Posted in: Comics, Image, Review | Tagged: image, sonata

Sonata Sets Up a Beautiful New World Under Threat of War

Published Fri, 14 Jun 2019 19:30:54 -0500

Image Comics' newest fantasy series Sonata has a cover striking enough to garner worthwhile interest alone, with heavy brush-stroked background emulating the wings of the Thermasaur gracing the jacket of this primary release. Artist and writer Brian Haberlin (co-creator of Witchblade) teams up once again with David Hine (Spawn) to put together an extraordinary world full of engaging creatures, technology, and a designated powerhouse protagonist named Sonata.

Perdita is a last-chance planetary settlement, home to desperate travelers of a dying home world who only get close enough for travel every five years. It is home to not only the Ran people, but dragon/vulture hybrids called Thermasaurs, large and intelligent natives called Lumani, and the Godlike monsters known only as the Sleeping Giants. The Ran expect to live in harmony with the planet, hoping that this time they will treat their home with care instead of parasitic destruction. They are alone in this thought, however, as other inhabitants on the planet called Tayans would rather conquer their surroundings with chemicals and technology. Their first conflict comes when the Tayans build a dam and cut off the Ran's water supply. When peace talks are unsuccessful, the Ran send a team to blow the dam down…however the unintended consequences of these actions will expectedly set forth a domino effect of consequences for all life on Perdita.

Haberlin and Hine pack so much world-building into this issue that even going through it a second time shows something new in the artwork or uncaught in the storyline. The Ran live in an almost steampunk society, mixing technology with the organic world around them while the Tayans have a cold and futurist settlement carved into the earth. Sonata leads the pace in the issue, being everything from a fearless flyer to attentive strategist in conflict with the Tayans. The art panels zig zag across the pages where time is of the essence for the characters and expand when it comes time for world building, subconsciously suggesting to readers to slow down and take in the beauty of Perdita.

This monthly series is setting itself up to be a popular title in Image Comics' line, especially for fans of Hine and Haberlin's previous work. Artist Geirrod Van Dyke completes this trifecta of talent in creating not only depth with his colors, but textures that are photoesque. The next issue is set to release in July, and this issue gives you enough to absorb to keep readers entertained until then.

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