Words and steel.
Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett
Art: Aneke and Diego Galindo
Colors: Jorge Sutil
Letters: Erica Schultz
What They Say:
Hunted by the elite assassins of her own King, Sonja is forced to hide – even among her ex-lovers! With the aid of those from her past, she must rally a rebellion against the new despot, ending his dreams of conquest. Sonja plots a desperate gambit of her own as Hyrkania teeters on the brink of civil war!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Okay okay okay okay okay, I admit it: I was a loser wienie. I missed the previous issue of Red Sonja and I’m a little at sea here with issue four. Thankfully, Sonja doesn’t mind. Also thankfully, this is well-written enough to piece together the pieces.
When last I left this comic, Sonja had discovered that the new King of Hyrkania was Savas, an ex-lover. Since coming to the throne, Savas enacted a campaign of expansion and pogroms, rousting “undesirables” from the country and stoking the fires of war. Sonja was understandably nonplussed at this discovery at the end of issue two.
Well, I guess she became plussed, because this issue starts with her and the actress Midyan on the run from the Black Talons: an elite squad of three women answerable only to King Savas. These women all happen to have red hair and wear chainmail bikinis, so it’s clear that Savas still has a thing for his old flame—or at least wants to use her image and legend to cement his position of power.
No stranger to war, Sonja understands that battles are won or lost before the first shot is fired. Savas understands that, too, which is why he engages in a Third-Reich-level propaganda program designed to demonize foreigners and lionize Hyrkanian’s, prepping the people for war with other nations. Sonja needs to fight fire with fire, and seeks out the orator Lyna, hoping her and Midyan will be able to shock the citizens out of their lust for blood and expansion.
The climax of the issue occurs in the Crossroads Pantheon—a temple devoted to all Gods. The Black Talons corner Sonya, and it’s only the timely intervention of another ex-lover, Raka, that saves Sonja from certain doom (these guys are just crawling out of the woodwork). It ends with Midyan’s kidnapping and Sonja’s promise to be “the worst curse of all” for Savas. King or not, he should be very afraid.
Bennett’s script moves along at a fine pace, and I greatly enjoy how this story focuses on the power of propaganda. That’s not something you often see in Sword & Sorcery tales, and it adds a fresh dimension to a genre and character that have been around for quite some time.
Aneke and Diego Galindo excel at both setting and action. Their scenes are fluid and kinetic, and the colors are surprisingly soft given the character and story. Together with Bennett, they create a solid, enjoyable issue.
In Summary:
Red Sonja #4 is another solid issue from this creative team. The Devil with a Sword faces a foe that requires more than steel and will to overcome, and thankfully she’s intelligent enough to know how to fight it on its own terms. The basic situation provides both solid external and internal conflict, and the fight scenes are great fun. Here’s hoping I don’t miss issue five. Dr. Josh gives this a….
Grade: B+
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Dynamite Comics
Release Date: April 20th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
