The worlds of Witchblade and Red Sonja are colliding!  So does this penultimate issue satisfy or leave readers of both properties disappointed?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

 Glory be to Red Sonja, bearer of the Witchblade!! Against her will, the She-Devil with a Sword now bears the Witchblade. The ancient artifact won’t separate from Sonja until it touches the only weapon able to wound the dark angel Ragniel – Sonja’s Hyrkanian blade. In modern times, Ragniel has taken Sara’s daughter Hope captive and decides the Witchblade must be destroyed. The race is on as Sara frantically searches for the Sonja’s mythical sword and Ragniel’s disfigured minions hunt Sara.

In ancient Hyboria, Red Sonja is doing what she must in order to defeat the dark angel Ragniel.  Meanwhile in present day New York, Sara Pezzini is trying desperately to find a way to kill the same creature and save her daughter.  The stakes are high, as the Witchblade attempts to guide both of these heroes on their path to vengeance.

Doug Wagner has come up with a logical way to makes this unconventional tale work.  By allowing these two characters to only slightly interact with each other and denying fans the image of them fighting side by side, the story has been grounded in a plausible reality.  The only detriment to the script is that the dialogue at times feels a bit flat as the voices of our heroes can be a bit unnatural or uneven.

The art is done by Cezar Razek, who brings strong and beautiful designs to this crossover event.  He makes the women look good, the monsters look scary and the landscapes detailed enough to pass as either ancient Hyboria or modern New York.  In short his designs fit the story perfectly.

This unconventional crossover yields a surprisingly satisfying penultimate issue.  Despite some short comings this is still a fun narrative that’s engaging enough to be a worthwhile purchase for any Witchblade or Red Sonja fan.  Recommended.

3.5/5