It’s a big, chaotic mess. It’s pretty, though. Dazzling lights shoot out of the shadows and darkness in many different colors. weird shapes writhe around like some kind of weird dreamscape inspired by Steve Ditko. This is the way it was before. Some say this is the way it will be again. The history of existence is a cycle of destruction, survival and rebirth. Even the gods know that they may be immortal, but they are not eternal. There’s a reckoning of sorts with this in Red Sonja #18. Writer Torunn Grønbekk continues an intellectually engaging run with Sonja with artist Walter Geovani. Color comes to the page courtesy of Omi Remalante Jr.

The ancient wizard Kulan Gath is directing the substance of chaos. It’s like swimming through an ocean. It speaks to him like a long lost lover. Anyone with that kind of intimacy with th substance of chaos is going to be dangerous. Sonja is seeking to put an end to Gath, but in order to do so, she’s going to have to face herself in a way that she may not be entirely ready for. All is not as it appears and things are going to get rather confusing. 

Grønbekk is traveling through some really interesting heroic territory in pursuit of a conclusion. The big finale is a lot of fun. However, it doesn't quite live up to its potential. It would've been nice to see Grønbekk explore this particular story and a little bit more doubt. They probably would've been a more satisfying result from a little bit more exploration of the forces at work. It's very difficult to get the right balance on this sort of thing. Grønbekk didn’t have quite the space she needed to live-up to her own potential with the series.

Geovani has a very solid grasp of what makes the sword and sorcery fantasy work. There are some very explosive moments that hit the page quite well. However, the straightforward handling of them lacks the kind of vision that would be needed to truly resonate with the magic of the d it hits all the right notes in just the right way. However, there needs to be some element of the unexpected that interfaces with the drama while amplifying the magic.Geovani hasn’t quite found a way of delivering the weird mysticism to the page with the kind of intensity he needs to render the power of what Grønbekk is bringing to the page with her story. It’s a very ambitious sort of action that she’s trying to draw-out and it doesn’t quite make the impact it needs to make. 

There is ancient legend that is inspiring the magic in the series and various elements. The elements question really would have expanded with a little bit more chance to explore them. As it is, the pacing of the series had to maintain at a certain level and it didn't quite reach a satisfying conclusion, even though the story was very well executed, given its limitations on space and time.

Grade: B