The Sentry - Golden Guardian of Good Appreciation 2023

[Tendrin]

Isn't that just a rumor right now? Remember when Christian Bale was supposed to play Dario Agger in the latest Thor.

They have plenty of time to confirm or deny, but I admit the timing for this new series coming out seems suspicious enough. And since Sentry's death seems to be taken for granted either way, I wonder if Cates featuring him in King in Black will eventually be seen as the second worst mishandling of the character since the worst of Bendis. Both writers being at least credited for being the reason Sentry's momentum kept going to this day.

About that Jason Loo interview, for something that was at the back of my mind already, I'm at least glad he read Jeff Lemire's series and can only hope he loved it and will take heavy cues from it. From the preview art, the memories part of it seems like will only play a Greatest Hits of Sentry powerhouse moments, but compared to the pissing memory of King in Black Thunderbolts and Bob's overall mopey role in it it seems like one hell of an improvement.

Still rumor but also one of those practically confirmed rumors at this point.

[Golden_Guardian]

It'll be New 52 Lobo levels of bad.

[Tendrin]

It'll be New 52 Lobo levels of bad.

I have to hope they're not silly enough to genuinely try to do this.

[JudicatorPrime]

Because Miracleman isn't in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie and is portrayed by an Asian actor.

Right, but Miracleman is Marvel's Shazam. Would have worked perfectly for the upcoming limited series.

Seems to me the MCU folks could have just as easily used Miracleman or Hyperion in the upcoming T-Bolts movie as well. Especially since they're already going to deviate from the comic text anyway.

[Golden Guardian of Good]

No, it's gonna be a new character, that's clear as day. And considering the race of thr writer we already know the race of the new Sentry. Because that's how Marvel hires their writers.

https://comicbook.com/comics/news/se...ew-first-look/

It's also truly hilarious how the obviously evil Sentry guy is a blonde white guy because being a blonde white guy is bad, just like Bob Reynolds. He is bad. We can't have that anymore.

I'm... I can't even explain how I feel about this. It's not rage. It's not sadness. It's not indifference. It's just... exhaustion.

I'm not White and I'm exhausted too. His race did not needed to be changed. At this point it is what it is...

[Tendrin]

Also, I would personally move Sentry away from having been a young, self-medicating schizophrenic as a diagnosis, personally.

[ENTRYS]

Also, I would personally move Sentry away from having been a young, self-medicating schizophrenic as a diagnosis, personally.

Why though? It makes perfect sense.

He is schizophrenic which explains many of the more iconic Sentry scenes and especially the Void.
Him taking drugs to fight his illness is something that's very frequent for drug addicts without a solid support system. That too would also explain Sentrys "dependencies on substances". And I write that in quotation marks because he was never really depended on anything after gaining power. All of that was psychological. Which makes it interesting and tragic in a way: You have this insane powerful guy with mental problems. And medication doesn't work on him because if they can't use poisons to kill him, then medication sure as hell won't help him either. But since he believes the lies he is told to be true, they partially become real.

Personally, I think there is too much missed potential if you start making Sentry simpler. All you have to do is to write him well. I'm not sure if Jason Loo is the guy to do just that in the first place, but the upcoming series isn't even about the true Sentry anyway, so who cares.

What would you do instead?

[Tendrin]

Why though? It makes perfect sense.

I didn't suggest 'making him simpler'. I suggested moving away from a diagnosis of schizophrenia and that he got his powers by self-medicating for it. I'd suggest if you want him to have a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, I'd have it become part of his fracturing mind as a *result* of his powers and the strain involved, not because of it, and not out the gate. I think you actually *lose* depth and nuance in his mental condition if you just toss a schizophrenic label on him out the gate -- and this is because the diagnosis is an overwhelming one that clearly from an authorial point of view for most authors takes over every other aspect of his mental condition. Also, 'the violent schizophrenic' stereotype is how we've gotten to some of the worst Sentry stories out there.

It's why his strongest portrayals as a person and a character don't focus on that, and come instead in his focus on addiction, alcoholism, anxiety, and disassociation, -- none of which require a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a widely misunderstood and rarely well written disorder.

But I've already said that I prefer to think of the Void as a manifestation of sublimated resentments, internalized self-loathing, and depression come to life, rather than as a simple manifestation or the 'true Robert Reynolds'. Those are more interesting than a rarely well written and misunderstood 'schizophrenia'.

What I will add, however, is that even if you feel this is making him simpler, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The most enduring characters in Marvel comics are often the simplest ones, which is probably one of the reasons that 'schizohprenic superman' has lasted over other interpretations, much to my regret.

[The Invincible Beawulf]

I can totally see this happening. But if they go that route, hopefully they don't make him ambiguously Asian. The more detailed the history, the better.

Sidebar: I wonder why they chose Sentry for this instead of Miracleman?

Right, but Miracleman is Marvel's Shazam. Would have worked perfectly for the upcoming limited series.

Seems to me the MCU folks could have just as easily used Miracleman or Hyperion in the upcoming T-Bolts movie as well. Especially since they're already going to deviate from the comic text anyway.

Or maybe they could have just used Tae-Won aka Taegukgi. He's Korean, so he's definitely Asian.

[Monari]

Golly Gee! Who could possibly be the bad guy in this series?

I wonder if Jason Loo has watched the new South Park Panderverse special? If not, he probably should.

I imagine this will be as well-received and successful as when Marvel tried to replace Quasar Wendell Vaughn.

[JudicatorPrime]

I didn't suggest 'making him simpler'. I suggested moving away from a diagnosis of schizophrenia and that he got his powers by self-medicating for it. I'd suggest if you want him to have a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, I'd have it become part of his fracturing mind as a *result* of his powers and the strain involved, not because of it, and not out the gate. I think you actually *lose* depth and nuance in his mental condition if you just toss a schizophrenic label on him out the gate -- and this is because the diagnosis is an overwhelming one that clearly from an authorial point of view for most authors takes over every other aspect of his mental condition. Also, 'the violent schizophrenic' stereotype is how we've gotten to some of the worst Sentry stories out there.

It's why his strongest portrayals as a person and a character don't focus on that, and come instead in his focus on addiction, alcoholism, anxiety, and disassociation, -- none of which require a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a widely misunderstood and rarely well written disorder.

But I've already said that I prefer to think of the Void as a manifestation of sublimated resentments, internalized self-loathing, and depression come to life, rather than as a simple manifestation or the 'true Robert Reynolds'. Those are more interesting than a rarely well written and misunderstood 'schizophrenia'.

What I will add, however, is that even if you feel this is making him simpler, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The most enduring characters in Marvel comics are often the simplest ones, which is probably one of the reasons that 'schizohprenic superman' has lasted over other interpretations, much to my regret.

Kinda figured they'd rehash the old "mortal beings can't handle absolute power" trope, hence the mental instability.

Jean Grey->Phoenix->Dark Phoenix (Before the crappy retcon.)

Bob->Sentry->Void

Really sick of it. Seems to me, the only mortals who do somewhat cope with it are Molecule Man and Doctor Doom, who both already have their own mental issues to some degree.

[Wildling]

Golly Gee! Who could possibly be the bad guy in this series?

I wonder if Jason Loo has watched the new South Park Panderverse special? If not, he probably should.

I imagine this will be as well-received and successful as when Marvel tried to replace Quasar Wendell Vaughn.

One of the things that made me like the Lemire miniseries so much was how for once they didn't make the Void the main bad against Sentry, Void barely appeared at all in the whole thing, instead making his sidekick go rogue, and adapting Cranio from the wacky Jeff Parker Sentry miniseries, considering Sentry's rogue gallery is assumed to be Void-only by the present day. This new mini really has some big shoes to fill at the end of the day. About the antagonist, it's got to be the character that looks like the first Karate Kid bully character, or as a longshot they could bring an established villain to give "legitimacy" to Bob's eventual replacement, like Reign of the Supermen did by using Mongul.

[JudicatorPrime]

Or maybe they could have just used Tae-Won aka Taegukgi. He's Korean, so he's definitely Asian.

True, Marvel has a few Asian Superman analogues like Taegukgi and Red Feather (to a lesser degree) that they could have rebranded as the Sentry. And someone like China's Lady of Ten Suns who could have been roped into the story as a Sentress type. But my guess is the creative team wanted new original characters. At least I would insist on a new original character if I was ever asked to write a Marvel series. No issues honoring content from existing creators that way, and maybe on the back end, there's some financial incentive down the line to have your own character, even if all it gets you is your name on a quick blurb in the closing credits of a movie.

[JudicatorPrime]

Totally off topic, but wasn't Superior also a Superman analog and Marvel imprint?

[Wildling]

Totally off topic, but wasn't Superior also a Superman analog and Marvel imprint?

Yep, in fact it's written by Mark Millar who is known for harder edged modern comics including the original Ultimates comics that influenced the Avengers movies.

And while I haven't read Superior, what I've read about how it ends looks like it has the kind of ending I'd hope for this new mini that wouldn't involve outright replacing Bob Reynolds as Sentry completely.