Creative Staff:
Story: Mark Russell
Art: Mirko Colak
Colors: Dearbhla Kelly
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
What They Say:
No man knows the place of her birth, nor where she learned to wield a sword to shame many a male. They know only that she is called The She-Devil of The Hyrkanian Steppes. That, and RED SONJA. MARK RUSSELL (The Flintstones) and MIRKO COLAK (Conan) bring a savage tale of metal and blood. A world conqueror possesses a massive army and a fatal prophecy. A bastard sorceress craves revenge. And a fearsome red-haired warrior is made wartime ruler of a homeland set for decimation.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
It’s been several years since I’ve read anything from the world of Red Sonja but the start of a new series got me interested. One of the appealing aspects of a new series is that while it acknowledges a past and gives us a sliver of a look at it but isn’t wholly defined by it, allowing new readers like myself to feel like it’s fresh and new but lived in. Mark Russell sets up a strong first installment here in a lot of ways and I’m very intrigued in who Sonja is at this stage and how she’s presented. The script and character work is thoroughly engaging but a great part of the appeal is Mirko Colak’s artwork. I’ve loved a lot that he’s produced in the last couple of years that I’ve read and seeing him on a high profile character like this is exciting as he brings a real earthiness to the book.
The premise is straightforward as Dragan the Magnificent is on his continued quest to expand the Zamoran empire. There’s a prophecy motivating him in that if he isn’t expanding his empire then he’ll die, so those that refuse his demands for subservience are accused of attempted regicide, which allows him and his armies to run roughshod over these various kingdoms and nations. We see some of this at the start where the king of a small nation is hoping for some future in this empire only to find that there’s a real casual cruetly that comes from Dragan. The focus through is on exploring the next conquest which is in Hyrkania itself, resulting in a comically fun explanation of just what a piss poor land of trash and refuse it is. You can certainly learn a lot about a land by the way others view it and this is a view that even most nomadic Hyrkanians can agree being true.
As this is all happening, Sonja has found herself at the outskirts of Hyrkania after some recent adventures of her own have gone south. While she manages to survive those chasing her, she now finds herself in a deeper trap as the council of elders have wrangled things so that she accepts the positio of Queen of Hyrkania. It’s not played for laughs though you’ll grin through it and the way Sonja kind of just accepts it while trying to figure out the bigger play is utterly delightful. Especially when the envoy from Dragan shows up with the demands of the Emperor and Sonja is just so offhanded in dealing with him while setting in motion for the larger fight. There’s a little twist to it that comes into play with the discovery of a relative of hers that will impact the story going forward, but most of this is devoted to Sonja and how she handles what’s to come from Zamora.
In Summary:
Red Sonja is the kind of property that comes around from time to time that I get into as something clicks with the creative team. Mark Russell has a straightforward story set here but the trappings are spot on and the way the dialogue works with that edge of weird whimsy to it is just delightful. I like the way Sonja ends up in the position that she does and how she’s going to handle it going forward – and Hyrkania itself. Mirko Colak give this a fantastic sense of being a really lived-in raw and rough world while also delivering up some fantastic character designs. The flow is strong and it was an book that had me from the first panel to the last and wanting to see a whole lot more, both of what’s to come and things happening in between the panels we do get here. Very recommended.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: February 6th, 2019
MSRP: $3.99