Queen Sonja is lonely, she wants a king!  So comic fans, should you be reading this latest issue?  Read on.

The official description from Dynamite:

The Empress sleeps alone while all around her find comfort, she reconsiders her vows, and holds a Tournament of Kings. Every throne needs an heir, after all.

It’s a simple enough story that’s serviceable but sadly for the most part it’s rather boring.  It’s not that it’s a bad issue, it’s just slow in pace and more often than not you might find yourself wanting to skip ahead.  That being said the payoff at the end may be a bit predictable but it is solid.  That’s the heart of the problem in this latest release, as the overall narrative quality take a bit of a dip.

Luke Lieberman does a fine job with the script, crafting characters and suitors quickly while attempting to maintain some kind of momentum.  Sadly, for the most part the issue is slow moving.  The tale is too focused on building the ground work for the second part of this arc, rather than focusing in on the first part of this burgeoning story.  It’s a shame really, because I think the fact that Red Sonja is planning on breaking her vow is an intriguing aspect that could have been addressed more thoroughly in this issue.  It’s a missed opportunity that hopefully will be explored in next month’s issue.

Milton Estevam does a very good job with the art.  The characters all look detailed as they live and breath in this lavishly layered world.  The panels have enough spunk to almost carry the book to its predictable conclusion.  Despite any short comings contained in the script, this art succeeds in more or less selling the look and feel of this narrative.

Overall this is an okay comic book with good art.  It may be a worthwhile purchase for some, but it only squeaks by with a light recommendation from me.

3/5