The search for the superhero vigilante The Sentinel has led investigator Jake Stevens through hill and dale, to no avail. The trail of bodies, as it were, has gone cold. Or has it?
Cloaked #4, from Dark Horse, caps off the four-issue miniseries.
Writer Mike Richardson successfully carries the reader along on the bumpy search for answers, as more and more is known about the shadowy Sentinel. Why are violent deaths piling up around the one person who has been hired to find the reclusive Sentinel? It’s puzzles, twists, and surprises all around.
Barcelona artist (and colourist) Jordi Armengol handles the visual reins with class and competency, making the Sentinel action scenes powerful and electric, the backgrounds detailed and moody. Armengol’s panels, largely horizontal, keep us scanning left and right, gleaning clues, trying to stay out of harm’s reach. The ‘3D model’ appearance of the faces and poses is either a time-saving resource for the artist or a way to emphasize the frozen expressions of surreal situations. The colouring tends to be based in dark tones: dark blues and browns, with spots of light green and yellow as effective accents.
While I seldom call specific attention to lettering in comics, this issue really stands out. Nate Piekos of Blambot has chosen an easy-to-read font for dialogue. The descriptive boxes, effects, and word balloons have been strategically placed, don’t block our exits, and completely enhance the immersive experience here.
Cloaked issue #4 is a solid conclusion to what has been a gripping miniseries.
Dark Horse, Cloaked #4 (of 4), $3.99 for 24 pages.
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