Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Dynamite Entertainment, Erik Mona, matt gaudio, Moritat, Pathfinder: Worldscape, red sonja, tom mandrake

Pathfinder Worldscape Red Sonja #1 Review: Wordy but Fun

Red Sonja, King Rex, and Cave Girl ride out to find the Eye of Issus before the Holy Thern Death Cult only to find that the Therns have already reached the location of the Eye. This leaves our three heroes to find more creative means of reaching the Eye of Issus. Can they grab the Eye before the Therns, and can they survive the experience?

This is a fairly straightforward issue of action and adventure in the swords-and-sandals style of Red Sonja. There is the objective: The Eye of Issus. There is the opposition: The Holy Thern Death Cult. The course of the comic is about our heroes getting to the former by outmaneuvering the latter.

There are some interesting interactions between the characters. We see Red Sonja win the respect of King Rex. Cave Girl has fun with the animals they encounter. Red Sonja does her best to accommodate this nature of Cave Girl. They all get along in an appealing and endearing manner.

The main issue with the comic is how wordy it is. The characters invoke the old-time comic trope of explaining the fine details of the plot frequently, talking at length about their backstories, and just being generally chattier than necessary. The blocks of text hurt the pacing a good bit, especially when you're itching to watch Red Sonja stab the crap out of some cultists.

However, this doesn't kill the comic. While it is bothersome, it's not fatal.

Tom Mandrake, Moritat, and Matt Gaudio's art styles call upon classic comic styles as well. The characters have impressive figures, the world is well-detailed, and the action is kinetic and visceral. Mohan's colorwork keeps things lively and eye-catching, and the overall comic is visually appealing.

Despite the wordiness, Pathfinder Worldscape: Red Sonja is a fun read. The characters are likable and have some good moments, the action is satisfying, and it's easy to become invested in the proceedings, even if you're not familiar with the larger story of which this comic is a part. I can easily recommend it, and you should check it out.

I can only recommend it on digital though. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why it's $19.99 in a physical copy.

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