Title: Somna #1
Publisher: DSTLRY
Story & Art: Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay
Colors: Lee Loughridge, Dee Cunniffe & Tula Lotay
Letters: Lucas Gattoni
Editor: Will Dennis
Design: Emma Price & Erika Schnatz
DSTLRY has paired two absolute powerhouses in Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay. They both feature a unique artistic style that is unparalleled across comics. So, how did the pairing of the two turn out for DSTLRY’s second release?
Somna is set in an English village during the 1600s. The duo makes their presence known in the horror genre regardless of medium. Cloonan and Lotay’s art pair perfectly. Cloonan expresses the real world with highly detailed panels with sharp lines. Whereas Lotay’s signature fever-dreamlike style flows throughout each and every panel. Each artist’s specialty plays an important part in showcasing a story of a puritanical society that represses any sexual desires from women. Where the book really shines, however, is when these two styles blend onto one page. It’s visually striking and emotionally impactful.
The use of color throughout sets the tone, and this is only enhanced by the colorful letter boxes differentiating scenes and characters. Lettering doesn’t get the love it often deserves, but in Somna, it really locks you into the moment-to-moment of each page. The dark blues, blacks and reds of Lotay’s darker scenes play seamlessly off of Cloonan’s daylight pages. A perfect juxtaposition of aligning with puritanical life, while allowing yourself the freedom to give into those deeper, darker desires.
Somna is certainly graphic, but it refrains from being gratuitous. I owe this solely due to the fact that it is being written by women. It’s staggeringly clear when a book that deals with societal ills which impact women exclusively is written by men. There is just always that disconnect due to the lack of experiencing those very things.
Somna #1 is a massive hit for DSTLRY. It’s sensual, beautiful and intriguing all the same. Cloonan and Lotay are two powerhouses in comics that came together to create something special that elevates the entire medium.