Sonjaversal #1

SONJAVERSAL #1, available from Dynamite Comics on February 3rd, 2021, takes the “what if” scenario of alternate Sonjas and brings it to colorful and imaginative life. The narrative takes a few pages to get it's footing in the very beginning, and the art has a few rough spots, but this comic is creative and fun. I have no idea where this story is going next, and I'm interested to find out. Read Full Review

Sonjaversal has a lot of potential. The character is one that could easily be done in a Grendel-ish kind of way with new incarnations to explore and her spirit living on for the times needed. And I like the concept of a lot of them being plucked out of their place in order to go back and seemingly try to kill the original. Hastings has a good idea here that suffers from a complicated opening that doesn't flow well until it gets to the halfway mark or so and shifts back to Red Sonja herself. Qualano and Perez put in a good looking book with the back half being stronger in my opinion but the first half left me unsteady with the script and not enjoying the artwork as much because of it. I'm definitely in for what this can be and can do as the back half sets things up in an interesting way. Read Full Review

Although the set-up is a bit weird, the god is actually a Sonja too (or is she just a tool for the god)?, the idea should provide plenty of action for the series and Red Sonja will battle doppelgangers of herself from across time and dimensions. First up is Orange Sonja, part of a technological future armed with a gun and spending days battling cyber creatures. We also see glimpses of Green Sonja and Purple Sonja and mention of a Pantheon. However, we've entered the tale midway through, and Orange Sonja discovers killing the She-Devil with a Sword is easier said than done – even for a Sonja. Read Full Review

Orange and Red come together as the chapter closes, but we get so many non sequitur flashbacks that it simply becomes too mentally draining to try to piece it all together. Christopher Hastings takes a fun concept -- obviously lifted from Into the Spider-Verse and Dark Nights: Death Metal -- and manages to mold it into a shapeless muddle, with a narrative no one can follow and a plot driver nobody cares about. It doesn't even take that long to fall apart, with Orange Sonja looking directly at the mecha-vs-kaiju battle, then acting like she is hearing about it a panel later and seeing it as though for the first time the panel after that.But at least most of the interior artwork is nicely done by Pasquale Qualano and Jordi Perez, and the Jae Lee cover is as exquisite as one would expect. Overall, to paraphrase from Cool Hand Luke, "What we have here is... failure to communicate." Read Full Review

C.V.R. The Bard

Feb 06, 2021

Dynamite is on a roll in 2021 , and the trend has continued with this premiere issue of Sonjaversal. Eschewing the medieval lore, and instead opening with a futuristic alternate Sonja, I never knew Power Rangers-esque mech-fights could look so good. And then when the inevitable trip to medieval times did occur, I got a fun story where I learned that the origin of Sonja's powers comes from her chastity - making this character more intriguing with this fusion of Samson & Wonder Woman in regards to this character's origins. And then capping it off with a "The One" style gauntlet that the last page teased, this is a pull and it works as a device that could definitely could esrn this title a placed within a pull. - Audiomack.com/cvrthebard

Nick

Feb 03, 2021

The first half is a bit of a headache but that’s to be expected - it’s a set up in the far-flung future with a load of new characters. The Hyborian Era segment is *excellent* - I only wish Qualano could have done all the art. As a while, this issue sets up the series to come really nicely. 6/10 fir the first half, 9/10 for the second

True411

Feb 03, 2021

It's a bit all over the place, but a good cliff hanger. I'm going to giver her a chance.