The Sonjas have rallied, but will even a rainbow of warrior women be enough to turn back the designs of Hell Sonja? Your Major Spoilers review of Sonjaversal #10 from Dynamite Entertainment awaits!
SONJAVERSAL #10
Writer: Christopher Hastings
Artist: Pasquale Qualano
Colorist: Kike J. Diaz
Letterer: Hassan Ostmane-Elhaou
Editor: Nate Cosby
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 1, 2021
Previously in Sonjaversal: The worlds of Purple Sonja, Yellow Sonja, Sonja Noir begin collapsing on themselves. In order to save them, they must learn the humongous secret…
What is Hell Sonja’s grand design!?
CMYK SONJAS, UNITE!
Sonjaversal #10 begins with Sonja Noir, She-Devil with a Chandleresque voiceover, examining the now-returned-to-life corpses of some occult bootleggers that she recently bisected, discovering that they’ve somehow amalgamated into an arcane tunnel to an unknown land. In space, Purple Sonja discovers her own tunnel, as does steampunk She-Devil Yellow Sonja, and biker warrior Blue Sonja. All of the various Sonjas travel through the portal to find themselves in Hell, greeted by Hell Sonja, a giant demon version of themselves. Helly explains her own origins (and, in so doing, explains why there are so many echoes of Sonja throughout the various realms.) She then explains why they’re here: She now has to reclaim all the lost souls that she was once the guardian of from across reality, and she needs help. She wants the Sonjas to join her in her quest to restore balance and rebuild the gates of Aitch-Ee-Double-Hockey-Sticks once and for all!
TO BE CONTINUED
I was a bit annoyed at the first read-through of this issue, ending as it does with a tease for the upcoming Hell Sonja series, but upon consideration, it’s actually more of a closure than I thought at first. The four Sonjas have fought their own literal demons, and now are working together with others who understand their plight, and the balance of characters (The Detective, The Inventor, The Berzerker and The Ace Pilot) makes for an interesting mix. This issue’s story also has some hidden bits and pieces that explain some of my issues with the previous nine, and provide a setup for some truly metal tales to come. The art is good enough, never unpleasant, but not flashy either, and it’s to Qualano’s credit that you can almost always tell which Sonja is in play, even if you can see the hair or accoutrements. The final page splash of the Sonja Five in action is really impressive, adding some unifying elements to their various looks and making them look X-TREME, while maintaining their humanity. (Sonjanity?)
BOTTOM LINE: A FUN ENDING-SLASH-BEGINNING
I’ve been a little bit worried that I’m starting to get burned out on Multiverse stories, but Sonjaversal #10 puts the closing touches on this one in a way that feels both surprising and perfectly appropriate, with good art and a nice blend of characters making for an ending that comes with built-in exclamation points, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. When I started reading this book, it felt like a cool throwaway crossover, but now I actually want to see Purple, Red, Yellow, and Noir Sonjas traveling the universe, if only because the four-color jokes almost write themselves.
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SONJAVERSAL #10
Four Sonjas enter, and what leaves ends up being a really cool twist on the multiversal concepts in play, with good art and fun dialogue.
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Writing8
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Art7
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Coloring8
