HELL SONJA #4, from Dynamite Comics on April 20th, 2022, finds the Sonja Squad on their next mission which, if successful, completes Red Sonja’s contract with Hell Sonja. What is the mysterious evil they must defeat to complete Red Sonja’s bargain?
The Details
- Written By: Christopher Hastings
- Art By: Pasquale Qualano
- Colors By: Kike J. Diaz
- Letters By: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: April 20, 2022
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Was It Good?
HELL SONJA #4 is just okay. For the penultimate issue in the arc, Hastings starts connecting little hints dropped in the previous issue that something is afoot in Hell. Red Sonja’s eyes are opened to the possibility that her contract with Hell Sonja may not be on the up and up. And a former ruler of Hell may be behind it all.
That all sounds like good stuff, and it is, but in truth, this issue felt small. Perhaps it’s the setting of a crowded airplane in mid-flight, or the supernatural voices creeping from the mouths of passengers and small video screens. It’s all informative and serves to move the story forward, but the net result lacks energy. This issue is almost entirely dialog on a cramped airplane, and that’s a tall order for any artist to present with drama and energy.
To be clear, this isn’t a bad comic in any way. It simply doesn’t do much to grab your attention or get you excited. At best, you could call it serviceable to set up the finale of the arc in the next issue, and the last page does include a “wow” moment that feels like a game-changer for the arc.
Again, it’s a tall order to get a dialog-only issue to seem interesting for an artist, but Qualano gives it the good old college try. The character designs are still cool, the supernatural snippets are successfully unsettling, and the last panels do project a moment of shock & awe.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
To learn more about the Sonja Squad and how they go to this penultimate point, first read our HELL SONJA #3 review.
We begin with a mission brief from Hell Sonja to the Sonja Squad. She informs them she can’t help out unless it’s for extraction as all her magical energy has been depleted. If they go off on their next mission, they go it alone, and if they abort, Red Sonja’s contract counter resets to 0.
The Sonja Squad materializes on a plane in mid-flight. At first, nothing seems out of the ordinary, but soon, a supernatural presence begins asserting itself. Asmodeus announces himself by talking through the passengers, his cult worshippers, and all electronic devices. He tells Red Sonja she’s been lied to, and Hell Sonja may be bending (or breaking) the rules of the contract.
We conclude the issue with a primer on how gods receive power, the price of obedience, and an involuntary changing of sides.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
HELL SONJA #4 is a serviceable issue that does a lot of talking and hits readers with a shocking, game-changing moment on the last page. That said, the lack of action and the close-quartered setting made the issue feel small and lacking in energy.
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