THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #8 – Review

THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #8, from Dynamite Comics on March 16th, 2022, leapfrogs Red Sonja from one conflict to the next as she, Tuma, Zaria, and Ederik are captured by a malicious ruler with an appetite for gladiator games.

The Details

• Written By: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti
• Art By: Moritat
• Colors By: Matt Carter
• Letters By: Dave Sharpe
• Cover Art By: Amanda Conner (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: March 16, 2022

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Was It Good?

THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #8 continues the saga of the Crimson-Haired She-Devil’s mission to protect princess Zaria and her soon-to-be husband as they make their way to Princess Zaria’s home kingdom. Red Sonja’s been through a lot in this series so far, and in truth, we’ve felt the series has been rather lackluster up to this point. Does the current issue change that opinion for better or worse? Well, it’s a slightly better issue but not by much.

We don’t mean to say “don’t buy this comic” because there’s a sincere, honest effort by the creators to put forth a good series. The story simply lacks… something. It lacks an edge. Wit. Charm. Bite. Something to grab your attention. Whatever is missing, its absence is an ever-present obstacle preventing this series from moving from “just okay” to “great”.

The opening blurb accurately points out the main plot. Red Sonja and her allies are captured. They fight but get captured. Red Sonja is given a chance to fight in a gladiator arena for the chance at freedom with her friends. That’s about it. There’s not much meat on this bone, which may be part of why this issue feels fine but lacks anything special.

In fairness, the story presented is well-written, it follows a clear structure, and the story is headed in a direction. What you get feels complete and soundly written.

As with the writing, the art is serviceable enough to get the job done. Moritat’s style captures the lean-and-mean anatomy of battle-hardened warriors in their prime, but the muscular detail is lost to the point of blurriness once the panel zooms out far enough to get a wide view of the scenery. Again, it’s not terrible art but it’s just okay.

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]

If you don’t recall how Tuma and Red Sonja wound up in a tree, first read our THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #7 review.

We begin with Tuma and Red Sonja in a tree as a pair of spider witches climb up to capture them. Down below Zaria and Ederik are held captive by warriors from Capellia. They intend to bring all captured parties back to their leader, Tezzah, for amusement and possible reward. Red Sonja and Tuma put up a good fight but are ultimately captured.

Later, Red Sonja wakes up in a prison cell with Zaria where they plan their escape. The warrior who captured them arrives to express his respect to Red Sonja for her fighting skills and her defeat of Bahira. He makes an offer – defeat Tezzah’s son in the gladiator ring and Red Sonja and her allies may go free. Tezzah is constantly hungry for entertainment, and fighting Red Sonja is entertainment worth its weight in gold.

We conclude the issue with preparations, recriminations, and false expectations.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

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