Savage Red Sonja #3 Review

 

Writer: Dan Panosian

Artist: Alessio Petillo

Colorists: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Cover Artists: Dan Panosian, Frank Cho, Gary Frank & Cosplay

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 3, 2024

 

Red Sonja survived the tentacled beast that threatened her at the Keep of King Gresh. She left with his blood ruby but at the cost of Lucian and Celia's lives. What will Red Sonja do with the cursed stone upon her return? Let’s leap into Savage Red Sonja #3 and find out!

 

Story

The man who sold Red Sonja the map offers to buy King Gresh’s blood ruby. He claims he’ll pay more than anyone else. But wait, there's more! If she will procure its companion piece, he'll pay her far more than money.

 

Long ago, Red Sonja swore an oath that transformed her into a great warrior. Her brief time with Celia and the love Lucian bore for the red-haired maiden reminded Sonja of the life she might have lived. If she did as the map seller bids, could he free her from the lonely life of a death-dealing vagabond?

 

In Savage Red Sonja #3, the map seller claims he can. The blood ruby can wield great magic if reunited with King Gresh’s scepter. But if he's on the level, why didn't he mention its existence earlier? Dan Panosian's tale promises to grant the She-Devil With A Sword a second chance at happiness. Is the map seller more reliable than Queen Taramis of Shadizar, who promised Conan she would bring Valeria back to life in Conan The Destroyer? 

 

 

 

Art

The map seller finds Red Sonja sitting before a table heaped with food as Savage Red Sonja #3 begins. Despite her arduous journey through the wasteland, most dishes still look full. Unbidden, he sits across from her. He refills her tankard twice, then drinks from the bottle she ordered. Light from the fireplace illuminates his features. Yet darkness seeps into them when he asks if she killed the monster that haunted the wasteland and the Keep.

 

Red Sonja strides through the marketplace. Merchants drape fabric overhead and array walls with exotic goods. She follows Slayers from Shadizar into a building. A pig-shaped sign hangs over the door. While others dine, Sonja watches the slayers. Each lithe figure carries a spear. Capes flow around them, and lampshades adorn their heads. When Red Sonja takes a table, one slayer approaches her. Unlike the Three Storms that caused Big Trouble in Little China, a mask obscures the guard's features.

 

Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli employ a limited palette to achieve striking effects in Savage Red Sonja #3. Their colors breathe life into this small town perched at the edge of the wasteland and enhance the mood of Alessio Petillo’s scenes. The blood ruby shines brightly amid the map seller’s tale of King Gresh’s scepter. While red dominates scenes, is it significant that the guard who challenges Sonja also wears red?

 

 

 

Medium-sized uppercase black letters fill white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Dave Sharpe emboldens for intonation, while louder words are enlarged and colored. Sound effects accompany the battle. Yet Red Sonja's announcement, "Death is on the menu tonight," speaks most loudly. Take your best shot, Slayers of Shadizar! Red Sonja can take it!

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Red Sonja mourns those she tried to save, offers to release someone from an oath, and investigates those who crave King Gresh’s blood ruby in Savage Red Sonja #3. 

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

For more covers and preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.