Somna #1 Review: A Potent Dream of Shadows, Fear, and Lust

Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay are two names that carry a lot of weight with comics critics – outstanding artists producing ambitious projects and attached to some of the most invigorating events and publishers in the industry. So it's no surprise that when they collaborate to create the new series Somna, it's a success, but reputation alone can't speak to exactly how successful the new series from upstart DSTLRY is in reading. The miniseries' debut this week showcases two resplendent styles intricately woven together to immerse readers in a setting and headspace they won't want to leave, even as it grows ever more disquieting.

Somna #1 introduces readers to life in a small unnamed village set amidst England in the early 17th century as witch hunts terrorize the countryside. Ingrid is married to the local bailiff and witchfinder Roland, who ignores her in favor of his official duties, even as she is plagued by increasingly frightening dreams. The entire affair—weaving together historical fiction, eroticism, and the supernatural—is presented in a pristinely prepared package in which every page, title, and effect is considered, much like Cloonan's exquisite By Chance or By Providence.

Cloonan and Lotay divide artistic duties between Ingrid's waking and unconscious hours. The issue opens on a dream sequence in which Ingrid captures fragments of imagery before settling her gaze upon a dark figure with lustful intents. Lotay's style matches this dreamscape splendidly and offers readers insights into the manner in which Ingrid dreams. Soft figures and blurring lines portray a sense of unreality without ever losing clarity; fragments from a possible drowning on the first page are all the more effective because the details are distinguishable. But overlapping and non-typical layouts combine with a regularly changing point of view to differentiate this space from the harsh realities of life in the late Elizabethan era. 

This contrasts splendidly against Cloonan's portrayal of the waking world. Sharp lines, rich inking, and solid grids ground every moment spent in Ingrid's village with the dull realities of peasant life lacking the blurred effects of tantalizing dark dreams. Whereas Lotay's work portrays Ingrid's inner desires and emotional complexity, Cloonan's figures provide emotions on their faces and frames with unerring accuracy. Ingrid's yearning for her husband and his cold rejection provides a rich subtext suggesting deeper motives within both of them. 

Even as the narrative relies more upon these waking sequences to dispatch with dialogue and exposition, Cloonan utilizes dense grids filled with details to compress information and make each new panel a rewarding reading experience. It's this density that makes Somna #1 read as a much more satisfying installment than most serialized comics. By the issue's end there are a clearly defined set of characters with complex motivations and relationships in a fully realized setting. Adding the supernatural intrigues offered at night atop all of this produces a first issue that's as satisfying as the best pilots on television.

There will doubtless be a space (and need) to discuss the marital intrigues, erotic temptations, and gendered power dynamics of Somna; the first issue alone is rich with thematic subtext drawing readers into a setting far beyond but undeniably connected to their own. But the wonder of Somna #1 lies in how that place, its people, and the story they have to tell are introduced. Meeting Sigurd's friends and her husband's victims in the village while lapsing into her dark dreams at night offers both aesthetic and literary pleasures that are best found on the page. What's undeniable is the talent and ambition on display in this first issue making Somna a series all keen-eyed comics readers will want to seek out.

Published by DSTLRY

On November 22, 2023

Written by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay

Art by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay

Colors by Lee Loughridge, Dee Cunniffe, and Tula Lotay

Letters by Lucas Gattoni

Cover by Becky Cloonan