[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]

Red Sonja, on horseback, is hunting a rabbit through a forest when she almost tramples and old woman crossing the road. Sonja and the old woman have an exchange wherein Sonja calls the old woman a “crone.” The old woman takes offense to this and curses Red Sonja when the huntress leaves. In the next village, Sonja finds a tavern, and she decides to find her meal there. However, the tavern is empty except for a single woman. She is welcoming, and Sonja shares a meal with her. However, our hero begins to see visions and is suddenly in a fight for her life.

Red Sonja #24 finds our hero faced with the consequences of her own demeanor, her inescapable past, and her inevitable future.

The conflict between the old woman and Sonja seems to base itself around the fact that Sonja called the old woman a crone, which seems like a relatively small offense, but it is the kind of offense around which fairy tales and myths are based.

A part of the curse placed upon Red Sonja forces her to see herself as an old woman, and that seems like an odd punishment for Sonja. It’s not like she has a consistent fear of growing old; I’m not sure what exactly if Sonja has such nagging fears.

That said, the moment in which Sonja is forced to face her past is poignant, and it is one of the stronger moments of the comic.

Pasquale Qualano is the artist on the issue, and he gives the book solid treatment. The art is flowing and action-oriented, Sonja stands as imposing as ever in most panels, and the creatures she sees in the latter part of the book have decent designs. Color artist Omi Remalante contributes some good palette work which keeps the visuals lively.

Red Sonja #24 is a self-contained yet somewhat middling installment in the heroes of the red she-devil. The conflict feels petty and doesn’t have a particularly strong payoff. I can recommend it to the diehard Red Sonja fan, but I can’t say it’s worth a read for anyone new or with a passing interest in the hero.

Red Sonja #24 comes to us from writers Amy Chu and Eric Burnham, artist Pasquale Qualano, color artist Omi Remalante, letterer Taylor Esposito, cover artist Mike McKone, and variant cover artists Moritat, Tom and Sian Mandrake, and Reilly Brown.

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