Rating: 4/5 – An uneasy but excellent read
Sheltered #1 was one of my favorite comics of the year. Brisson delivered a compelling story with a twist ending few people could see coming. Brisson’s writing made me feel like a part of the Sheltered community. While reading, my emotions ranged from confusion and paranoia to shock and awe. I could barely wait to get my hands on issue #2 to see what was going to happen next.
While issue #2 was a small step backwards, it still delivered. As the events of issue one play out, the story focus shifts to two characters, Victoria and Hailey who are trying to escape and survive. We also get to focus on Lucas, the youth charismatic leader who orchestrated the events in issue #1.
Lucas is introduced via a silent page which was absolutely breathtaking. Artist Johnnie Christmas deserves major accolades for capturing Lucas in a moment of self-reflection that is part scary and part sympathetic. It was truly exceptional artwork. Christmas’s artwork grows on you over time and is perfect for the subject matter.
Victoria and Hailey have their initial confrontation with Lucas and quickly escape into a nearby bunker and arm themselves. It is clear that Lucas’s plan was exceptionally detailed, but we still don’t know why.
While the story did not go in the direction I expected, I am excited about the future issues and look forward to Lucas’s explanation of the events to the other characters over the next few issues. The series is great and paced perfectly for the monthly format.
Overall Sheltered is a strong comic and perfectly captures our current age where conspiracy theories abound and government agencies routinely violate our privacy. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the third issue to see what twists lie ahead. Definitely worth every penny.
Reviewed by: Hank Johnson – hank@comicspectrum.com
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