In RED SONJA (VOL. 5) #26, available from Dynamite Comics on April 21st, 2021, Red Sonja must teach Tristine and Kentaro the ways of war and diplomacy before a slimy Sultan ends their careers… and their lives.
The Details
- Written By: Luke Lieberman
- Art By: Drew Moss
- Colors By: Dearbhla Kelly
- Letters By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover Art By: Jae Lee
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: April 21, 2021
Was It Good?
It was fine. Readers get significantly more Red Sonja action in this issue compared to the previous, which was focused on Queen Isolde’s advisors. That’s definitely a plus.
That said, Red Sonja turns into a mentor/teacher for Tristine and Kentaro for most of the latter issue of the book. It’s not a bad story choice, but it was somehow less interesting because the main villain (so far) of the story is not much of a threat. Red Sonja could kill him easily, and so this story has become a type of training exercise for the young advisors dealing with (in video game terms) an entry-level boss.
It’s a new twist to see Red Sonja in this role, but it’s not very interesting in terms of excitement and adventure.
However, the art is quite good. Sharp lines, dynamic action panels, and strong colors are put together in a visually pleasing way.
See the art for yourself in our RED SONJA (VOL. 5) #26 preview.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
When we last left our trio, Kentaro was “accidentally” roped into fighting a battle royale in the gladiator ring against an assortment of warriors and a very hungry Kraken. Read our RED SONJA (VOL. 5) #25 review to find out how Kentaro got into this mess.
Tristine urgently informs Red Sonja who’s in the ring and why. Seeing Kentaro isn’t going to make it, Red Sonja leaps in from the stands and puts an end to all the competitors.
The Sultan hosts Red Sonja, Tristine, and Kentaro as victors at his feast. The winner of the tournament is supposed to receive a jeweled crown, but Sonja asks for a large contingent of slaves instead. It’s not clear how this turn came about so quickly, because she asks in a way that makes it seem as if it was part of a plan, but we know Red Sonja arrived at the tournament purely on a whim.
This change in Sonja’s request is the only part that really didn’t make much sense in the issue simply because it came out of nowhere. She eventually lets Tristine and Kentaro know the slaves would be used to help build out Hyrkania, but again, that explanation seems to come out of nowhere since this is the first time Sonja meets Tristine and Kentaro.
The slimy Sultan doesn’t immediately agree to the request, but while he considers it, more newcomers arrive to get roped into the tournament. Sonja’s request will be considered if she survives another day.
During the second tournament day, Red Sonja uses the opportunity to show Kentaro how to fight against a group coming at them in the ring. She also preps Tristine to negotiate with the slimy Sultan to grant the request for his slaves. After a long day of fighting (and winning), Kentaro is a better fighter and Tristine has learned that negotiation is more than saying the right words. Sonja knows they’ll never get their request granted, and the Sultan is simply stalling to get more paying spectators into his tournament before he has Sonja killed to avoid granting the prize.
As the issue draws to a close, Tristine and Kentaro learn many valuable lessons from the Hyrkanian She-Devil.
How Does It End?
Red Sonja gets a massage that does not end happily. Tristine has a close call. And an enemy becomes an ally.
Final Thoughts
RED SONJA (VOL. 5) #26, available from Dynamite Comics on April 21st, 2021, casts Red Sonja in a new light as a teacher/mentor but doesn’t quite hold the readers’ attention. However, the art is solid and dynamic enough to warrant continuing with the series.
Score: 7/10
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