RED SONJA (VOL. 7) #17, by Dynamite Comics on 1/8/25, finds Red Sonja fighting to enter the afterlife to be rid of Erlik’s soul, but is it enough to stop the loathsome evolution of Kulan Gath?
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: January 8, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 24
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of RED SONJA (VOL. 7) #17:
Plot:
Red Sonja (Vol. 7) #17 commences the penultimate issue in the arc. Red Sonja fights against Kulan Gath’s dark powers as she stands on the edge of the Unknown Lake that leads to the underworld. Unnar heeds the daughter of Ymir’s warning that he must help Red Sonja, or all is lost. He descends into the caverns and saves Red Sonja at the cost of his life. Red Sonja dives into the waters and finds Erlik, reuniting the God of the Dead with his soul. Their troubles are far from over, as Erlik leads Red Sonja back to the land of the living to stop the spiraling Kulan Gath from destroying everything.
Artwork and Presentation:
Walter Geovani’s crisp lines and dramatic facial acting are first-rate. The figure work is eerily (in a good way) reminiscent of Red Sonja comics during the Bronze Age at Marvel. Plus, Omi Remalante Jr’s colors are eye-catching.
Art Samples:
Character Work:
Writer Torunn Grønbekk adequately captures the voice, demeanor, and action of Red Sonja. Red Sonja(Vol. 7) #17 would be a dead-on interpretation, if not for a pacing problem (see below).
Pacing:
Blah, blah, blah. For a sword & sorcery comic, Grønbekk leans too heavily on high-brow narration, posturing, and bluster between enemies. The pacing takes quite a hit when Red Sonja and Kulan Gath remind each other, over and over, about their respective predicaments.
Strongest Point(s):
The strongest point of this issue is the forward progress of the plot. Erlik’s soul is finally addressed, so we can move on to other things.
Weakest Point(s):
Torunn Grønbekk’s sense of pacing takes a significant hit in an attempt to make the dialog, narration, and action seem weighty and important. The attempt doesn’t quite pay off.
Final Thoughts:
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RED SONJA (VOL. 7) #17 delivers the penultimate issue in Red Sonja’s quest to be rid of Erlik’s soul and stop Kulan Gath. Torunn Grønbekk’s script has plenty of twists, turns, and forward progress on the plot, and Walter Geovani’s Bronze Age Marvel-inspired art looks great. That said, the wordy narration and dialog drag the pace significantly.
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