A young heroine feels distance growing with her closest friends as she finds herself in yet another strange corner of her world in the ninth issue of Sonata. Writer David Hine and artist Brian Haberlin’s otherworldly fantasy story continues in an issue the provides a few revelations that deepen the mystery. The rush of revelations from a gradual parade of illumination over the course of the past nine months arrives in a figure of fatigue this issue that is punctuated by the glimmer of possibility for future issues. Sonata’s world looks so very, very interesting. Hine and Haberlin still have yet to bring the series’ full potential, as is all too apparent in the tenth issue.

Sonata, Pau, and Treen have arrived near a portal to lay eyes on a fallen god. Once it had towered over everything, and now it’s lifeless on the ground. The giant rests at the mouth of a portal to a city of the gods. Naturally, they want to investigate. Much to their surprise, that city of the gods is, in fact, populated by Lumani wearing and operating advanced tech. This is of particular surprise to Treen, who is a Lumani himself...but one from a community that has long shunned advanced tech. The three friends need to learn whether or not to trust these Lumani quickly as danger is approaching on the horizon.

Hine reveals a whole new angle on the mysteries of Sonata in a way that adds some fresh, new prose for the series. The deeper mysteries of the Lumani and the giant gods of Sonata’s world seem interesting enough. Still, it’s been such a long and uneven ride to get to this particular revelation, that it scarcely feels as magical and wondrous as it should. The conflict between Sonata, Pau, and Treen developing in and within their psychic connection is a lot more fascinating than Hine seems to have time for as the series delves deeper and deeper into world-building mysteries.

Haberlin’s unique visual fingerprint for the world of Sonata is well-defined by this point in the series. His distinct use of exaggerated size contrasts continues to impress in a world of vast landscapes and impossibly tall gods. This issue leans-into the drama, which is Haberlin’s strength. This is particularly impressive as much of the drama plays out on the faces of huge red-faced Lumani that aren’t quite as expressive as a normal human face. The physical action in this issue isn’t quite as intense here. However, between the otherworldliness of Sonata’s world and the visually compelling drama, the graphic end of this issue is far from dull.

There always seems to be a strange sense of imbalance that reveals itself by the end of an issue of Sonata. With issue #9, Hine and Haberlin continue in a tradition of narrative imbalance that once again shows real potential for being deeply engrossing fantasy if only the story would settle-down enough to really explore the world that’s so busily being built.

Grade: B-