In da future, humans leave Earth to go lives on a space colony - woah, thas original maaan! On the space ship, bad people kills all the adults - but not the childrens! Now it’s up to the babies and the space ship compooter to make it to the colony. But more bad people is coming - wuh oh! Time to get astoopid, it’s a steaming pile of sci-fi pap slopped together by Chef Lemire!
Sentient isn’t the worst Jeff Lemire comic I’ve read but it’s a long way from his best. The problem with Lemire’s prodigious output is that there are often underdeveloped elements in his scripts or simply outright WTF moments - and there are plenty of those in Sentient mixed in amongst many boring scenes.
Let’s start with the premise: so ALL of the adults congregate in this one room (except the schoolteacher) - ALL of them? Not one adult was elsewhere on this giant spaceship? Ok, that’s dumb. And just because Valarie the AI’s mission protocols were turned off, that means she suddenly has the personality of a human mom?? Why would anyone develop an AI to be that way?
Also, Val can control the entire ship’s systems but when they reach a refueling station, she can’t stop Lil from going out to have a wander around inside - seriously, she can’t lock a door?? She does everything else onboard the ship, controls all the other elements, but she can’t lock a door? Ok. More dumb.
It comes down to crap writing. Lemire needs these things to happen regardless of whether or not it makes sense. We never get a strong idea of why there are separatists, what their goals are, or what and why they believe what they believe - they’re just framed simplistically as the trouble-making villains.
And when separatists attack and the kids need someone good at computers, here’s Isaac who suddenly demonstrates Franklin Richards-levels of genius - how convenient! Has Jeff Lemire never met a 10 year old before? They’re idiots! But this one is able to do all the usual sci-fi nonsense (override systems, etc.) effortlessly. Dumb dumb dumb writing.
There’s nothing terrible about Gabriel Walta’s art besides it being dull to look at. The spaceship designs, both exterior and interior, look generic (think Ridley Scott’s Alien movies-type aesthetic), the kids are just kids, and there’s no one scene that stands out as particularly memorable visually. It’s serviceable but not impressive art.
Despite being wholly contrived, Lil’s misadventure on board the refueling station wasn’t boring and the kids solemnly preparing the adults’ bodies for the space burial was quietly moving. Mostly though I didn’t find Sentient very interesting to read and thought the story was rushed and poorly put-together overall. Jeff Lemire and space continues to be a bad combo.
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