REVIEW: Sheltered #15

Written by Ed Brisson
Art by Johnnie Christmas
Published by Image Comics

I came onto Sheltered pretty late into the run, but quickly grew to love the story. If you haven“t been following the series, issue 15 marks the end of the run, but offers us a great wrap up to an intriguing story.

The premise is simple yet haunting – a group of people have set up a compound to prepare themselves for a coming apocalypse, only to be murdered by their children, headed by the charismatic and borderline genius, Lucas. The premise alone is dark, but what has transpired over the past 14 issues has been an amazing character exploration rarely seen in comics today save for a few such as Joshua Dysart“s run on Harbinger. What we“ve learned throughout the series is that while Lucas“ manipulation of the rest of the kids was maybe slightly perverse, he was ultimately correct in that his actions may have saved them from the destruction which their parents were preparing for.

This issue may seem a bit anticlimatic to some but it neatly wraps up many of the threads which have being at the forefront of the series as every character finds some type of resolution in their struggles. From the remaining relatives of those murdered at the compound in Safe Haven, to the law enforcement officials involved, to the children themselves, everyone seems to finally have found a way to accept the events handed to them and can begin to move forward with their lives.

As good as Brisson“s writing and narrative has been in this book, it is Johnnie Christmas“ pencils that ultimately attracted me to the story and kept me along for the ride. His style is a bit sketchy and muddied which may put some readers off, but it conveys so much emotion that it serves as a terrific compliment to Brisson“s gritty tale.
Overall, Sheltered #15 is a solid epilogue to one of the most intriguing books of recent times. While not as gripping and powerful as the last issue, this book left me wanting the series to continue as we finally see the volcano explode which is supposed to bring on the apocalype. If you haven“t read this book yet, pick up the first trade and give it a shot, you will not be disappointed.

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Author Profile

Martin Ferretti

Martin Ferretti is an avid comic book reader, Hearthstone player, IT professional, father, and all around geek. His fascination with Valiant Comics may be bordering on the insane, but hey, it keeps him happy. Follow him @Valiant_Central on Twitter or his Valiant news and reviews site ValiantCentral.com