RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED #5 – Review

RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED #5, from Dynamite Comics on December 15th, 2021, pits the Red-Haired She-Devil against a menagerie of bounty hunters, a witch atop a deadly mountain, and a warrior with an equally impressive reputation.

The Details

• Written By: Jacob Edgar, Oliver Gerlach, Frank Tieri
• Art By: Giorgio Spalletta, Alex Moore, Lee Feruson, Kike J. Diaz
• Letters By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
• Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Release Date: December 15, 2021

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Was It Good?

Not bad. Not bad at all. The Black, White, Red series has its ups and downs as with any anthology series. Some shorts work and some don’t. In RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED #5, all the shorts work because they don’t try to be anything more than they need to be, which is a straight forward adventure that finds cool ways to showcase how badass Red Sonja can be.

The writing and art styles vary since they’re all different creators, but no short falls short (no pun intended) in any significant way. If anything, all the shorts are different but on the same level in terms of quality.

Read on through to the next section if you want specifics, and know this was a solid entry in the series that’s worth your time as a Red Sonja fan.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

As with all our anthology reviews, we’ll cover each entry briefly and rank them based on what worked or didn’t.

The Hunted

Malicious Baron Raaf spends a small fortune to hire the best killers in the land to kill Red Sonja. The story flips back and forth between the introduction to each hunter and scenes showing how they fare when they eventually find their prey. Needless to say, the hunters eventually become the hunted.

This is the strongest story of the bunch, relying heavily on unique, clever kills and the cat-and-mouse tension of the hunt. This is the kind of story that elevates Red Sonja as a character by showing how she can defeat her enemies with both brains and brawn.

The Chill Touch of Sorcery!

Red Sonja climbs a wintry mountain to stop a venomous witch from casting a deadly spell. Along the way, Sonja is challenged with precarious cliff trails, the elements, and werewolves before she reaches the peak. When she arrives at her destination, her enemy has a surprise waiting that you won’t see coming.

This is the middle story in the book but weakest of the three in terms of story. The start and middle are strong but the twist ending lacks punch. The art, likewise, is the weakest of the three in that it has a cartoonish style that undercuts the tension. Overall, it’s still not bad but definitely the weakest of the bunch.

Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe

Erik the Black arrives at an unnamed tavern to fulfill his life’s destiny, defeating Red Sonja. When he approaches her sitting silently at a corner table, Erik regales her and the surly crowd of his impressive exploits as a warrior. Convinced all he’s endured has lead him to defeat his ultimate adversary, he moves to trap Red Sonja. Unfortunately for Erik, Red Sonja is skilled with more than one type of weapon.

This short has solid art and an interesting premise, but the net result feels more like a vignette than a complete story. It’s entertaining enough but middle of the pack for this anthology.

Final Thoughts

RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED #5 is one of the stronger entries in the anthology series with three tales that elevate Red Sonja as the ultimate warrior she was always meant to be. While the stories vary in art and writing quality, there isn’t a stinker in the bunch, and you might just get a chuckle out of one or two.

Score: 8.5/10

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