SAMURAI SONJA #1, from Dynamite Comics on June 22nd, 2022, spins a tale of honor, courage, and sacrifice as Sonja sails to avenge her father’s death at the hands of a brutal Shogun.
The Details
- Written By: Jordan Clark
- Art By: Pasquale Qualano, Miriana Puglia
- Colors By: Kike J. Diaz
- Letters By: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: June 22nd, 2022
Was It Good?
SAMURAI SONJA #1 is the latest offering from Dynamite Comics geared toward taking the idea of Red Sonja and spinning her into an alternate version from another corner of the multiverse. This time, Samurai Sonja seeks to honor her father, family, and legacy by destroying the monstrous Shogun responsible for her father’s death. Does this alternate take on the Sonja legend stand up on its own merits? Yes, but barely.
The highlight of the story is Clark’s attention to detail in creating characters and a world set in feudal Japan that feels authentic to the period. The names, costumes, supernatural figures, and sense of duty/honor surrounding families feel authentic to the location and period. Clark also works in a version of the Red Sonja origin story to give this first issue a familiar hook.
However, the similarity between Red Sonja and Samurai Sonja is so similar that there’s nothing super creative or original about the execution. Samurai Sonja is effectively a reskin of Red Sonja. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you were looking for a creative Samurai twist beyond the superficial, it’s not here. Put another way, if you know the Red Sonja origin, you’ll know most of the major plot points here without ever reading this issue. On the creativity scale, this issue gets a low score.
The art is generally very good. The character designs and costumes, the ships, and the sets all look great. That said, the color palette is heavily muted and almost flat in spots. The entire issue is cast almost exclusively in soft pastels, diluting the energy, drama, and pop considerably. The linework is good, but the coloring is very bland.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a narrator explaining how Jpan fell into a constant war between rival Shoguns after the Emperor’s death. One Shogun, Shuten Doji, amasses great power through armies and the supernatural in a bid to become the ultimate ruler. In one of many battles, Sonja’s father is killed by Shuten Doji.
Later, Sonja sets sail with her uncle to confront Shuten Doji and stop his reign of terror. The Shogun’s lands are protected by dangerous beasts and magic, and even the power to disrupt the ocean. The spell sends crashing waves down on Sonja’s ship, sending her, her uncle, and her crew to a watery death. Before she dies, Sonja says a prayer to a great goddess to spare her life and vanquish the enemies responsible for slaughtering her family.
We conclude the issue with an answer, an oath, and the first of many battles to come.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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SAMURAI SONJA #1 is a serviceable introduction to another Sonja from across the multiverse. The specific elements of feudal Japan feel well-researched and authentic, and the line work is excellent. However, the colors are very flat, and the origin story is too similar to Red Sonja’s to feel like anything more than a reskin.
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