RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED #7 – Review

RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED #7, from Dynamite Comics on February 16, 2022, recounts three tales of adventure when Red Sonja meets a mountain god, is tasked with a funeral ritual, and plays a deadly game.

The Details

• Written By: Ron Marz, Phil Hester, Amy Chu
• Art By: Mirko Colak, Heidi Blair, Andres Labrada
• Colors By: Kike J.Diaz
• Letters By: Jeff Eckleberry
• Cover Art By: Phil Hester (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: February 16, 2022

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Was It Good?

RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED #7 continues to regale readers with an eclectic collection of perspectives on the Red-Haired She-Devil. All three tales deal with Red Sonja in the present, but one relies heavily on her past. Once again, the RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED series is proving to be the exception to the rule when it comes to anthologies. some shorts are stronger than others but there isn’t an outright stinker in the bunch.

This issue, however, is a little different in that the art takes center stage while the unevenness comes through in the writing.

Regarding the art, the top marks are a tie between Colak and Labrada. Colak uses rough gritty lines to evoke the grim danger of a cornered Sonja. Labrada’s linework is razor-sharp and certainly looks the prettiest of all three shorts.

Again, the art is fine to great but the writing is where the consistency falters. Of the three stories, Unbowed is the most complex and complete (with the weakest art). Blood On Snow has a simple and clean story but the resolution skipped a step or two. Sonja’s Gambit has the most creative concept, but the execution trips itself up by not following its own rules… literally.

In all, the art is okay to great and the writing is a mixed bag. While no story is outright bad the consistency is all over the map.

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]

Blood On Snow

A wounded and hunted Red Sonja finds temporary refuge in an ancient temple atop a snowy peak. When her pursuers catch up with her, they all find the temple is not so deserted after all.

This is a good, clean, simple three-quarter story that highlights Sonja’s personality and fighting prowess when confronted with men and monsters. The highlight is Colak’s rough and gritty art. The down point is a gap in the narrative at the end of the fight when her pursuers are beaten without seeing them beaten.

Unbowed

Red Sonja recalls her time in a convent as a little girl where she learned about and eventually rejected the funeral rites of the nuns who were tasked with educating her. Years later, Red Sonja must complete the return of one of the elderly nuns who tutored her or the senior’s soul will lie in torment. Unfortunately, a pack of werewolves stands in her way.

Unbowed feels like the longest story but it only feels longer because it packs in the most panels. The depth of Red Sonja’s history and seeing the past come back in a soulful way helps readers appreciate the character more as the roughest person around who still has a sentimental heart under the gruff exterior. That said, the character designs look distorted in a few spots and the volume of panels pulls down the pacing.

Sonja’s Gambit

Red Sonja is invited to a cup of wine by a Queen who uses drugs and magic to force Red Sonja into playing a deadly game of chest. with no knowledge of the game, Red Sonja must learn the rules quickly and win the only way she knows how… by breaking the rules.

Sonja’s Gambit has the cleanest and most pristine art of the three stories, which is why it earns top marks from us. that said, the story makes sense until it doesn’t make sense. The villain creates a living chess game where the characters can only move in their prescribed roles (King, Queen, Knight, etc.). The point was to show how a fresh perspective can be a game-changer, but the execution of the last play didn’t make sense.

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