RED SONJA/HELL SONJA #4, from Dynamite Comics on March 22nd, 2023, ends the mini-series with a climactic battle combining all the Sonjas from across the multiverse to battle a usurper of Hell.
The Details
- Written by: Jordan Clark
- Art by: Miriana Puglia
- Colors by: Ellie Wirght
- Letters by: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover art by: Joseph Michael Linsner (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: March 22, 2023
Is It Good?
RED SONJA/HELL SONJA #4 ends the 4-part mini-series with a battle for the right to control Hell, and it will take the combined might of every Sonja from the multiverse to do it. However, this finale leaves one pressing question unanswered – what was the point?
When last we left Red Sonja and Hell Sonja, they battled their way out of a haunted house where your worst fears become real. Now, the pair ride horseback along deserted roads to find the monstrosity that ousted Hell Sonja from her throne, and that’s when things get weird.
Weird is an understatement as the world, the setting, and even Red Sonja’s clothes shift and change from one panel to the next without explanation. Jordan Clark’s script presumably tries to give the impression that reality is warping around Red Sonja because of the crawling eye that now occupies Hell, but it’s hard to tell what’s real, what’s not, and why it matters.
To be fair, the final battle feels big, and readers get one or two wow moments to end the conflict, so if you like your stories to end with a powerful climax (ahem), you’re getting your money’s worth.
What’s missing is any rhyme, reason, or motivation. What is the thing that took over Hell, and what does it want? Why is Red Sonja important to the thing? Does it want Red Sonja on its side? How does Warrick figure into any of this? What was the point of making Hell Sonja semi-mortal? Why does she choose to stay that way at the end of the issue?
In short, things happen without explanation. Those things may look cool, and Clark’s gift for dialog is strong, but if there’s no rationale or motivation for what anyone is doing, the story has no real point.
Plot or lack thereof aside, Miriana Puglia’s art looks great. Again, the final battle feels big, and there are a couple of wow moments to get your blood pumping, and that’s all due to Puglia’s art. The line work is clean, the fights are energetic, and the character acting is expressive.
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]
Check out our RED SONJA/HELL SONJA #3 review to find out how Red Sonja escaped the haunted house.
We begin with Red Sonja nodding off while riding her horse. The narration delivers an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland as Alice talks with Tweedle Dee. Suddenly, the scene shifts to the closed gate on the side of a castle wall. Red Sonja enters, but Hell Sonja is shut out before she can follow.
Red Sonja’s clothes change, and she’s confronted by enemies from her past. Sonja fights with her sword, but she’s defeated and cast down into a pit where the crawling eye usurper tries to convince Sonja to embrace it. Before Red Sonja gives in, Hell Sonja (back in full demon form) pulls her back from the brink.
We conclude the issue with a zombie swarm, more Sonjas, and a new status quo that looks like the previous status quo.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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RED SONJA/HELL SONJA #4 ends the battle for Hell with a giant battle that calls in all the Sonjas from across the multiverse. The art is fantastic, and the smaller character moments work well, but the finale stops short of answering the most important question – what was the point?
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