through stark contrasts. The Sentry appears in brilliant gold and whites feeling almost divine. The Void manifests as deep blacks and sickly greens. Transitional moments use muted colors suggesting Bob's state, neither heroic nor consumed.

Panel layouts become chaotic as Bob's mental state slowly deteriorates. Traditional grids break into overlapping images and fractured compositions. Close-ups on Bob's face show micro-expressions revealing struggle when projecting confidence. Visual storytelling matches the psychological journey without constant dialogue.

Sentry: Reborn succeeds treating superhero comics as space for exploring mental illness and trauma. Jenkins understands godlike abilities don't fix brain chemistry or heal damage. Power amplifies problems rather than solving them, making Bob's struggle dangerous for everyone.

The story works refusing easy answers about recovery. Bob doesn't overcome mental illness through willpower or find cures. He struggles continuously acknowledging struggle might never end. That honesty makes the character compelling beyond typical superhero redemption tales.

Not every sub-plot lands perfectly. Some supporting characters feel underdeveloped compared to Bob's internal journey. Certain threads about containment and scientific solutions could use more exploration. But these flaws don't undermine the core examination of a man whose entire existence is simultaneously gift and curse.

Worth reading for anyone interested in psychological superhero stories prioritizing character complexity over spectacle. This proved Paul Jenkins and John Romita Jr. understood using the Sentry concept to explore mental health themes without exploiting them for shock value.

Sentry: Reborn is collected in a trade paperback from Marvel Comics that gathers the full 2005-2006 limited series. Physical editions are available through comic-book shops, bookstores and online retailers, though availability varies due to age. Digital editions can be read on platforms like ComiXology, Kindle and Marvel Unlimited.