SAMURAI SONJA #5, from Dynamite Comics on October 26th, 2022, concludes the multiverse version of Red Sonja’s adventure as Sonja Takeda confronts the Oni responsible for so much pain and destruction, Shuten Dōji.
The Details
- Written by: Jordan Clark
- Art by: Miriana Puglia
- Colors by: Kike J. Diaz
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Clayton Henry
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: October 26, 2022
Is It Good?
SAMURAI SONJA #5 brings the multiversal experiment to a close with Samurai Sonja confronting the demon lord she was created to defeat. The issue is filled with action and monsters, capped with a reasonably satisfying conclusion. This series has its ups and downs, but Jordan Clark crosses the finish line strong.
Clark’s script is well-constructed and well-paced with good dialog, a balanced mix of action and flashbacks, and a complete albeit predictable ending. The flashbacks largely focus on Shuten Dōji’s history as a child who was just born bad and grew worse over time until his demonic body eventually matched his demonic spirit. The final fight has weight and power to every slash, so hats off to Miriana Puglia for executing an epic final battle.
The down point of Clark’s story is that the flashbacks break up the moment of the story coming out of the previous issue. The background helps to inform the reader about the villain, but you can’t help wondering if learning about the main villain should have happened several issues ago. The flashback of Shuten Dōji’s life is exposition, and it’s a well-done exposition, but it comes much too late in the run.
Miriana Puglia’s art style is excellent and really sells the finale. The action is fierce, and there are at least two “she might not make it” moments that are rendered believably. However, Diaz’s coloring is detailed and accurate, but the color palette selection lacks pop.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our SAMURAI SONJA #4 review to find out what trials Sonja had to endure to finally reach the final boss.
We begin with a brief flashback to Samurai Sonja’s life as a recap of the run’s beginnings and a full montage flashback of Shuten Dōji’s origin. He was born to good people, but Shuten Dōji was a bad seed from the beginning. His parents eventually left him at a monastery in the hopes the monks could purge the evil in his heart.
As he grew, Shuten Dōji became more defiant and malicious in his ways. One day, he put on an Oni mask to scare his fellow acolytes. The mask, however, would not come off as the gods decided the demonic face matched his wicked spirit, so Shuten Dōji became a real demon.
We conclude the issue with a fight with a dragon, a fight with a demon, and a fight with skeletons.
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Final Thoughts
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SAMURAI SONJA #5 is a solid and reasonably satisfying end to one of the more intriguing versions of Red Sonja from across the multiverse. The action is energetic, the flashback to the villain’s origin is interesting, albeit presented too late to be helpful, and the final battle is well done.
Related Information
What did the samurai do?
According to the World History Encyclopedia, “Samurai were employed by feudal lords (daimyo) for their material skills in order to defend the lord’s territories against rivals, to fight enemies identified by the government, and battle with hostile tribes and bandits… As samurai eventually organized into groups led by warlords with political power they were able to take over from a weak imperial court in the 12th century under the rule of such warlords as Minamoto no Yoritomo.”
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