IMMORTAL RED SONJA #4, from Dynamite Comics on July 13th, 2022, sets sail as Red Sonja searches for the Lady of the Lake to assist in locating Merlyn, the only one who can break the curse on her armor.
The Details
- Written by: Dan Abnett
- Art by: Luca Colandrea
- Colors by: Ellie Wright
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: David Nakayama
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: July 13, 2022
Was It Good?
IMMORTAL RED SONJA #4 is yet another satisfying entry in the series by Dan Abnett. Red Sonja continues her journey to find Merlyn, the only one capable of breaking the curses she carries, and the latest chapter puts her on the hunt for the Lady of the Lake. Unfortunately, the armor’s penchant for providing bad information comes back to bite Sonja once again.
Strange as it may sound, Abnett earns high marks for doing something not many comic writers do these days – keep the story moving in a particular direction. Rather than resorting to “decompression” or wasting time with side quests, each issue in this series gives readers the impression that the character is moving closer to her destination, and more importantly, change occurs with each conflict she encounters and overcomes. Where Red Sonja, and the world she inhabits, end up is different than where the issue started, and that makes you feel like this issue counts.
If you’re into Arthurian legends and history, you’ll also enjoy this issue for the care Abnett puts into leveraging the mythology for a fresh, new story. Abnett doesn’t subvert what you thought you knew about Arthurian lore but instead works within the lore to have Red Sonja interact with the mythology. That story maintains the canon but takes advantage of the gaps creatively.
The art is generally good but hit-or-miss in a few spots. Colandrea delivers solid set designs and character line work, but the faces look off in a few spots, particularly around the noses. Wright’s colors are expertly paced to provide texture and depth, but the color palette selection is very flat and muted. In short, the art has both positives and negatives.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Catch up on Red Sonja’s previous adventure in her quest for Merlyn with our IMMORTAL RED SONJA #3 review.
We begin with Red Sonja rowing out into the middle of a lake where her cursed armor is absolutely, positively,100% without a doubt sure the Lady of the Lake resides. Of course, the armor is wrong, and a small squadron of arms rises from the lake to drag Red Sonja down into the murky depths. When she awakes, she finds herself in the bowels of a tower in a room surrounded by strange mirrors.
The armor warns her too late not to look into the mirrors. Suddenly, skeletal, undead versions of Red Sonja emerge from the mirrors and attack. Sonja fends them off and runs through the tower corridors to look for an escape. The armor sheepishly admits to making a mistake in his selection of lakes, and it unwittingly led Red Sonja into the clutches of the Lady of Scarlot, a cursed woman who seeks to possess everyone and everything forever.
We conclude the issue with a lesson in weaving, flames, and a familiar face.
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Final Thoughts
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IMMORTAL RED SONJA #4 is a strong entry in the series as Red Sonja and her cursed armor enter the next leg of their quest to find Merlyn. The story mixes action and magic for an adventure that fits snugly within Arthurian lore without subverting expectations. The art is generally good, but the facial art and dull colors lower the enjoyment factor.
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