IMMORTAL RED SONJA #8, from Dynamite Comics on November 16th, 2022, confront Red Sonja and Merlyn with a now-free Mordread intent on reclaiming his rightful place as king of the land.
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)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 16, 2022
Is It Good?
IMMORTAL RED SONJA #8 takes the gloves… err, chainmail off by releasing the cursed spirit from Red Sonja’s chainmail and revealing not all is as it seems. Sadly, a new quest and lots of new information make for one of the roughest issues in the series to date.
The best part of Dan Abnett’s script is the clever exchange between Red Sonja and Merlyn as they strategize how to overcome the impossible goal of defeating Mordread while saving the kingdom of Logres. Merlyn is annoyingly pessimistic about their chances for success, but the Quid Pro Quo conversation is filled with interesting tidbits that establish the rules of magic and curses within the kingdom. In short, their talk is interesting if you’re into documentaries.
That said, the down points of this issue are the lack of story progress and the art.
First, that conversation mentioned above takes up half the issue. Twelve pages are taken up with two characters talking, and while the information is mildly useful, it doesn’t make for an engaging comic.
The second down point is Colandrea’s art. Up to now, the only nitpick with Colandrea’s art style is a strange depiction of noses using roughly sketched triangles. Here, the problem goes deeper with one of the most poorly choreographed and awkward-looking fight scenes in the entire run. Blade strikes come out of nowhere, characters’ arms switch direction at random, and the whole fight, which is the only bit of action in this comic, looks awkward and confusing.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our IMMORTAL RED SONJA #7 review to find out how Mordread was freed from the chainmail.
We begin with Mordrea and Merlyn in a heated argument over Mordread’s imprisonment. Through a flashback and much exposition, we learn why Merlyn trapped Mordread in silver and how Mordread eventually made his way back to Logres. Impatient with the bickering, Red Sonja leaps to attack Mordread using her cursed blade.
Red Sonja eventually wounds Mordread enough to force him to flee. What follows is a lengthy conversation about kingship, curses, and immortality. We conclude the issue with a new quest.
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Final Thoughts
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IMMORTAL RED SONJA #8 is one of the weaker issues in the series as the entire issue is composed of only two scenes. One, a poorly choreographed and executed fight, and the other, an informative-yet-tedious conversation. A series that showed such early promise is truly struggling.
Related Information
Where was Red Sonja filmed?
The Red Sonja movie was filmed almost entirely in Italy, near the Gran Sasso massif and in a film studio in Rome.
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