IMMORTAL RED SONJA #9, from Dynamite Comics on December 28th, 2022, brings the fellowship together when the Green Knight, Lanzelot, Merlyn, and Red Sonja join forces to defeat Mordread’s soldiers.
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: December 28, 2022
Is It Good?
IMMORTAL RED SONJA #9 re-focuses and re-energizes the title with great action and a renewed sense of purpose. After floundering in the last couple of issues, Dan Abnett skillfully recasts the story with a “Stop the Villain” plot that makes sense and gives the title a clear direction.
This issue works when Abnett brings the individual character threads together into one cohesive unit. Up to now, this series was entirely focused on Red Sonja finding a way to get rid of her cursed armor. That’s a fine idea, and while it took much too long to get there, once the curse’s twist was revealed, the series felt aimless. Now, Mordred is the focus of everyone’s attention, and you leave this issue feeling like there’s a renewed sense of direction and momentum.
The down point of Abnett’s script is the mildly rushed development it takes for the team to assemble and start off on their journey. For example, Merlyn manages to get his magic back and aid the others in their fight against Mordread’s forces. The fight is resolved when Merlyn conjures a flock of dragons to fight as allies. In any scenario, “dragons have entered the battlefield” should be an epic scene, but the action cuts away to get the team moving on their new quest. In other words, you see the dragons, but the entire battle is resolved off-panel, presumably due to a lack of page space and time. As the kids say, “Lame!”
Luca Colandrea gets to flex some artistic battle muscle in this issue with battle scenes that take up the majority of the page space. Heads roll, blood splashes, and torsos split. The same criticism about Colandrea’s struggles with drawing noses remains, but there’s plenty of action to keep you distracted away from the characters’ faces.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our Immortal Sonja #8 review to find out how the Green Knight switched sides.
We begin with Merlyn, Lanzelot, the Green Knight, and Red Sonja suddenly confronted by Mordread’s soldiers while Mordred rides off to find the fabled sword called Caliburn. Merlyn and the knights are astounded by Red Sonja’s battle prowess, so they step up their attacks to match.
Merlyn remembers Red Sonja’s words about the land as a source of magic, and he calls upon the ground to renew his power. Merlyn conjures lightning and dragons to deal the final blows. We conclude the issue with a new fellowship and a race for the sword.
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Final Thoughts
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IMMORTAL RED SONJA #9 takes a big step in the right direction for the floundering title with big battles and a new sense of purpose for the arc. This issue goes a long way toward building momentum, but the previous issues spent too much time treading water, so some scenes in this issue were rushed to get the characters where they needed to go.
Related Information
Why was Conan in Red Sonja?
Conan wasn’t in the red Sonja film from 1985. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared in the film, but he played a completely different character from Conan.
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