Review: Samurai Sonja #1

I am at something of a loss when it comes to this book. I get that publishers have to “shake their money makers’; for DC that anything Bat related, for Marvel its Avengers, and X-Men. For Dynamite Entertainment that means Vampirella and Red Sonja. Is there really any other variations of these two ladies that Dynamite can roll out?

It is a time of civil war in the Sengoku period of Japan. Sonja, in a move straight out of Mulan, is the daughter of a samurai, who is out to prove her worth. When her father’s boat is attacked and death looks to embrace Sonja in its icy, wet and cold fingers, a prayer to a dreaded sea goddess results in Sonja being bestowed with magical armour and weapons, though there is a huge price to pay should Sonja fall in battle.

For a do-over on an existing character, Jordan Clark imbues the book with a Japanese style that in reality is quite different from what you would expect from a Sonja book; this will either be a huge win or a huge turn-off. I have to admit, I was on the fence with this book at first glance. I am glad that I gave it a chance. There are a lot of tropes in play from feudal Japan to demons and samurai. In Sonja, Clark has given us a different type of Sonja than we are used to seeing, which could be part of the charm. There is a sort of ethereal sense to the character and the choices she is forced to make.

This leads me to the art from Pasquale Qualano and Mirana Puglia, which carries a subtle ethnicity which gives the book a genuine feel and look. As great and authentic Sonja, her father and the boat at sea looks, it is the sea goddess who steals the show, with her porcelain doll looks. Of course there is a sea dragon and demon masked villain, which is to expected, but all tropes are covered well. Colors are provided by Kike J. Diaz who delivers a kind of washed out affair that oozes the time period perfectly. Letters are supplied by Jeff Eckleberry whose font is easy to read, before accentuating the watery elements in the middle of the book. I will say that I am not sure I appreciate the scratchy font used for the creators page, but that didn’t spoil the enjoyment of the book. Its a Dynamite book, so that means variant covers; it is buyers choice.

An actual all-new and all-different Sonja that borrows from a myriad of sources, which includes magical armour which is an idea used differently in Sonja traditional book, is a surprisingly enjoyable read.

Writing – 4 Stars

Art – 4 Stars

Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 4.5 Stars

Written by; Jordan Clark
Art by; Pasquale Qualano & Mirana Puglia
Colors by; Kike J. Diaz
Letters by; Jeff Eckleberry
Published by; Dynamite Entertainment

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network