Red Sonja Vol. 2: Mother Review

 

Writers: Mirka Andolfo & Luca Blengino

Artists: Giuseppe Cafaro

Colorists: Chiara Di Francia

Letterers: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou & Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artist: Mirka Andolfo

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $19.99

Release Date: February 7, 2024

 

Baroness Drang threw Red Sonja in her dungeon. A thief named Kebra took Sitha under her wing. Will Kebra help Sitha rescue Red Sonja before the Baroness executes her? Let's hack and slash into Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother and find out!

 

Story

Baroness Drang holds her village—The Feud Of The Seven Gallows—in a reign of terror. Her soldiers regularly arrest people for unspecified crimes. No one survives more than seven days in her dungeon.

 

Kebra steals food for the children orphaned by Baroness Drang’s cruelty. While planning the ultimate heist, Kebra chews grass and leaves for sustenance. If Sitha helps her, Kebra promises to help Sitha rescue Red Sonja. Can Sitha trust the thief to do as she’s promised?

 

The She-Devil has refused food or water for seven days in Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother. Soldiers bring her to Baroness Drang’s Playroom. The tyrant suggests Red Sonja accept death meekly. Yeah, like that’s going to happen!

 

 

 

In Red Sonja Vol 1: Mother, Setubai told Sonja and the carpenter Samosh that the demigoddess Xamul lived inside Sitha. Fear and anger allow Xamul to burn anyone nearby. Kebra demands Sitha use Xamul’s power to break into Baroness Drang’s vault. But the more Sitha draws on Xamul’s power, the more power the girl gives the god.

 

Sitha hails from a mountain village in Kithai. No one’s paying Red Sonja to bring Sitha home. The girl’s not asking Sonja to transport her halfway around the world. Sitha would happily remain by the She-Devil’s side. But Red Sonja knows what it’s like to lose a family. She won’t let Sitha miss a chance to meet her kin.

 

In Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother, Sonja, and Sitha will board a Shahpur freighter and sail across the Sea of Vilayet. Red Sonja allows Captain Beylab to store her sword in his armory. But is Beylab more than a trader in oil and textiles? Can Sonja and Sitha trust him to protect them on a sea where the veil between worlds is as thin as silk?

 

 

 

Throughout this series, Mirka Andolfo & Luca Blengino have discussed the importance of family. While Red Sonja clings to the past, Sitha looks forward. The girl decides who she can trust and assigns them familial roles.

 

In Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother, the authors show how her father shaped Baroness Drang’s character. Sitha declares Samosh is her father, and one sailor becomes her uncle. After Sonja brings her home, Sitha insists that Sonja remains her mother. Is family restricted to blood and marital relations, as Sonja claims? Or is the term sufficiently malleable to include others? And if so, how do we differentiate between family and friends?

 

 

 

Art

Giuseppe Cafaro’s carefree, fluid style captures the energy of Red Sonja’s adventures. Scenes convey the natural beauty of the Hyborian world, the mythical landscapes and creatures of the Vilayet Sea, and the grandeur of a city perched on the slope of an active volcano. The drama never suffers, thanks to a wealth of vibrant characters imbued with warmth and charisma. While Red Sonja rarely lowers her guard, Sitha transforms in an instant. Flames erupt around her, and Xamul’s personality burns in her eyes.

 

Chiara Di Francia fills panels with soft, appealing colors. The She-Devil's eye-catching hair and the rivers of blood flowing through Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother contrast with the backgrounds. Anger fills Sitha’s white hair with red as yellow and orange surround her. Such vibrant colors energize negative silhouettes, coloring the characters and direction lines but leaving all else black. Blue and white speckles suggest the ethereal nature of the Vilayet Sea.

 

The large, uppercase black letters that inhabit white dialogue balloons grow bold for inflection. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou & Jeff Eckleberry's energetic, colored sound effects enhance swordfights, bear attacks, arrow strikes, falls into the deadly waters, and the awakening of an ancient god. Yet what lingers is how Xamul’s dialogue balloons turn yellow, orange, and red.

 

In addition to an extensive cover gallery in Red Sonja Vol 2: Mother, inked drawings introduce each issue in the collection. Stylized borders and geometric imprints impart a historic feel, aided by the brown coloring that evokes leather. Splashes of blue adorn the lower portion of each character, while yellow lines near their heads suggest the elemental nature of Red Sonja and Sitha’s power.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Entertainment for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As they battle mad magical monarchs, meet savage sailors, get carried away by winged wonders, and discover a city of women, Red Sonja and Sitha explore the boundaries of family and how it confuses, distorts, and enriches us in Red Sonja Vol. 2.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

If you missed my review of the first volume, or wish to refresh your memories of Sitha's early adventures with Red Sonja? Read my review of Red Sonja Vol. 1: Mother.