We’re now three issues into Rory McConville’s run on “Red Sonja: She-Devil With a Sword” and he has yet to let up on the brakes! Here, we catch up right where the last issue left off, with Red Sonja and Aretha now being in custody. “How will she get out of this” you might ask. Well, visit your local comic shop and hangout with me as we discuss the latest issue!
Writer: Rory McConville
Artist: Pablo De Bonis
Colorist: Salvatore Aiala Neto
The Writing
As was with the last couple of issues, I was completely hooked within the first few pages. While sometimes there can be a slight slip on the third issue, I was sold once again. This was almost solely due to the dialogue between Red Sonja and the King, with her sticking a nose up at him. The dialogue served as a fantastic way to help convey how both characters are in this type of situation. McConville then had the audacity to prove how much of a master he is by following this up with a great comedic beat. Trying to find that balance between drama and comedy is no easy feat yet McConville does it effortlessly.
The dialogue between those two is also a perfect example of how well he understands the characters. Despite having all of these pieces on the board, he’s able to give each character depth and dimension. Letting each character have that allows this to be a very layered read, putting everyone and everything in this fantastic morally grey area.
The Art
As always, with great writing you need great art and Pablo De Bonis more than delivers. Carrying on from the previous issues, his art continues to be unique and stellar. Over time, it’s become very clear that McConville seems to have this symbiotic relationship. Where McConville excels at making the characters feel real, De Bonis shines in making them look it. This carries over into the settings as well, sucking readers into the world and making us not want to leave.
The art is helped almost entirely by the colors of Salvatore Aiala Neto. In helping these characters feel more real, Neto expertly uses color to convey emotion in several panels. This made me as a reader feel so much closer to these characters and what they’re experiencing, making me feel those exact same emotions. If you can bring emotions out of a reader simply through color, you know you’re doing something right.
Final Thoughts
Between his ability to expertly balance drama and comedy as well as his skills in character development, it’s easy to fall in love with McConville’s “Red Sonja.” Adeptly matched by Neto and De Bonis, this is the best the character’s been in awhile.
Overall Grade: 9.5/10
Read more from me here and follow my socials!
Comments
Are you a Red Sonja fan? What’re your thoughts on “She-Devil With a Sword”? Lets discuss in the comments below!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply