Something strange is afoot in Cimmeria!
Creative Staff:
Story: Amy Chu & Erik Burnham
Script: Erik Burnham
Art: Carlos Gomez
Colors: Mohan
Letters: Tom Napolitano
What They Say:
Still seeking Lord Skath, Sonja finally reaches his castle in the Cimmerian mountains — and it’s not what she expected! Castle Skath is now something of an attraction for wealthy visitors from across Hyborea; and its new owner, Rusa Sandak, has sinister plans to keep the gold flowing…
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
I don’t want to go into the details, the memory’s still too fresh. Besides, I’m sure you read all about it in the tabloids, watched the unfortunate video on Hyrkania TMZ. Admittedly, I had too much mead that night, and Sonja was off on some adventure or another, and that barmaid was just being nice and listening to me vent some frustrations. I swear by Mitra that was all! But Sonja! Whoo-boy, there’s nothing more terrifying than a She-Devil who thinks she’s scorned!
After they rebuilt the tavern and my bones knitted (they ache when it rains), Sonja and I decided to take a little breather to sort things out. Ishtar be praised, we got back together today and I’m very happy to be reunited with my comic-book girlfriend.
We haven’t spoken for several months, so I don’t know all that she’s been into, but she’s back in her own time now and going back to doing what she does best: kicking ass and saving people. As to what happened to Max and her friends from our time, I can’t say. That’ll require more conversation. What I do know is that she has traveled to Cimmeria with Taya and Lera, who were Max’s riding companions when Kulan Gath sent him back to Sonja’s past.
The three search for Lord Skath, the ruler of Cimmeria (or a ruler in Cimmeria—I’m not up on Hyborean Age geopolitics). Instead of Lord Skath, they find Lord Sandak, a “fraud…and a trickster” who is throwing a huge party and hires Sonja and her companions to clear out the neighboring village in preparation. Sonja actually wants no part in this, but Lera speaks up for the group and accepts. Sonja does not take this well. She strangles Lera and tells her to never speak for her again.
I wish I could say that Lera learned her lesson, but after they speak to the villagers and learn more about the situation, she goes back to Sandak and makes some sort of deal to save the villagers and buy more time for Sonja and Tyra. Sonja doesn’t take this well, either, but she shows remarkable restraint in not gutting Lera in the tavern later that night when she learns what her companion did.
Even coming into this issue relatively cold, it was easy enough to pick up the plot threads and glean an idea of the larger picture here. While I don’t know why Sonja seeks Lord Skath, I’m sure that I will learn that in the next issue. Meanwhile, there’s a clear goal and conflict, and all the fun and adventure one would expect from a Red Sonja comic.
Amy Chu and Erik Burnham understand the character very well, and while it was fun to see her in our world, it’s equally nice to see her back in her native land and time. As always, Sonja is strong, fierce, a bit rough around the edges, but also kind and compassionate and always ready to fight for people who can’t fight for themselves.
Carlos Gomez and Mahon do a great job of bringing these characters and world to life. The character models are distinct and engaging, even though we’re definitely getting cheesecake Sonja here, and the action scenes are kinetic and exciting. Mahon makes good use of grays, charcoals, and general muted colors to create Conan’s homeland of Cimmeria. One can see why the titular barbarian might want to travel.
There is a certain flatness to the color, though, that affects the character. A greater use of shadow and depth would be nice, but it’s nothing that ruins the reading experience.
In Summary:
I’m glad Sonja and I are finally speaking again, because I missed her. Red Sonja #19 is a solid read with lots of action and intrigue. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s good fun. As long as I stay away from the mead (and the barmaids), I should be back for issue twenty and beyond. Dr. J gives this a….
Grade: B+
Age Rating: Teen +
Released By: Dynamite Comics
Release Date: 25 July 2018
MSRP: $3.99
