Red Sonja #18
	Writer: Michael Avon Oeming Artist: Mel Rubi Colorist: Brian Buccellato Letterer: Richard Starkings (at Comicraft) Executive Editor: Luke Lieberman Published by: Dynamite Entertainment Based on the heroine created by Robert E. Howard
	Reviewed by: Bruce Logan

‘A new beginning…’ With those three words ends one of the longest running Red Sonja arcs and as good (interesting) this particular storyline has been, the ending did leave feeling, sort of, short changed. This has nothing to do with the villain, the recently returned Kulan Gath (last ish.), still being alive or even Sonja and her friends barely making it out alive, after all it is this dynamic which will make for the aforementioned ‘new beginning’. What brought upon the anticlimactic feeling is that instead of a proper blockbuster of an ending to a saga that rightly deserved one, this story is left with a rather mediocre ‘thrown together at the last second’ semi-epilogue.

Freed last issue, Kulan Gath doesn’t waste any time on getting on with his ‘return tour’. Not only does he have his own ‘magical’ forces, he also commandeers the army of his ‘vessel’, the one that Sonja slew last time around. Even though his actions do seems a little too rehearsed and ordinary, it’s still better than the obligatory fight scene that Sonja gets left with. While making their escape, Sonja gets pulled behind and then has the final throw down with DC’s Superchief’s Dynamite twin. However, just before she can bring down the final blade swoosh; Sonja gets pulled away to their escape boat by the now one-handed Osin. (He lost the left hand in the battle.)

There are quite a few ‘non dialogue’ panels and even though I am usually not a big fan of these, not only did I make an exception here, I in fact welcomed it. This is because, unlike the flashy double page spread space-hoggers that many of the bigger titles are chock full of, artist Mel Rubi and colorist Brian Buccellato use their space to actually tell the story (against just making their characters look idiotically puffed up).

Conclusion: Not particular good, not particular all that bad either, this issue although (probably) acceptable enough on its own, doesn’t quite stand up as the finale of this arc.

RATING: 7/10