RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #4, available from Dynamite Comics on December 8th, 2021, puts Red Sonja and her allies on Sitha’s trail after she was kidnapped by the Three Eyed Shezem. Can they rescue Sitha before she loses control of the fire god inside her?
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 A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: December 8, 2021
Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.
It’s 100% FREE. Sign up NOW!
Was It Good?
RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #4 gets the big ‘ol thumbs up for giving readers a gripping, unpredictable Red Sonja adventure. The story, coupled with excellent art, accomplishes exactly what it needs to do to be a successful issue by excelling in two key areas.
First, events develop and escalate without a clear and predictable outcome. The fire god inside Sitha is growing in influence over her, and there’s no way to tell how Sitha’s predicament will play out or what, if anything, Red Sonja can do to save her. The narrative forces the reader to wonder what will happen next without telegraphing what will happen next and by still keeping the story clean and clear. The story is setting you up to be surprised in the best possible way.
Second, Red Sonja is faced with a true challenge in the form of Three Eyed Shezem. His name is not just a nickname but an indication of the power he possesses that’s allowed him to dominate every battle. Read through to the next section for clarification if you want to know more. Conflict between heroes and villains only works when the villain is as powerful or more than the hero, and Red Sonja definitely has her hands full in a fight with, again, no predictable outcome.
The writing is excellent, and the art is equally excellent. Cafaro and the team have an opportunity to show off in this issue as it’s the most magic and action heavy of all the issues in the series so far. When Sitha’s power is unleashed, the scenes are big and bold with crackling magic. Cafaro’s visual style is further enhanced by excellent choices in panel angles and composition to make every panel as visually interesting as possible.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
If you’re not sure how Red Sonja and her allies picked up the trail, first read our RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #3 review.
We begin with Red Sonja, Samosh, and the old man traveling through winding mountain passes and dried up river beds on the trail of Three Eyed Shezem after he kidnapped Sitha. The old man knows something of the fire god trapped inside Sitha and the destructive force it will unleash if it fully takes control. Samosh explains he decided to join them when Shezem’s men burned down his cabin after they came looking for Sitha.
Days later, the group arrives at Shezem’s stronghold, an abandoned castle nestled in a fortified valley with only one road to get in or out. Sonja surmises there must be a water source for the castle’s needs and they find a river cave that gains them access to the castle without detection. The old man uses weak but temporarily effective cloaking spells to get them past the guards on their way to Sitha’s holding cell.
When Sonja finds Sitha, the fire god is desperately fighting to get out. Shezem arrives to stop them by demonstrating his power – the eye etched into his forehead gives him the power to see more than human eyes alone and he uses it to put Sonja back on her heels. We conclude the issue with a demonstration of Shezem’s lethal power, the failure of the old man’s power, and the explosive force of Sitha’s power.
Final Thoughts
RED SONJA (VOL. 6) #4 is an outstanding entry in the current volume. The story raises the stakes to such a degree that there’s no way to predict the outcome, who lives, and who dies. The art, especially during the magically explosive scenes, is bold and eye-catching, and the issue ends on a perfect cliffhanger.
Score: 9.5/10
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.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com