RED SONJA 2021 HOLIDAY SPECIAL, available from Dynamite Comics on December 1st, 2021, tells two tales of life, death, and remembrance as Red Sonja is confronted with her own sins and the sins of others.
The Details
- Written By: Mirka Andolfo, Luca Blengino
- Art By: Carmelo Zagaria
- Colors By: Nicolò Laporini, Arancia Studio
- Letters By: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover Art By: Faces By Rachie cosplay (cover A)
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Release Date: December 1, 2021
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Was It Good?
RED SONJA 2021 HOLIDAY SPECIAL is not a happy or mirthful collection of tales to warm your cockles just in time for the holiday season. Quite the opposite, this two-tale special is closer to a classic Dickens story where the main protagonist is forced to overcome hardship and tragedy at every turn. There are happy endings for some in these stories, but there’s just as much pain and death.
The first story is a straight homage to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol wherein Red Sonja is confronted with her callousness. The visions of her deeds — past, present, and future — show her that her great fighting power comes with great responsibility. The second story plays on the same concept of choices and personal responsibilities but addresses those concepts from an opposite angle with people Sonja encounters.
I like how the stories have a message that successfully blends classic “Spirit of Christmas” tropes into Red Sonja’s universe in a way that feels familiar as classic Christmas stories but still works organically for the setting. Rather than focusing on the glitz and glamor of Christmas, these stories focus on the deeper meaning of the season in a thoughtful way.
Zagaria’s art is excellent in both stories. Every character has a unique anatomy and believability in their movements. The line work is so detailed and creative, you get a distinctive and dramatic pose in every panel. I would have liked to see bolder choices in the color palette, but overall, this is an excellent art display.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
As with all multi-story issues, we’ll briefly cover each story and call out what worked or didn’t
Sonja’s Carol
It’s Red Sonja’s Christmas Carol when one of her dying bounties conjures a spirit to confront her with the consequences of her actions. Sonja’s turned a blind eye to the death and suffering of her bounties for too long, and now she is shown that the gold in her purse may have come at the expense of innocent lives.
This story is the best possible way to adapt A Christmas Carol into Red Sonja’s world. For too long, Sonja has developed a reputation for killing anyone or anything for a price, so it’s interesting to see how she reacts when faced with the knowledge that killing has consequences. This is the more thought-provoking and the more Christmas-y story of the two.
The Dance of Fire
Red Sonja hunts down a trio of scoundrels for a hefty bounty. When she finds the last man in a seemingly deserted village, she finds the local wizard forces the townspeople to engage in an annual ritual to ensure good crops at the expense of innocent lives.
This story has less obvious links to Christmas and crafts a message about the dangers of blindly following seasonal rituals when we forget what’s most important. It’s a subtle (maybe too subtle) dig at focusing on materialism over friends and family, and it’s well-executed.
Final Thoughts
RED SONJA 2021 HOLIDAY SPECIAL tells two sober tales about the importance of the meaning of and the spirit of the holidays. Rather than focusing on the celebrations, this issue forces Red Sonja and a wayward village to remember what’s most important in life. The art for both stories has exceptionally creative and detailed line work, and the messages from both stories give the reader something meaningful to think about.
Score: 9/10
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