RED SONJA / HELL SONJA #2, from Dynamite Comics on January 11th, 2023, follows Red Sonja, Warrick, and Hell Sonja (in a mortal body) as they race to escape ghouls and blood rain.
The Details
- Written by: Jordan Clark
- Art by: Miriana Puglia
- Colors by: Ellie Wright
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Rebeca Puebla (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: January 11, 2023
Is It Good?
Well, RED SONJA / HELL SONJA #2 is an odd one. Things happen, but it’s unclear if some or most of what happens is real or an illusion. The illusions don’t necessarily send a clear message. While it’s a visually intriguing issue, the story pieces are ambiguous.
When last we left Red Sonja, Hell Sonja was ousted from Hell by an ancient, dark force, and she landed on Earth in a mortal body. Worse, Hell Sonja unwittingly brought infectious ghoul bugs with her, bugs that turn the humans they bite into ravenous monsters. Now, Red Sonja, Hell Sonja, and Warrick slash their way through hordes of ghouls as they search for safety while they stop the infected from spreading.
That description is all well and good, but it only captures the prologue of the story as the confused trio is forced to take refuge in a “haunted house.” The lion’s share of the issue takes place in the house as each member of the team experiences terrifying visions. On the one hand, Jordan Clark delivers a respectable set of chilling nightmares to get you curious about what’s inside each of our protagonists that could create such a vision. The visions are reflections of fears and secrets, so the visions aren’t the main attraction, but Clark’s delivery leads you to wonder what might be wrong with our heroes.
That said, the issue is almost all about the visions. Some have a seemingly obvious metaphorical meaning, but others do not. Consequently, some of the visions are confusing because you don’t know what they’re trying to say or if they’re saying anything more than whatever will scare its victim. On that count, the issue is a little confusing.
The art by Puglia, Wright, and Eckleberry is excellent. The lines are clean, the action scenes have tons of energy, and the coloring is vivid. That said, the haunted scenes are too well-lit to project the creepiness of the monsters and visions from each character. It would have helped to add more gloom and shadow to the scenery.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our review of RED SONJA / HELL SONJA #1 to see how Hell Sonja was expelled from her throne.
We begin immediately after the events of issue #1. Hell Sonja (now in mortal form) teamed up with Red Sonja and Warrick to destroy Hellish parasites that followed Hell Sonja to Earth. Despite the rising body count, the parasites keep coming, and the trio is forced to flee.
The trio finds an odd-looking house in the middle of the forest, and they quickly dash inside and barricade the doors for safety. Fearing there may be an unwholesome supernatural element to the house, the trio splits up to search the floors, from attic to basement.
We conclude the issue with Red Sonja learning the old horror film adage – Never split up.
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Final Thoughts
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RED SONJA / HELL SONJA #2 sends the protagonists on a whirlwind tour of their deepest fears and secrets turned to horror. The visions are written well and presented with grotesque art (in a good way), but the metaphors behind the visions are sometimes confusing.
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