A mighty ally has fallen, and a hero tries her best to carry on as tensions hang on the brink of war in the eighth issue of David Hine and Brian Haberlin’s Sonata. The overall rhythm of the action is a bit more complex this issue than it has been in the recent past. Major events unfold as ancient tech is used in battle, and things generally continue to unravel for the heroes, who are now very close to each other in spite of being very far apart physically. Hine’s script lacks the proper framing for overwhelming events that demand a greater impact on the page. Haberlin’s art frames it all quite well, but Hine is trying to pack a bit too much story into a single issue to graphically capture the intensity of what’s going on. 

Pau and Sonata are psychically linked now. They can send their thoughts to each other wherever they are. It’s a strangely intimate connection for a couple of people from opposing cultures. The two are trying their best to keep it all together, but it’s all coming apart. Pau’s father is using ancient tech in a battle that could raise tensions to a breaking point. Meanwhile, the ancient and mysterious Lumani are contacting the gods through a jump gate. Relations with gods are never an easy thing in any fantasy world, but the Lumani run into problems all their own in the second part of Hine and Haberlin’s Sonata story “The Citadel.”

David Hine is ushering the story through a very quick escalation of events this issue. The speed of the action doesn’t allow for the slow build-up of tension necessary to give the action much significance. Sonata is clearly going through some really serious emotional turmoil as politics threaten to tear her world asunder, but there isn’t enough time spent on any one event. It all blurs together without much focus on the reader. Sonata’s inner dialogue and inner monologue feel very natural, but events move around her and the rest of her world without connecting-up with her. Hine’s got a lot going on here, but it doesn’t feel terribly connected to itself. 

Haberlin delivers as much impact as he can without slowing down Haberlin’s pace. Sonata is clearly going through a lot in solemnly-rendered dramatic moments alone and in connection with Pau. The brutal end of the action is a bit hit-or-miss. A sudden murder hits like a hammer in the snow at the end of the first third of the issue. Still, the big assault on the invaders doesn’t quite hit with the devastation it needed to really get across the idea that Lumani tech is as powerful as it’s supposed to be. 

Hine and Haberlin continue to deliver a very vivid story, but the pacing of this issue feels a bit rushed. There’s a clear path that they’re charting for Sonata’s near future. It’s just too bad much of the intensity of the events is diluted here to get to the next issue. All of the right elements are there. If Hine and Haberlin can wrangle the speed of the story just a little bit more, the intensity of the story will amplify considerably. 

Grade: B