IMMORTAL RED SONJA #10, from Dynamite comics on February 1st, 2023, ends the series with a climactic battle between Red Sonja and her allies against the malevolent Mordread.
The Details
- Written by: Dan Abnett
- Art by: Luca Colandrea
- Colors by: Ellie Wright
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Leirix Li (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: February 1, 2023
Is It Good?
And so, IMMORTAL RED SONJA #10 comes to an end with an action-packed but inconsistent finale that gets readers where they needed to go. If that sounds like faint praise, that’s because it is. Let’s get into it.
The high point of Dan Abnett’s finale is its completeness. That’s not a small praise because this run went in all kinds of different directions to get to this point, so it wraps the adventure up neatly and cleanly with a fair amount of satisfaction to end the big, final battle. There shouldn’t be any doubt that Red Sonja will win the day, but not everyone survives. So on that count, Abnett delivers a few surprises in the ending.
That said, there are some surprises that aren’t so great. The final battle centers around Caliburn, the fabled sword meant to bestow great power on its wielder. The sword can only be pulled from the stone by the true High Paindragon, or so the rules of this world state. However, the sword isn’t pulled from the stone by the High Paindragon, and that presents an inconsistent sticking point for the finale.
The recurring theme of this story is Red Sonja’s continual frustration with curses and spells that work according to rules. Rules she does not like and run counter to her goals. In the last moments of the battle, the rules surrounding Caliburn appear to be outright ignored, invalidating the recurring theme of the series. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it-moment, but once you think about it, the whole series starts to unravel, because every choice Red Sonja made becomes optional.
Still, the battle is exciting enough, and the outcome is satisfying enough that you can enjoy the finish, even if you stumble to get there.
Luca Colandrea’s art is fine in this issue, barring more odd inconsistencies. The action is well-choreographed, and the panel composition is excellent. However, our old criticism of Colandrea’s struggle with drawing noses persists, and for some odd reason, Red Sonja is drawn a bit “chunkier” here than in the previous issue. There’s nothing wrong with having a “chunky” body type, but it’s as if Red Sonja gained thirty pounds between issues. It’s hard not to notice, and it’s weird.
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]
Check out our IMMORTAL RED SONJA #9 review to find out how Mordread gained the advantage.
We begin with Morderead standing before Caliburn, poised to claim the all-powerful sword as the true High Paindragon of the land. Suddenly, Red Sonja stops Mordread at the last minute and charges to attack with her allies – Lanzlot, Garwayn, and Merlyn.
Sonja was able to arrive in time with the help of a few flying dragons, so Mordread conjures a few dragons from Hell to even the odds. The fight is fast and furious, but Mordread appears unstoppable. Suddenly, someone draws the sword from the stone to turn the tide. We conclude the issue with a new fight, a new king, and a new mission.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
IMMORTAL RED SONJA #10 ends the series with plenty of action and a reasonably satisfying ending. That said, the final battle only works by breaking a few rules that invalidate parts of the arc, and the art is inconsistent.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.