Red Sonja

Legends of Red Sonja #5

/ / Comics

Legends of Red Sonja #5The five-issue mini-series featuring a number of artists and writers offering various takes on the She-Devil with a Sword comes to a close as Red Sonja picks off another member of the Grey Riders in a tale by writer Blair Butler and former Secret Six artist Jim Calafiore and one more member of the band will fall to the tricks of a band of actors and thieves in a story by Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Valentine De Landro.

From there Gail Simon and artist Jack Jadson bring the series to a close as Red Sonja, tired of playing games with the group out for her head, springs one final trap and teaches the remaining soldiers and mercenaries a deadly lesson about being careful about what they wish for.

Legends of Red Sonja #5 ends the mini-series a strong note (and unfortunate use of hero’s chain-mail bikini by one of the acting troupe). Those who have stayed with the series are rewarded, and for those who haven’t I would recommend looking out for the likelihood of a trade paperback collection in the near future. Worth a look.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

Legends of Red Sonja #5 Read More »

Li’l Sonja

/ / Comics

Li'l SonjaWhen Dynamite started putting out all of these cute one-shots inspired by the company’s current catalog, Li’l Sonja was the one that caught my eye. It took me a while to get to the issue, partially due to having to special order the terrific variant cover by Agnes Garbowska, and partly out of my own forgetfulness, but once I picked it up I was in heaven.

Written by Jim Zub, whose work in IDW’s new Samurai Jack comic I have been enjoying, with art by Joel Carroll, Li’l Sonja is the type of comic I want to see Dynamite start putting out monthly. The story centers around the heroine’s travels leading her to investigate disappearance of red objects and red-headed children caused by greedy red dragon.

Fighting off the dragon with her sword, wits, and a full page of wonderful puns, Sonja eventually outsmarts the dragon and saves the day. A hell of a lot of fun, my only disappointment comes from how long it took me to pick it up and the fact that there’s no issue #2 to look forward to. Must-read.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

Li’l Sonja Read More »

Red Sonja #6

/ / Comics

Red Sonja #6I’ve got to admit I found the conclusion of “Queen of Plagues,” the opening arc of Dynamite Entertainment’s new Red Sonja series, to be more than a little anticlimactic. After teasing us for five issues of an epic battle between Red Sonja and the brutal (and completely insane) Annisia writer Gail Simone throws a curveball by throwing in a common enemy of both women who is the puppet master behind the entire plague storyline.

The arc comes to an end with the death of both Annisia and Bazrat meeting their doom, but neither at the hands (or blade) of our Sonja. Although Red Sonja dispatches quite a few soldiers in a rage, her only memorable kill is beheading a kneeling, and defenseless, scientist. Hrm.

The comic also apparently says farewell to Sonja’s loyal bodyguards Nias and Ayla who won’t be accompanying the She-Devil on her journey onward (although they do get to kick some ass in their final appearance). I think the comic may be hurt without their humor and interactions with our heroine. Hit-and-Miss.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

Red Sonja #6 Read More »

Legends of Red Sonja #2

/ / Comics

Legends of Red Sonja #2The second issue of the latest Red Sonja mini-series isn’t as strong as the first, offering only two tales of Red Sonja’s exploits for the Grey Riders with not much in the way of pushing their hunt for Sonja forward in he segments in-between by Gail Simone and artist Jack Jadson.

Although it ends with a nice twist, the tale of Red Sonja’s cowardice and ineptitude from a fellow adventurer didn’t do much for me. The second tale of Sonja taking on the protection of a young girl and her mother is a bit hit-and-miss as well, although once again the tale does find a way to offer a nice wink to the reader at the expense of the villains. I also didn’t think the various styles of the three artist meshed as well this time around.

Undeterred from the tales of the She-Devil with a Sword’s heroics in the first issue, which weren’t having the desired effect, Sonja sets out to pull back on the legend a bit in hopes that the group may overconfidence when their paths finally do meet on the battlefield. For fans.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

Legends of Red Sonja #2 Read More »

Red Sonja #5

/ / Comics

Red Sonja #5Writer Gail Simone’s opening arc continues as Red Sonja returns down the mountainside with her bodyguards Ayla and Nias to receive the rest of the cure for the plague slowly destroying her body and exact vengeance on her former friend Annisa for killing the king who freed them both from the pit while leaving his kingdom to die of plague.

Dealing mostly with Red Sonja returning from her exile and slowly regaining her strength and fire at witnessing the atrocities of a woman she once loved as a sister, Red Sonja #5 spends most of its time setting up next month’s final issue to the opening arc as the two warriors step into the arena to battle one more time.

The issue does end with a bit of a twist as both women come face-to-face with a common foe from their past suggesting that the epic final battle between the two warriors that the storyline has been leading to may not occur in the arc’s final issue (or perhaps at all if both don’t survive the attack of their former slave master). Worth a look.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

Red Sonja #5 Read More »