Writer: Torunn Gronbekk
Artist: Walter Geovani
Colorist: Omi Remalante Jr.
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo, Jung-Geun Yoon, Bjorn Barends, & Cosplay
Publisher: Dynamite
Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 18, 2023
Survivors from the slaughter of Nydalen pour into Velanger. But Vestfold’s army marches on the welcoming city. Can its thick stone walls hold off the invaders? Let’s leap into Red Sonja #4 and find out!
Story
After the king of Vestfold died without an heir, Thord Varg sought a means to feed his people. The High Priest sacrificed a child to the city’s eternal flame. Then he turned to the royal vault for answers. Using blood magic, Thord Varg raised an army and conquered nearby lands. Yet he seeks one thing to secure his power: a black diamond.
Lady Alaberta gave Red Sonja the sacred stone. The She-Devil burns to kill Thord Varg and halt the slaughter he’s unleashed. Should she call upon its power? Lady Alaberta channeled its power to save her child at the cost of her own life. What toll might the Black Diamond demand from Red Sonja to save thousands?
As Red Sonja fights to protect the town, the dark voice returns. It urges her to take the Black Diamond to Vestfold. The She-Devil knows Velanger’s defenders cannot turn back Thord Varg’s overwhelming horde. But can she abandon her friends? Seers Thalia and Thelo have counseled her. Vil and Ve, the identical twins from Tredalen, hunger to avenge their parents. Urmas, the noble captain of the guard, bows to the priests’ orders to fight to the last man. She knows Varg will kill them all or transform them into his mindless servants.
In Red Sonja #4, Torunn Gronbekk weaves a compelling tale of intrigue, suffering, and the search for redemption. Many will die. Some will fall prey to Thord Varg’s dominance. And the dark spirit that has watched over Red Sonja for so long will finally recall its identity.
Art
Walter Geovani constructs High Fantasy castle towns with thick stone walls, historic buildings, and imposing towers. Peasants and refugees huddle in cobblestone streets, their clothing little better than the robes worn by priests. Merchants array themselves in finery. Yet they look less regal than the soldiers, clad in uniforms and armor. No one outshines Red Sonja, resplendent in her chain mail bikini, red cloak, and leather boots.
Omi Remalante Jr.’s soft skin tones enhance Geovani’s storybook realism, fleshing out characters and clarifying class distinctions. As day's end nears, brilliant colors infuse the sky. Yet even in the dead of night, the moon shines upon the surrounding mountains, and torchlit interiors spill light upon Velanger’s streets. Red Sonja #4 seems pulled from a medieval manuscript or adapted from a Hollywood classic. Amid the siege, highlights and shading enhance the fighting, and gray never shields the characters' expressions.
Simon Bowland weaves character interaction with Gronbekk’s lyrical narrative. Uppercase words invade white balloons and colored boxes in Red Sonja #4. Even as Varg’s catapults hurl corpses over the walls and the dead fill the Velanger’s streets, the dialogue and story remain pleasing to the eye and easy to read.
Final Thoughts
As cities fall and the body count rises, the She-Devil With A Sword must shield a powerful stone from the two sorcerers who want it or unlock its power to halt the horde from sweeping across the Hyborian world in Red Sonja #4.
Rating 9.6/10
For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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