Sheltered, Volume 3

Sheltered

by Ed Brisson, Johnnie Christmas (Artist)

The children of Safe Haven sacrificed their own families in an attempt to survive a disaster that's poised to wipe out 90% of North America. However, the outside world is closing in and the kids have turned their sanctuary into a war zone. The end of the world is now the LEAST of their concerns.

Collects SHELTERED #11-15 – the final arc!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Thriller, Graphic Novels Comics, Canada, Science Fiction, Crime

128 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2015

About the author

Comic book writer.

Credits include: COMEBACK, SHELTERED, THE FIELD (Image Comics), SECRET AVENGERS (Marvel), ROBOCOP, SONS OF ANARCHY, HELLRAISER (BOOM!) and X-FILES/TMNT: CONSPIRACY (IDW). Plus, you know, a bunch of stuff I can’t talk about yet.

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ed Brisson is one of the more interesting comic-book writers working for Image (and occasionally Boom!) these days: good ear for dialogue, solid characterization, genre-bending wit, lots of wild and crazy situations – what’s not to like? Well, as long as the plot is as fast-paced and wacko as that of Brisson’s recent mini-series The Field, those ingredients are indeed all it takes to cook up a very tasty little pot-boiler – nothing wrong with that! With Sheltered, however, Brisson tried to weave a longer and more serious narrative, one in which all those crazy situations actually add up to… well, to something? Wouldn't that be a good idea? Except they don’t, or at least not to anything interesting, and so things come to a rather predictable and unremarkable conclusion in this final volume. The dialogue is still well written and all, mind you, but… you know... so what?

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheltered is about a group of survivalist nutters whose even nuttier children decide to murder them. This is what the kids did next!

Try as they might, the troubled, paranoid kids of Safe Haven are unable to keep the outside world away from their increasingly anarchic enclave. In this final volume, the police discover what’s been happening in the remote compound and soon the FBI descend for a Waco-like standoff.

One of the aspects I liked so much about the second volume was the potential direction the story could’ve gone. It was about a few non-crazy kids trying to make it out alive while the brainwashed maniacs with guns set out to hunt them down. The possibility (and certainty as it turns out) was always for a recreation of Waco but I was hoping Ed Brisson would take it in a less obvious direction.

Unfortunately, obviousness prevails and we get an armed standoff, just like every other cult cornered by the government. The story plays out in the most predictable way once the police are made aware of the murders. Negotiators show up, more shooting, more armed police, more shooting, splosions, people die, the end. It’s not badly written, just weakly plotted. There are no surprises in the script and therefore no tension either which is unfortunate for the finale.

About halfway through the book, as yet another scene that’s been done a hundred times before played out, I began thinking about how I’d want it to end. Once Brisson went down this road, the standoff between the US government and teenagers with assault rifles was the only one way this could end, but beyond that, how to go out with something more? I instantly knew how I wanted it to end but I didn’t think Brisson would do it – but, right there in the final panel, he did! Kudos, guys! (The clue is in the series subtitle)

I like the limited series format and, while Sheltered isn’t an amazing book, I think it’s benefitted from the compactness of a 3 volume/15 issue run. It kept things fast-moving and exciting unlike a title like, say, Sweet Tooth, which went on about two volumes too many. Long form indie comics don’t need to be 10 volumes like Scalped, Transmetropolitan or Y: The Last Man, or even 7-9 volumes like The Invisibles or Preacher, and I’m glad to see the limited series format getting a new lease on life over at Image (the brilliant Alex + Ada is another three volume series).

Sheltered disappointingly bows out in an acceptable but lacklustre way with an unimaginative third act – even that final page, as crazy as I thought it’d be, was predictable. It’s not a bad series to check out though keep your expectations low going in.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Pretty solid end to this story. After all the drama and suspense, it all comes down to the final showdown. Although I found it hard to believe the kids would do what the did at the end of issue one and for them to go as far as they did at the end, it was still an entertaining read due to Brisson writing skills. I was still caught up in the drama as this book marched its way to the ending. Overall, for all three volumes, definitely an interesting tale. But when I saw that last panel, I was like “ I knew it!!!” Lol.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY enjoyed this series.

So the story picks up where the last left off. Another death of a child turns the camp into a frenzy. When people start fighting for power we know all is lost. Lucas, the person I felt had no remorse, is actually somewhat symptomatic here. Despite his crazy ideas and such he actually cares about the other kids for the most part. He's also so much smarter than most of them so when he watches it all fall apart you'd think he run, but no he sticks with them, just because this is the only way. The ending of volume 2 was gut-wrenching for some people and everything comes full circle by the end here.

Good: The tension keeps building and building. You can feel it, every time another character meets, and by the end it explodes. It's not a big end all fight it's a sad, whimper, death all around type of ending. The very ending is also a lol fuck you moment that I enjoyed.

Bad: I still don't love the art.

Overall this was really damn good. I liked it almost as much as volume 2 and I really dug 2. So 1-2-3 all together make up a really fun, well paced, and terrifying little graphic novel. A easy 4 out of 5.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A kind of disappointing ending to this three volume survivalist series. The art by co-creator Johnnie Christmas is solid, conveys well the darkness and hysteria, but the story doesn't finally do or say anything original or surprising or particularly interesting. It's good, just not great.

A bunch of survivalists in the way of Waco build Safe Haven, a compound, which in the first volume turns not to be NOT so safe, as you'd predict, as the kids for SOME reason you will never know KILL ALL THE ADULTS and wait for a volcano that they think will for some reason you will never know signal The End. And in the process things actually, as you would predict, get worse. Kids who did what I just said are not going to just pull it together. Some things look promising and interesting in the middle volume, my favorite by far, but nothing will surprise you about what happens in the end. And you know, to be a great story, some things need to take your breath away once in a while, or startle you, at the very least. Or give you some new insight into human nature or why the hell we in this economy and in this country have so many new survivalist enclaves cropping up.

Why is it these kids get to be the bad guys in this one? What does this tell us about the youth of America? Or youth in general? Is there something Brisson and Christmas have to tell us about youth not being ready to take over the world? It seems since this would appear to be a serious tale and not a batshit crazy tale like Brisson's The Field, that they would have something to say. Maybe something like how not even kids are innocent? Uh…. okay. But it looks nice and is well done, solid.

[Coleen (The Book Ramblings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to the collection of volumes 1-3 of Sheltered, it was an entertaining and fast read. The ending was evident in volume 1, so the conclusion in volume 3 was not surprising, although if it ended differently, it would have been a better closing to this action-packed story. While the first volume was my least favorite, it was a decent introduction into the premise and characters. The second and third volume had more of a direction when it came to the plot, it had a eerie and tense atmosphere with nonstop action. The ending to Safe Haven was predictable, and may not have been executed brilliantly, but it kept me intrigued enough to read from beginning to end, and for that I give the collection 3 stars.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheltered winds down like you would expect it too once the outside world finds out what's going on. The ATF surrounds the compound and we settle in for a standoff. It's resolved with a couple of issues left and we see how the survivors deal with the repercussions of their actions. Brisson leaves us with one last great reveal on the last page of the book. I liked this story and really appreciate Image bringing us something other than superhero comics.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

The crap threatens to hit the fan any minute now. Lucas has lost the leadership of the Safe Haven kids, Victoria and Tab have managed to run away, but are being followed, and Cliff's wife has gone to the police.

The police are searching for Cliff when they discover the dead bodies. Victoria and Tab get to the police captain and reveal the truth behind the murders. Two of the cops soon get to Safe Haven, now turned into a war zone, unrecognizable from before. They get shot at by the kids. Lucas realises that the police is going to come back in force, so he wants the kids to get ready for war.

The FBI are brought in to negotiate, but Lucas is determined to hide in the bunkers and wait it out. When the kids shoot down a news helicopter that they think is from the FBI, all bets are off. They rejoice, all except Lucas who realizes they are doomed.

The FBI is using images of the destroyed helicopter to justify attacking the compound with an armored vehicle. The kids give up and Lucas kills himself before the FBI can seize him.

The media backlash is considerable and the FBI agent in charge of the case can barely keep his cool for accusations that the operation wasn't handled correctly. All the surviving kids except Victoria were sent to jail. Some of them are content with their punishment while others think it's unfair. Victoria needs time to get over it all and has the support of her aunt and uncle.

Funnily enough, it's suggested that maybe Lucas was right. A volcanic explosion threatens to bring about the apocalypse he foretold.

[Václav · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book wasn't all that epic as I thought. It felt more realistic instead. Of course, some shit went down and some things end the way I expected. But you know? This was a hell of a story with a fitting, working and excellent ending. Looking back, the Sheltered was fun. There was a lot of unused potentials, but that's the charm - a good story usually didn't explore everything. It only uses as much as needed to tell the tale. Well, and Sheltered did that.
And as for the art: it's fine, but I eventually started to hate the drawing of people, especially their faces. So let's say, over and all, it's a great story with mediocre art. Serious tip for people who like thrillers and decent action and looking for quite extraordinary setting.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final entry in this well-done, high-action series.

[Jimmy Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew it. I saw where the story was headed. Lucas was right,the end of the world is nigh......sigh.... This just makes Lucas' realisation and slight redemption pointless, it essentially means the bad guys were justified in their action. Not all of them, sure, but at the end of the day, they just wanted to survive. The last two panels let us know that they were right to be worried, it annoys me. As does Victoria being a total side character in this volume, she goes from the person we follow to just being there, she adds absolutely nothing this time round.

Apparently there is going to be a film version of this. I can see it, I just hope the movie doesn't have a cop out ending too. Wishful thinking, I know.....

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading today vol.2 and vol.3 and had serious problem to stop reading sooo my dinner ended ruined in dustbin yeeey.
Anyway - I loved it. Those scenes with blood and that violence and story.. I can't remember last time I enjoyed book like today. That artwork still crude but fuck, amazingly fit to that story!
Will re-read for sure, imagining being with those kids shooting adults in their heads, telling myself it's good thing.

[Jakub Kvíz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dustojny finale zabavny serie, ktera prolitla mimo radar vetsiny fanousku, coz je skoda, protoze Sheltered urcite stoji za precteni.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not how many, it's how big. These earthquakes were magnitude seven and are getting worse. This much activity, an eruption is inevitable. It's a matter of days, if not hours.

A group of doomsday preppers have created safe-haven, an off the grid series of bunkers which they are slowly stocking with food, ahead of their perceived apocalyptic future. When Lucas, one of their sons, discovers that the supervolcano under Yellowstone Park is potentially going to erupt tough choices have to be made. He decides the only hope of survival is for the children to kill their parents so there is enough food to last the 3 years needed in the bunker.

However, when the eruption doesn't occur as quickly as he predicted the other children become anxious about the actions they took.

In this final volume safe-haven is under threat when the police then FBI are called in. Can Lucas and the group fend them off? Will the supervolcano erupt?

A gripping pre-apocalyptic graphic novel series.

[Jeremy Hannaford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This started with me finding the first volume on the bargain bin, and it turned into a pretty damn good mini series. Brisson created a narrative that was very grey and had several conflicts between characters and their morale compasses.
I enjoyed its critique of modern day ethics of youth and how the modern world as a whole views violence and violent groups. He takes little notes from other fanatic groups of the past and tells his own story that had some great twists and fantastic character dynamics.
Christmas visual style worked so well for the theme of the story. It added a realm of necessary realism to the visual story telling element that I very much appreciated.
The whole team did a fantastic job for this series and I will definitely be looking for their next series!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never hated a group of fictional kids more in my life, but at least they got what they deserved.
I disagree that Lucas "being right" was any kind of justification for what he did. He was a massive piece of shit and a controlling moron. Everything would've worked out if they hadn't genocided their parents. How is anything Lucas did justified, just because the volcano erupted? He got that idea from his parents, not from himself. LOL. Also, unfortunately the little creep known as Curt didn't die in the second book, but he did get the shit beat out of him in prison. Repulsive little shit.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything draws to its bloody conclusion. A standoff between the FBI and the kids. And then, after everything is wrapped up.... the final panel shows the volcano erupting, just like Lucas predicted. I so thought they would probably do that, and it worked great. Good stuff. Fucking dark.

[Shawn Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason I felt a little bit let down this volume. I was originally going to give this three stars but those last two panels really redeemed a comic that started off great and ended pretty weak.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to review the whole trilogy together since it's a short comic series: I love the storyline and the character journeys. It's a relatable tale while still being fiction and the action is well paced. Good quick read!

[Manuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked it but the (very predictable) ending ruined it for me.

[mehfuz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the second volume still a enjoyable one. Ending was little predictable with a twist.

[Shawn Ingle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good series but I saw that ending coming.

[Mee Too · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the kind of series that reinforces my belief that being a quitter can be a good thing.

I really should have stopped at vol 1, addiction sucks lol

[Namrac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read all three volumes at once and it was a terrific story! Interesting premise that rolls along at a fast pace with a satisfying end. Reminiscent of the early Walking Dead series, its premise is a unique take on the apocalypse, describing itself as a “pre-apocalyptic.” Read it.

[Kaique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this volume, although the last panel was a little disappointing... I was hoping they’d gone in the opposite direction. I would have gone with four starts otherwise. Up to that point I think things wrapped up pretty nicely, although very predictable. I enjoy what ended up happening to the characters, it was very satisfying. Overall I loved this series. It was a great survival story. The characters were very random, which I loved and always kept me hooked find out what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the artwork too, I think fits the story perfectly.

[BellaGBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

As whole an entertaining story. Very good premise, but execution wise less brilliant. So this is a series that is no waste of your time to read, but you would also probably not read it continuously during your life.

Especially was myself a bit dissapointed by the end. I never get why writers end a high-action tale with A WHOLE ISSUE of nothing much. Totally ruined the pase and the excitement of the story for me. It felt a bit like the ending of the Harry Potter series (epic fight and immedeatly after that a scene of love all around and quiteness, or the ending of kick-ass: almost dying and blood and gore throughout the book and at the ending a moralistic do-good action).
I do understand why writers do that. After intense happenings for the characters the readers want to know for sure where they end up and if they are going to be oke, but in my opinion that can be more action-packed. For example in the form of a character remembering the traumatic events in a nightmare or something like that while lying in bed with new-found live and happiness. That would be more realistic than the nothing wrong endings they give us normally.
However this is not the case with sheltered. Sheltered tried to bring the reader at the wrong track: misery is fixed, everything is absolutely lovely from now on, and then wham series ending the reader can decide if everything is fine or not. THis can work very well, but I think sheltered would have been better of not doing it.

I will reconsider this judgement once I've read the whole series in one go. Cause often a story comes across different when reading issue per issue.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted more. Wanted much more. Everything happened so fast.

I was guessing what's going to happen the whole time.. well I got the last 2 panels at least. heh..

So, I won't spoil anything. But you're either going to be very satisfied. Or somewhat satisfied about certain characters (like me). Also shocked about some other character's fate you didn't expect to end up the way they did.

Police is out of Safe Haven and read to go in. Everything goes to hell. The kids are NOT backing down and are NOT surrendering. So don't expect an ending that's going to suck. Expect lots of action and... yeap I can't say much more, I'm going to ruin it for ya.

Really nice story, and the Christmas' artwork is amazing. I'm actually going to start Pisces (his new series that he's drawing) right now.

Great story. With lots of suspense in it. All 3 volumes can be read in like 2 days, while working so it's not slow or anything and makes you wanna flip through pages as fast as possible. So, what I'm trying to say is: Recommended!

[Matt J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheltered is a book that requires you to buy into a fairly ridiculous premise (I mean, it could happen, but c’mon), but if you choose to buy into it, there’s a nifty crime series there for you. So this is the third and final volume, and if you’ve made it this far I assume that you have bought into the aforementioned fairly ridiculous premise. It’s about as satisfying conclusion as you could want from this series, with everything building to a crescendo… and then it goes on for another issue. I feel like an opportunity was missed in not having things smash cut to black at then end of the penultimate issue. But the final chapter gives satisfying codas for all the important characters, with some interesting things to say about the way the media and people and general exploit and revel in large-scale tragedies.

[Silence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Full series review can be found at: http://owlsandvowels.org/2016/03/12/s...

However, this was a worthy finish for a solid series.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A despite being a somewhat predictable ending, the characters and art remain true to the arc as intro'd in the first two trades. I wouldn't argue with an ongoing story with the surviving characters, especially give the SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS in the last two panes of issue 15.