Red Sonja #1
Story by Gail Simone
Art by Walter Geovani
Cover by Fiona Staples
Reviewed by Steve Seigh
The wait has been excruciating, but Gail Simone’s Red Sonja #1 is finally here! Dripping with blood, snark, and a fair amount of good old fashioned head lopping, this comic delivers exactly what you’d expect and more! Dimath, is a city that has been ravaged by a crippling plague, and is under attack by a barbaric horde of Zamoran riders. The City of Dimath has no warriors to speak of, and no coin by which to hire an army that will fight for their decaying lives. It’s with these extenuating circumstances that the king of Dimath decides to send word to the one warrior who might help them. The time has come for Red Sonja to return to Dimath, and repay a blood oath she had swore to the city’s king so very long ago. Debts will be paid and heads are going to roll!
Red Sonja #1 is an absolute joy to read. For me, the entire issue plays out like the pilot of some amazing made-for-cable television show and that’s just the beginning! The book also boasts a tremendous amount of personality, not only in the depiction of its crimson colored heroine, but also in the people she interacts with throughout this first issue. The citizens of Dimath have so little, yet they manage to give so much – even in their darkest of days. They display a genuine hospitality that is rare among the harsh lands to which Red Sonya is meant to wander, and they must be protected. As you read on you’ll find yourself hoping for their safety, wishing to see whomever threatens them torn asunder.
It’s all very bloody and very beautiful. Walter Geovani certainly did not skimp on the crude and barbaric nature of Red Sonja’s world. He and Simone are a wonderful pairing for this project and I for one cannot wait to see what’s next.
VERDICT:
A must buy! Red Sonja #1 gets right up in your face with a bloodied knife clenched between its teeth and begs you to look at it funny. If you’re looking to walk the badlands of a harsh and dangerous barbarian land then look no further.
– Comic Book Review Soundtrack –
This review was written while listening to the album Conditions of My Parole by the band Puscifer.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-_J5WWkoc[/youtube]
This review was written by Steve Seigh – Executive Editor of Talking Comics. You can hear Steve on the Talking Comics podcast, as well as find him on Joblo.com where he writes a featured column called Ink & Pixel. His Twitter handle is @dead_anchoress.
