The Pull List – Red Sonja #5
Dragan The Magnificent pushes the Zamoran army further into Hyrkania. The Zamorans pillaging and destroying everything in their path. Those who cannot escape become enslaved the people or slaughtered. The clever tactics she has used caused setbacks for Dragan but his army quick remobilizes. The Hyrkanians retreat to a safe distance, but Dragan manages to exploit a weak spot in Sonja’s plan. Now Sonja must choose between her duty to the Hyrkanians or her last connection to her past.
Annoyed that the Hyrkanian queen outsmarted him with a small force, Dragan assembled his latest army from all the conquered lands. Dragan’s army pursues, closing the gap each passing moment. Sonja has used misdirection, ambushes and sneaky bandits to pick apart the squadron of warriors, overcoming battles with brilliant tactics. But the fighting is costing people and moral. Dragan had waited for a moment to find a vulnerability. Realizing what Sonja holds close, and Dragan unleashes a cunning plan of his own. If Sonja is truly a queen, she must make the difficult judgment of what and who to sacrifice for the greater good.
The tide of war turn against Sonja in this issue. Mark Russell plays up the drama, showing the weight of Sonja responsibility for her people. Previous issues had Sonja gain early victories, but the consequences have caught up to her. Russell tells a suspenseful chapter that shows that Sonja can’t overcome some challenges without loss. Mirko Colak artwork is a great mix of comedy and action. Showing off frumpy faces of an angered Dragan and the unfortunate soldiers getting the sharp edge of a knife. There is also a terrific image at end that depicts the burdens of Sonja. It’s a powerful shot that perfectly matches the change in Sonja. The war between Hyrkania and Zamora just became personal, and the next issue can’t be here soon enough!