THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #10, from Dynamite Comics on September 7th, 2022, ends the series with a return to Princess Zaria’s kingdom for her wedding, only to find the capital city in tatters.
The Details
- Written by: Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner
- Art by: Moritat
- Colors by: Sal Monaco
- Letters by: Dave Sharpe
- Cover art by: Amanda Conner (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: September 7, 2022
Is It Good?
THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #10 ends the series the same way it began. All the technical components are in place, and the execution of the writing and art is serviceable, but the overall conclusion feels formulaic. In other words, the ending, much like the series, is forgettable.
The high point of this issue is the clean writing execution from Conner and Palmiotti. The dialog is relatively natural, the plotting is solid, and the pacing is good. It may sound like a backhanded compliment to say all the basics of good storytelling are present, but in this era of Western comics, getting the basics down is not as common as it should be.
The down point is the seeming lack of excitement and drama in the ending. Conner and Palmiotti work in a short conflict with a craven warlord that has barely any setup and is resolved in a scant few pages. It almost feels like the conflict was added to pad out the final issue because a happy ending focused on a wedding doesn’t make for exciting reading. If you’re prone to cynicism, you could say this finale is almost all padding.
Moritat’s art is at least consistent. Close-up details look great. Far away details don’t. Fortunately, Monaco’s recent addition as the colorist elevates the art significantly, making this comic a passable visual read.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Find out how the last battle ended before Princess Zaria returned home in our THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #9 review.
We begin with a flashback to Princess Zaria’s time at home before she left on her clandestine journey to meet her future husband, Prince Ederik. Her adventures in packing were filled with hope and promise. Now, she returns home with her Prince Ederik to find the city burning, most citizens dead, and her father hanging from an arch in the town square. She swears vengeance against those responsible.
Later, Red Sonja finds a lone survivor who explains what happened. Neenia the Blacksmith explains Blackwing and his army ravaged the city and took the Queen hostage. Red Sonja formulates a plan to save the Queen, grant Neenia and Zaria the vengeance they seek, and put an end to Blackwing’s reign of terror.
We conclude the issue with stealth, distractions, and challenge by combat.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #10 is technically well-executed but contains almost all padding and filler to give Red Sonja something to do in an adventure that should have ended two issues ago. If you liked this run, this finale is more of the same.
Related Information
Does Marvel have rights to Red Sonja?
No, the publishing rights for Red Sonja are currently owned by Luke Lieberman. Dynamite Comics entered into a publishing arrangement with Lieberman to be the sole publisher and distributor of Red Sonja comics.
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