SENTINELS : THE DARK CRUSADE
By Van Allen Plexico
White Rocket Books
206 pages
If, like this reviewer, you are a
fan of Van Plexico’s star spanning superhero saga, The Sentinels, then the
arrival of this book, the eight in the series, was a much anticipated reading
pleasure. Of course with this many
volumes into the saga, it would be impossible for any reviewer to explain
everything without having to write a book-length tome about what has gone
before. Here’s a thought, as we’ve had
the fun of reading and reviewing the previous seven books, feel free to scroll
through our reviews and find those early critiques.
Otherwise, leave us offer up an
abbreviated synopsis to launch you into this truly amazing series whose
inspirations derive from the classic comic books of the 70s and 80s,
specifically Marvel’s the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy with DC’s Green
Lantern.
The Sentinels are a group of human
super powered heroes led by Ultraa. In
recent adventures they battled invading alien beings and ultimately came to
ally themselves with a squad of Kur-Bai
warriors known as the Elites. No sooner
do they save the Earth, then it is discovered a civil war has broken out on the
Kur-Bain homeworld and the Elites are compelled hurry back. Only now half the Sentinels agree to
accompany them, led by Esro Brachis, the millionaire genius inventor, who has
fallen in love with the beautiful Kur-Bai Captain Mondrian.
No sooner to they depart our solar
system, then a charismatic fellow named Law convinces the Earth’s governments
that the Kur-Bai Empire will remain a continuing threat unless a human led
space armada can be sent against them; under his leadership of course. What the world leaders don’t know is that Law
is actually a powerful super being known as the Black Terror and his desire to
destroy the Kur-Bai is fueled solely by a personal vendetta. Thus the ominous crusade referred to in the
title. Now if this dozen or so
characters wasn’t enough to hold your interest in the main plot, Plexico throws
a little background history concerning the martial arts fighter known as the
Black Dragon and then brings us up to speed with the situation concerning
teenage hero Mitch Michaelson, who now possesses the powerful golden armor of a
Star Knight.
Confused yet? Well, in all truth, you needn’t be;
ever. Plexico’s enthusiasm for the
stories he tells has never once waned.
From the very first Sentinel novel to this new chapter, his love for
these myriad characters remains as strong as ever, infusing his fiction with a
clear, precise storytelling economy that is to be envied. He tells a truly fast
paced adventure that never slows down from opening scene to climatic,
cliffhanger finale. And as ever, we are
left wanting more, much, much more.
We love this series, Plexico’s
writing, and the gorgeous art of Chris Kohler.
Honestly, if you call yourself a fan of New Pulp and haven’t latched
onto The Sentinels Saga yet, you are missing out on something special. Don’t say we didn’t tell you.
