Savage Red Sonja #4 Review

 

Writer: Dan Panosian

Artist: Alessio Petillo

Colorists: Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli

Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Cover Artists: Dan Panosian, Frank Cho, Enrico Marini & Cosplay

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 14, 2024

 

Markus sold Red Sonja a map to King Gresh’s castle. When she returned, he offered to buy the blood ruby from her. Better yet, if Red Sonja retrieved the royal scepter from Mayor Sem, he could reunite it with the blood ruby and free her from her oath to the goddess Scathach. Can Markus do as he claims? Might Red Sonja give up her wandering, warrior ways? Let’s grab our swords, leap into Savage Red Sonja #4, and find out!

 

Story

After exploring the village and conversing with Castille, Red Sonja puts two and two together. Markus’ knowledge of the gem suggests that he stole King Gresh’s scepter. Somehow, the blood ruby got dislodged on his journey back. His wife didn’t believe he lost it in the wasteland. She figured Markus was greedy and didn’t want to share with her. So she cast a spell that robbed Markus of his youth and went off to join a coven, battle Kulan Gath, or seek healing in a Hyborian home for women with cheating and manipulative husbands.

 

In Savage Red Sonja #4, the She-Devil With A Sword is displeased that Markus conned her into slaying the beast in the desert and battling the hissing hordes guarding the haunted castle. Perhaps he wasn't responsible for Lucian and Celia's deaths. But if Markus had retrieved the blood ruby, Red Sonja wouldn't have watched her friends die. Now, he wants Gresh’s scepter. Can she trust Markus once he has both? Besides, his wife is the witch, not him!

 

Mayor Sem sends his Slayers Of Shadizar for Red Sonja. The She-Devil surrenders her sword and accompanies his guards. Sadly, the Mayor isn’t in a giving mood. Still, he’ll gladly take the blood ruby off her hands. Red Sonja may have Markus’ number, but the mystery of how Mayor Sem got the scepter remains. Then there’s Castille. His earlier conversation with Mayor Sem and his actions in Savage Red Sonja #4 put an interesting spin on his meeting with Red Sonja at Choiros Hall.

 

Finally, the She-Devil must peer into her own heart. An emptiness gnaws at her soul in Dan Panosian’s tale of weirdness and woe. Despite her protestations, might Red Sonja opt to settle down and raise a family? The scepter--fused with the blood ruby--could give her that power. Our flame-haired heroine has much to sort out in Savage Red Sonja #4. That is, assuming Mayor Sem, Castille, and the Slayers Of Shadizar don’t kill her first!

 

 

 

Art

Alessio Petillo keeps the camera moving as Red Sonja confronts Markus in the tavern. We look down from above, up from the table, and view the characters from a tilted perspective. Closeups help us gauge the intensity of their discussion and how much Markus is hiding. Red Sonja’s intrusion into Mayor Sem’s stronghold is more restrained, as Petillo confines their conversation to a single page. But don’t be lulled into sleep because pages of glorious action follow!

 

The Shadizar Slayers’ lampshade helmets and armor in Savage Red Sonja #4 evoke ancient Chinese paper-and-cloth armor. The eye-catching design helps them move and react quickly. The Shadizar Slayers prove a match for Red Sonja in a memorable evening chase across the rooftops of this hive of scum and villainy.

 

Francesco Segala & Gloria Martinelli wield a limited palette of bright and bold colors to cast powerful spells in Savage Red Sonja #4. Fern green, tanned leather, and skin tones cluster inside the bar. The moonlight shining into Mayor Sem's office reveals soft pastels. The Slayers' bright red and yellow armor glows beneath the textured blue sky. Dots enhance Segala and Martinelli's shading. Perhaps most intriguing: Sonja's eyes change from gray in the Drunken Dryad to blue in Mayor Sem's office, lavender in the moonlight, and finally brown when the sun rises. But then, magic flows through Red Sonja’s veins, thanks to her sacred oath to the goddess Scathach.

 

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. The chapter titles in Savage Red Sonja #4 are particularly striking. Sound effects help us hear Sonja’s race across ceramic roof tiles and tell us all we need to know about her encounter with thieves. The way Red Sonja shatters Mayor Sem's sense of security in one panel is an elegant fusion of writing, art, coloring, and lettering.

 

Thanks to our Hyrkanian heroes at Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

The She-Devil With A Sword investigates the secrets and lies that bind a village while battling thieves and hired killers in Savage Red Sonja #4. 

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.