RED SONJA: RED SITHA #4, from Dynamite Comics on August 3rd, 2022, concludes the arc with a showdown between Red Sitha and her friends and Shefru-Sobek. Can Red Sitha defeat the evil necromancer and free her parents?
The Details
- Written by: Mirka Andolfo, Luca Blengino
- Art by: Valentina Pinti
- Colors by: Chiara Di Francia
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Jung-Geun Yoon (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: August 3, 2022
Is It Good?
RED SONJA: RED SITHA #4 concludes the arc (possibly the series) with a winding, twisting gauntlet of destruction as Red Sitha enters Shefru-Sobek’s later. Filled with twists, turns, misdirections, and a surprise cameo, is the finale worth the journey? Not particularly, no.
There’s no way to tell for sure, but you get the distinct impression after reading this comic that the creators were told to hurry up and get to the ending as quickly as possible. The issue doesn’t feel rushed, but there’s a lot of skipping ahead to hit the highlights before the final confrontation. Red Sitha enters Shefru-Sobek’s lair to find and free her parents, but the gauntlet of trials she faces is presented in a lighthearted montage that hurries you to the big boss. You get to the end without much gravity or drama to the seriousness of the challenge Red Sitha faces.
The second oddity to this hurried finale is the weirdly jokey tone. It’s a lot more jokey than all the previous issues combined, and the narration stops just short of breaking the 4th Wall to turn and wink at the reader. Again, the creators seem to be saying they have to hurry to get to the end, and realizing there’s no way they can hurry and create a dramatic finish, they decide to make a mild comedy out of it. Some readers may find the humor amusing. Others may see it as a letdown from the previous issues.
Pinti and Di Francia’s art is generally okay. This is not the best art ever produced from Dynamite by a longshot, but it’s serviceable enough. Pinti’s pencils and inks are slightly rough and exaggerated, giving the characters a cartoony look, and Di Francia’s colors are good enough to get the job done.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
First, read our RED SONJA: RED SITHA #3 review to find out what Sitha had to go through to get to this point.
We begin with Red Sitha, Kildrick, and Kebra standing at the threshold of Shefru-Sobek’s stronghold as the necromancer comes out to greet them. Shefru-Sobek lashes out and kills Kildrick just as Sitha’s brother confesses to luring Sitha to the necromancer in exchange for their parents’ release. Kildrick begs for forgiveness as he dies, and Sitha takes up her sword to pursue the necromancer who escaped back into his lair.
Red Sitha encounters a series of traps and challenges that she overcomes in a very quick montage. Reaching the necromancer’s inner sanctum, Sitha finds her parents trapped in a magic vessel that keeps the suspended between space and time. Shefru-Sobek explains why he went through all this trouble- to avenge his fallen apprentices, R’Hakash and R’Hakik, killed by Red Sonja in another series.
We conclude the issue with resurrection, a cameo, and a new quest.
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Final Thoughts
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RED SONJA: RED SITHA #4 is a more comedic and slightly hurried finale compared to the rest of the series. The issue skips any tension or drama in favor of quippy jokes and skipping ahead to the good parts just to be done with the whole thing. Combined with the serviceable art, this is a sometimes amusing but largely forgettable ending.
Related Information
Why was Arnold Schwarzenegger in Red Sonja?
Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger did appear in the Red Sonja (1985) film as a contractual obligation to the film producers. However, Schwarzenegger did not star in the film playing his iconic character, Conan. Instead, Schwarzenegger played the role of Kalidor, Lord of Hyrkania.
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