RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #2 – Review

In RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #2, available from Dynamite Comics on October 6th, 2021, Red Sonja barely escapes with Sitha and her life when they encounter a kindly woodworker who helps them rest and recover.

The Details

• Written By: Mirka Andolfo, Luca Blengino
• Art By: Giuseppe Cafaro
• Colors By: Chiara Di Francia
• Letters By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
• Cover Art By: Mirka Andolfo (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: October 6, 2021

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Was It Good?

Following up on the strength of the first issue, this second entry in the volume is just okay. Andolfo and Blengino trade in the steely determination of Red Sonja as the wandering sword-for-hire for a more vulnerable warrior who finds herself getting emotionally attached to the girl she’s sworn to deliver.

Red Sonja has typically been portrayed as a warrior with indifferent confidence. Someone who kills as needed without regard for the feelings of others, living only by the code of her oath and the fullness of her gold purse. Here, Sitha’s persistence wears Sonja down to the point where she feels a maternal bond with the girl despite persistent reminders that Sonja is taking her back to her real family.

Thankfully, Andolfo and Blengino show readers a softer side to the main character without confusing those feelings for a weaker side to Red Sonja. The flame-haired warrior fights to the death to protect the girl, even when she’s in no condition to stand much less fight. And that fighting spirit comes into play towards the end of the issue when the completed mission takes a nasty turn.

I like seeing this different side of Red Sonja as it makes the character richer and more fully realized.

There’s a lot of strength to the writing in this issue. However, there’s a definite weak point, and it’s the art.

The art is simply not up to the quality of the writing in this issue. Several panels look rushed and lack detail. The lettering is great. The coloring is very good. But, the pencils and inks don’t show the quality and detail we’ve come to expect from a Dynamite title. It’s not the worst pencils and inks we’ve ever seen, but it looks thrown together in a hurry without much care.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

You probably know Red Sonja but if you don’t know anything about Sitha, read our RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #1 review.

We begin with Sitha practically dragging Red Sonja away from the town destroyed by marauders. Sitha destroyed the marauders with her magic but not before Sonja took a fair amount of damage in the fight. Exhausted from dragging a woman three times her size, Sitha nearly gives up when she’s found by a stranger.

Days later, Sonja wakes up in a cabin. She and Sitha were found and cared for by a lumberjack and woodworker named Samosh. Samosh is a former soldier who retired to the woods for a quiet life away from danger, and he offers to give Sonja and Sitha rest and shelter until they fully recover. Grudgingly, Sonja accepts and the trio spends a month living together (almost) as a family.

Despite Sitha’s pleading for Samosh to come with them on the final leg of the journey, Sonja and Sitha leave to get to the ship that will leave for Sitha’s homeland. We conclude the issue with Red Sonja’s task completed although something’s clearly amiss, Sitha’s childish refusal to stop calling Sonja “mother,” and a change of heart that proves Sonja’s instincts for detecting trouble are always right.

Final Thoughts

RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #2 is a kinder, gentler entry in the crimson-haired She-Devil’s latest adventure. There’s still plenty of action and intrigue to hold the reader’s attention but we get a rare opportunity to see the steely warrior still has a heart. Unfortunately, the exceptional writing is paired with less than exceptional art, and the overall quality suffers from rushed, unfinished visuals.

Score: 7.5/10