Writer: Torunn Gronbekk
Artist: Walter Geovani
Colorist: Omi Remalante Jr.
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo, Bjorn Barends, Joseph Michael Linsner, Bryan Hitch, Jenny Frison, Frank Thorne & Cosplay
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 27, 2023
By possessing a soldier, Kulan Gath helped Red Sonja infiltrate Vestfold. But when they reached the royal vault, the wizard turned on her. Now, the She-Devil lays dying. Can Lady Alaberta’s black diamond save her? Let’s leap into Red Sonja #6 and find out!
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Story
Thord Varg leads his army to Vestfold. The high priest made costly sacrifices for his kingdom. Now, as he beholds his beloved city, all he craves is power. His soldiers have brought him victory after victory. Yet he distrusts them. When the warrior-priest sees fire blossom atop his castle, he wonders if he is too late.
The god trapped within the black diamond hovers above Red Sonja as her blood spills onto the floor tiles. He asks her what she desires. She begs nothing for herself. Throughout this war, Red Sonja sought to protect others. She rescued those enslaved. Now, Red Sonja wishes to save the soldiers trapped by their oath. She feels a kinship with them. Long ago, Red Sonja swore an oath to become a death-dealing soldier. But can the god trapped in the stone release souls who willingly swore to serve Thord Varg and savored the power he gave them?
In Red Sonja #6, Torunn Gronbekk reflects on what brings us temporary versus lasting satisfaction. Like Vestfold’s first king, Thord Varg sought to serve his city. Perhaps sorcerer Kulan Gath felt likewise in his youth. Yet, despite all his knowledge, he also succumbed to the allure of power. Now, crouching over Sonja, he believes the world cannot survive without his leadership.
Art
Thord Varg once took pride in his priestly robes. In Red Sonja #6, the armored general wears a grim expression as he leads his army home. He resembles the giant statue of Vestfold’s first king guarding his beloved city. Black drips like tears from the trio who ride alongside. Intriguingly, two of them are maidens. Unlike her warrior sisters, Sonja wears a vacant expression. The possessed soldier cradles her head with his hand. Yet rage overcomes his face as the castle guards burst in. Kulan Gath remembers what it was like to kill. Indeed, killing seems to empower him.
Ascending to another plane, Red Sonja walks through the sky among the blue spirits of those who swore service to Thord Varg. Retaining the colors of life, her scarlet hair and cape, her tanned skin, leather gloves and belt, and the hilts of her sword and dagger make a startling contrast. Yet when the fire of Vestfold embraces her, it sweeps her into a storm of yellow, orange, and red, banishing the cold, wispy spirits.
History says the last dragon lit Vestfold’s perpetual fire. Yet Walter Geovani portrays the god trapped in stone differently. An image of Greek perfection, Omi Remalante Jr. conveys the god’s vibrant nature with the purple fabric that encircles him like a snake. Artist and Remalante Jr. work hand in hand to deliver a stunning finale to Red Sonja’s battles with Thord Varg in Red Sonja #6.
Torunn Gronbekk’s narration guides us through these epic events. Her words appear in scraps of beige parchment. The living speak using white dialogue balloons, while the possessed man utilizes black balloons encircled in red. All appear large and easy to read. Simon Bowland conjures few sound effects and reveals the intensity of emotions through giant, colored letters. Yet a red font—no matter how large—cannot protect Thord Varg from the fate he willingly embraced. Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
While power blinds people to the needs of others, mercy releases people from bonds. Yet mercy proves a double-edged sword in Red Sonja #6, as it releases the innocent and the guilty.