Review: Red Sonja: Birth of a She-Devil #1
Red Sonja’s popularity must be on the rise as we currently have two books a month to get our fill of the Hellion of Hyrkania. This time around its a blast form the past as we get to see a young Sonja, setting out on a quest given to the vagaries of her own regrets and memories.
As the book begins, Sonja is doing what Sonja does best, causing a ruckus, drinking ale and did I mention causing a ruckus? Of course all this ruckus making attracts the attention of an unscrupulous ruler keen on showing Sonja a good time. Thing is all Sonja wanted was information; as you’d expect, Sonja deals with the unwanted attention in her own style before continuing through her reverie and her more present bound quest.
Luke Lieberman, writer of Red Sonja: Doom of the Gods, continues to chronicle the cacophony of chaos that surrounds this character. Looking through the book, all the usual staples are there, which maybe begs the question why bother? Lieberman takes a step backwards to answer that particular almost question, and by doing so, allows us to see a Sonja not yet at her full level of prowess, which in turn allows the reader a sense of “how will she get out of this?”, especially as we know that at some point she will. Through her “Wonder Years” we get a two tier story each as vicious in their own way as the other.
Sergio Davila is no stranger to fans of Dynamite’s range of comics having spent time with both Conan, Project Superpowers and with Sonja herself (see Swords of Sorrow). A lot of times, I am a fan of Davila’s work especially Project Superpowers. Here, a lot of the panel design is great, moving the reader through the comic. Large figures act as anchors in which the action revolves. Design wise, that’s not the problem. Issues arise with the inconsistencies in Sonja herself; her face carries either the curves of youth or the angular strength of her later years. Throw in poses in which her head seems to small for her hair and it becomes more than a little distracting. It is as if Davila is more concerned with making sure that her curves are more than suitably evidenced. Ulises Arreola adds a level of maturity to the art with some strong textures. Taylor Esposito, letterer extraordinaire, is on hand to deliver another master class.
The hook of this book is to show Sonja at an earlier stage in her life. The child elements are strong enough in setting into motion Sonja future path; her present, around 19 years old, doesn’t seem too different from what we expect. This isn’t meant to detract from what is, overall, an enjoyable romp that won’t disappoint long-term Sonja fans.
Writing by – 4 Stars
Art -3.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Luke Lieberman
Art by; Sergio DavilaÂ
Colors by; Ulises Arreola
Letter by; Taylor Esposito
Published by; Dynamite Entertainment
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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