RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #10, from Dynamite Comics on June 29th, 2022, reveals the horrifying truth behind the mysterious island where Sitha has been taken hostage by flying monstrosities. Can Red Sonja find a way to rescue Sitha before the island claims another victim?
The Details
- Written By: Mirka Andolfo, Luca Blengino
- Art By: Giuseppe Cafaro
- Colors By: Chiara Di Francia
- Letters By: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover Art By: Mirka Andolfo
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: June 29, 2022
Was It Good?
RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #10 marks a turning point in the series where Red Sonja’s adventure with Sitha appears to be nearing its end with a brief foreshadowing of a terrible conflict to come. This latest leg of their long journey has plenty of action, supernatural shenanigans, and movement in the main plot. But does it hold up as a strong Red Sonja adventure? Mostly, yes.
The strength of this issue is Andolfo’s and Blengino’s delivery of clever reveals and a few wow moments. The last few issues have been a struggle to get through simply because things were events happening as random obstacles on Red Sonja’s path to get home. Some of those obstacles were interesting, others were not, so the journey has been a mixed bag of entertainment value. Now, we get a surprising reveal about the island, a battle pitting sword against sorcery, and the dark portent of a future threat. The series is finally gathering momentum towards a finale that will hopefully make the efforts pay off.
The weak point of this issue is the art. The art team delivers a mix of good and bad in this issue, depending on which aspect gets your attention.
Cafaro’s pencils/inks in this issue are rough, rushed, and incomplete. There are some scenes, especially during the crew’s time on the island, where panels look like little more than rough sketches. In close-up panels where the details count, the artwork is serviceable, but in several other panels, the characters look like little more than hastily sketched blobs.
The saving grace in the art is Di Francia’s coloring work. Di Francia uses the loose outline of sets and characters to breathe life and definition into the panels. The coloring here absolutely bolsters the art quality by magnitudes.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Catch up on Sitha’s kidnapping by flying eye monsters in our RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #9 review.
We begin mid-cliffhanger after the last issue with Red Sonja being dragged into the murky depths by a tentacled beast. Krancher swims to her rescue, forcing Red Sonja into a life debt that Krancher is eager to have repaid. The two realize the flying eyes have taken Sitha to the island’s peak, and Red Sonja rushes off to save her, with Krancher following closely.
When they reach the peak, Red Sonja finds the flying eye monsters allow them to pass as they have developed a truce with Sitha who has fully released the fire god within her, Xamul. Xamul explains the island isn’t an island at all but a dead god who wishes to be left to rest in peace. Its sleep has been disturbed by a magical incantation. Thre is a necromancer among the crew eager to raise the god from the dead to do his bidding.
Red Sonja, Krancher, and a restored Red Sonja return to the island’s shores to find Captain Beylab is the necromancer trying to resurrect the island god for his own quest for power. Krancher makes short work of the captain, and the crew leaves the island in peace. However, Xamul gave Red Sonja a word of warning before they left the peak.
We conclude the issue with a prophecy, goodbyes, and new directions.
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 (VOL. 6) #10 is an above-average entry in the series. The writing team delivers plenty of action, sword & sorcery, monsters, and mayhem while building up some momentum heading into the finale in a couple of issues. That said, the art quality is lacking in this issue but saved greatly by some mighty fine coloring.
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