RED SONJA (VOL. 7) #11, by Dynamite Comics on 5/29/24, continues Red Sonja’s quest to find the soul of a god to stop a war, and she’ll need the help of more than one god to find it.
Credits:
- Writer: Torunn Grønbekk
- Artist: Walter Geovani
- Colorist: Omi Remalante Jr.
- Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover Artist: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
- Publisher: Dynamite Comics
- Release Date: May 29, 2024
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 24
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of RED SONJA (VOL. 7) #11:
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Red Sonja in issue #10, Grace’s death spurred the warrior to enter Kulan Gath’s citadel and cut him down. Neither realized that Grace’s death put her spirit in touch with greater forces in the afterlife, intent on sending Grace back as someone or something more powerful than Kulan Gath could have imagined.
In RED SONJA (VOL. 7) #11, Red Sonja confronts a resurrected Grace imbued with the power of nature. Grace can see all things, including the whereabouts of her missing sister, and she promises to aid Red Sonja in her time of need just before she disappears.
Elsewhere, Grace’s sister accompanies an old woman to the closed door of a massive mountain cave. The old woman clangs a large hammer on the door to awaken an army of mountain trolls so she can lead them to Emberfall as an aid against the coming battle.
Later, Red Sonja continues her quest to find the soul of a god to put an end to the war when she encounters a crowd gathered outside an inn. The crowd is waiting to see a prophet with shining black eyes, and Sonja immediately realizes it’s the Gatekeeper who opened the door between life and death that started this mess. After a few drinks and a stern talking to, the Gatekeeper accompanies Red Sonja on her quest.
As Red Sonja and the Gatekeeper travel, he explains the nature of Ymir as a god who loves to fight for the sake of fighting. He clarifies to Sonja that the soul she seeks belongs to Erlik, but he has never known his soul because it was always kept, used, and abused by men. Neither Sonja nor the Gatekeeper knows what the soul looks like, so finding it may be tricky.
When Sonja and the Gatekeeper approach the outskirts of Emberfall, they see a mighty battle about to begin between the giant mountain trolls and Ymir and his hunters. Suddenly, Kulan Gath arrives with words of gratitude.
Character Development:
Contrary to the name on the title, there are two other characters who get meaningful focus in this issue – the Gatekeeper and Grace.
Grace is reborn into some type of Nature goddess with sight wherever Nature exists and the power to control everything. She is a formidable power beyond Kulan Gath’s evil, who could come in handy later.
Second, the Gatekeeper is a surprisingly happy being who takes pleasure in humanity, both painful and pleasurable. He acts as an exposition device to explain much of Torunn Grønbekk’s meandering mythology, so he helps the reader and contributes to the plot.
Artwork and Presentation:
Walter Geovani’s artwork is a pleasant mix of mythological gods, grounded taverns, and the occasional bloody violence. Geovani’s figure work is solid, and the pencils/inks are improved significantly by Omi Remalante Jr.’s coloring.
Art Samples:
Pacing and Structure:
Torunn Grønbekk’s pacing and structure are where this issue runs into trouble.
The pacing is steady to a fault, which means there’s no rise or fall and an utter lack of momentum. If the pacing of this comic was a sound, it would be flat monotone. It’s ironic that the Gatekeeper marvels at humanity’s urgent approach to life in a comic that feels devoid of urgency.
In terms of structure, Torunn Grønbekk appears to be lost in keeping the story focused and on point. There are too many bits and pieces of mixed mythology, side tangents, and subplots to stay focused on the plot.
I would wager nobody reading this series could tell you the plot. Is it to stop a war? Is it to stop Kulan Gath? Is it to seal the veil between Life and Death? Is it to stop Elrik or Ymir? At this point, the answer appears to be “all of the above,” which makes for a scatterbrained reading experience.
Thematic Exploration:
Per the observation above, this issue has no clear-cut theme. Torunn Grønbekk is trying to do too many things at once, giving proper attention and focus to nothing.
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
To Torunn Grønbekk’s credit, this arc pulls in many elements of Norse mythology to give Red Sonja’s story multi-cultural flavor. Technically, Red Sonja hails from the northern steppes of Hyrkania, which is near modern-day Iran, so bringing in Norse characters is an odd mix, but the aesthetics works.
Final Thoughts:
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RED SONJA (VOL. 7) #1 mixes Red Sonja’s classic adventure with snippets of Norse mythology for a unique adventure with rock-solid art. However, Grønbekk’s pacing is devoid of energy, and the plot suffers from a lack of focus.
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