REVIEW: ‘Sentry’ (2026) Issue 1

Sentry (2026) Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Paul Jenkins, art by Christian Rosado, colors by Matt Milla, and letters by Joe Caramagna.

The Sentry has returned to Earth, but that also means the Void has returned, too.

Sentry (2026) Issue 1 is something of a rebirth, attempting to reintegrate the most powerful hero on the planet into the Marvel Universe. Jenkins was the writer who first co-created Sentry, and is now trying to bring him back into a fragile world. It’s tentative at first in Sentry (2026) Issue 1, as the extremely powerful but mentally ill hero tries to settle. But there’s another side of the coin, another part of the Sentry called The Void. For every good action the Sentry makes, the Void does something evil. It’s an extreme version of Jekyll and Hyde. Except in the first chapter, the Void seems to be doing more evil than the Sentry is saving.

This is a tense, peculiar first issue, filmed with hesitation and worry. There is a brilliant connection between the past and the present, using two dogs to form anchor points. There’s Laika, the famous but tragic story of the dog who went to space, and Watchdog, Sentry’s dog. Both stories are ruined with sadness, and it’s that which takes a dark tone down an even more sorrowful past.

There isn’t much connection to continuity within Sentry (2026) Issue 1. Characters who are otherwise indisposed are included, such as Kingpin. But that’s not important; the crucial part is the storytelling and the man in the middle. Robert Reynolds is crushed by guilt and the weight of his actions. He’s constantly worrying about things. This leads to inaction and isolation, especially when he does genuinely receive bad news. That reveal is heartbreaking, because there’s nothing Bob can do, even with all his limitless powers. And while he’s hiding away, the Void is making its own moves.

Jenkins makes the antithesis to Sentry terrifying, a pitch-black villain. It’s fascinating that the first person the Void contacts is Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin is one of the most dangerous and evil people in New York. And yet, the Void showcases that there’s even further that evil can travel, as he makes Fisk look weak before him.

Jenkins’ dialogue and its wider importance to the story are sensational. Things mentioned in passing later become more dangerous and pivotal to the story. But there are times when some of the other Marvel characters say things that seem out of place, such as Reed Richards calling Bob a big nerd. Despite this, it is exciting to see Sentry reestablished alongside the major characters of the Marvel Universe.

The art shows more of Bob Reynolds than it does the Sentry. This is every bit a story about Bob, his wife Lindy, and their dog as it is about the extremely powerful being. He spends so much time looking downtrodden and secluded, hiding in his watchtower. In public, he looks uncomfortable. The Avengers and Fantastic Four are smiling and happy. But the shadows are so heavy and thick, threatening to submerge Sentry within them.

The Void is confident, a shadowy copy of the Sentry. He’s a moving silhouette, calm and yet brimming with power. Even a man so big and imposing as Wilson Fisk looks small and vulnerable in the presence of such might. When the Sentry does emerge, even for a moment, he is magnificent and godlike.

The colors are perfectly opposed in Sentry (2026) Issue 1. Sentry’s yellow-and-blue costume is vibrant, and he radiates light. He looks great alongside the colors of his fellow heroes. But Sentry (2026) Issue 1 is filled with more dark than light. The shadows fill the pages when the Void appears, and his whole body is a solid mass of inky black and purple, with glowing eyes. Even the Sentry’s home is encased in darkness, making the influence of the Void look like it’s constantly hanging around him. The lettering is very clear and easy to read.

Sentry (2026) Issue 1 brings back a hero burdened by his own darkness. The Sentry has the possibility of being the greatest, brightest hero, but he is weighted down and suffocated by the Void and his own mental illness. No one knows the story of the Sentry better than Jenkins, and reuniting the duo means that the true embodiment of Robert Reynolds is back. The Marvel Universe may be ready for Bob to join it again, but he may not be ready himself.

Sentry (2026) Issue 1 is available now wherever comics are sold.