RED SONJA VALENTINE’S SPECIAL 2022 – Review

RED SONJA VALENTINE’S SPECIAL 2022, from Dynamite Comics on February 2nd, 2022, puts Red Sonja on the trail of the Cupid King and his grotesque gang of cherubs.

The Details

• Written By: Chuck Brown
• Art By: Jordi Perez, Alessandro Miracolo, Moy R., Emiliana Pinna, Lorenzo Tammetta
• Colors By: Ellie Wright
• Letters By: Jeff Eckleberry
• Cover Art By: Sozomaika
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Release Date: February 2, 2022

Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.

Was It Good?

Sometimes it’s better to read a comic that wants to have fun and give you a chuckle or two. RED SONJA VALENTINE’S SPECIAL 2022 is just such an issue.

This Holiday-themed one-shot has two things going for it that elevate the issue above average – one you can see and one you don’t.

The first high point is the nature of the story that swerves away from Red Sonja’s typical hunter-for-hire mission into a challenge with significantly higher tension and pace. If Brown had simply put Red Sonja up against a swarm of beatable monsters, it wouldn’t be much of a challenge or a story. By turning the mission into a rescue with a ticking clock, the plot ratchets up the tension without lessening Sonja’s prowess or by dreaming up an impossibly powerful villain.

Second, what you don’t see is any significantly jarring switches in art style. Whenever you see credits with multiple pencilers and inkers on art duty, that’s usually a warning sign. The more names on pencils and inks, the higher the risk of inconsistency in the art. Remarkably, the differences in the transition from one artist to the next are barely noticeable. That’s a testament to a strong art team working in sync and it pays off.

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]

We begin with a newlywed couple, still flush with the feelings of love from their recent wedding, gathering wood outside their cabin. Suddenly the couple is attacked by despicable, demonic cherubs looking for human meat to bring back to their master. Both husband and wife are handy with an ax but the cherubs’ numbers are too great, and the husband is carried away to be the Cupid King’s next meal. The wife manages to get away after taking out the last remaining cherub.

Meanwhile, Red Sonja rides into the nearby town for some much-needed relaxation when she finds the villagers fleeing due to similar cherub attacks. Sonja instructs the town to gather its gold to pay her for her services when she heads out to take care of the cupid menace.

While on the mountain trail, Rd Sonja is jumped by another gang of cherubs and their much larger cousins. She fights them off for a time but is quickly overwhelmed. Before she’s overtaken, the wife from the opening prologue arrives, dressed in battle gear and carrying many, many axes to mete out deadly woodland justice.

We conclude the issue with Red Sonja and the bride teaming up, a cherub lieutenant getting captured and forced to lead the way, and a cave battle that’ll hit you right in the heart.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.