Red Sonja #6 - A Review

The battle for Hyrkania's soul rages on, with the rebellion attacking King Savas on his wedding day. And Red Sonja rides with the rebels astride a great phoenix! But when the war seems to claim one Sonja risked much to protect, will rage lead her to strike down another friend she falsely perceives as an enemy?


As much as I've enjoyed Marguerite Bennett's run on Red Sonja thus far, this final chapter of the opening arc seems a little weak. The battle in this issue feels incredibly rushed. And for all the ingenuity Bennett showed in the early chapters, she falls back all too readily into the standard fantasy tropes in the finale, with a wounded child spurring the hero into rash action and an ending that will surprise no one. The book is enjoyable despite this but it's still something of a disappointment given how unique this run had been.

That being said, Aneke's artwork continues to inspire admiration. Her work on this series has made Red Sonja into one of the most amazing-looking comics on the stands. The action sequences are all well-paced and the color art by Jorge Sutil is as vivid and visceral as the world of Hyboria itself.

Red Sonja #5 - A Review

King Savas had expected resistance when he captured Red Sonja's most recent companion - the playwright Midy. He did not expect for her, now feeling scorned by Sonja's apparent abandonment of her, to offer to write a play that would subvert the legend of Sonja while elevating Savas and the last of his Black Talons (the women impersonating Sonja in his name) to the level of living legends. Meanwhile, Sonja seeks another legend - a giant carnivorous bird - as she too ponders the nature of legends and how she might yet save a people who don't wish to be rescued.


If Gail Simone redefined Red Sonja for a new generation of readers, than Marguerite Bennett has refined it. No longer a simple sword-and-sorcery comic, Bennett's thoughtful writing has explored both current events such as the role of the media and popular culture in shaping politics and deeper philosophical truths about the nature of heroism and humanity. In this Bennett resembles Robert E. Howard more than any other writer to ever play in his world.


The artwork operates on a similarly deep level. There is great interplay, for instance, between Bennett's monologues for Sonja and the action in the panel as each line is spoken. The battle sequence between Sonja and the roc is epically illustrated and the colors of Jorge Sutil are vibrant and powerful.

Red Sonja #4 - A Review

Spurned by Red Sonja, the mad king Savas has become determined to possess Sonja's legend if he cannot have the woman herself. Three women has he chosen to be his Black Talons, reborn in Sonja's image to promote his reign to the common folk of Hyrkania and subvert everything she stands for!

Sonja has fought whole armies before, but this is a battle that cannot be fought with blades or bows. Thankfully, Sonja knows an orator who is to words what she is to battle. Unfortunately, The Black Talons are already on her trail...


Marguerite Bennett continues to impress on Red Sonja. This is a spirited action tale in the same spirit as Gail Simone's run, which redefined the She Devil With A Sword for a new generation. It is also a wonderful commentary on jingoism and racism, which delivers its message without being preachy.


Aneke is joined on the art duties this month by Diego Galindo. They bring Bennett's script to life wonderfully, with Jorge Sutil's colors completing the package perfectly. All in all, this is a worth continuation of the Red Sonja legacy and a must read for all sword and sorcery fans.

Red Sonja #3 - A Review

Sonja is ill-pleased to discover that the new war-mongering king of Hyrkania is a former ally - a merchant named Savas who once hired her as a guard. She is even less-pleased to learn that everything he has done was part of a misguided attempt to win her heart and that he would have her as his queen... one way or the other!

With Red Sonja #3, Marguerite Bennett does more than merely pay tribute to the first Red Sonja solo story, which saw a power-mad king try and claim Sonja after deciding she'd better serve him decorating his harem than leading his army. Bennett's story here is a rather neat metaphor for Sonja's treatment by long-time sword-and-sorcery fans who disliked Gail Simone's recent revamp, with King Savas playing the role of the angered fanboy whose image of Sonja as a pure and perfect goddess has been spoiled by the reality of who Sonja is.  Metatextual analysis aside, this issue is also a damn good action story and Bennett does a masterful job of developing the supporting players, with Raka - a hunter and another former lover of Sonja - being particularly noteworthy as a counterpoint to Savas' obsession.

Aneke's artwork for the issue equals Bennett's script. I regret that I cannot show you some of the beautiful two-page spreads this issue contains, due to the size of my scanner. Suffice it to say that Aneke is a great artist and the beauty of her work is matched only by her skills in telling a story visually and blocking a fight scene. The colorists for this issue - Jorge Sutil and Morgan Hickman - deserve praise for working together so seamlessly, you would never know that one artist did not do the color art for this issue. And Erica Schultz delivers some stunning-looking lettering.

Red Sonja #2 - A Review

Sonja refused the throne of Hyrkania fearing what kind of queen she would be, yet she now finds herself cursing the decision. The new king, while having ushered in a new era of prosperity, has also given rise to a horde of ills. Among them are maddened soldiers killing the families of those who refuse the "honor" of serving in the army and generals forcing plays to be rewritten to insult the previous king and honor Hyrkania superiority to the point of paying insult to other nations - even those friendly to Hyrkania!

Alas, there are some evils even Red Sonja cannot fight. And this darkness plaguing the soul of Hyrkania may not be born of spells and sorcery but lie within the heart of humanity itself...


Red Sonja is not overly famous for social commentary, save in the most vaguely philosophical terms regarding women being as capable as men. Before now I wouldn't have thought it possible to tell a story about the dangers of jingoism and racism in a sword-and-sorcery setting. Margureite Bennett not only makes this timely statement but does so without getting preachy or making any on-the-nose comments about building walls to keep the Turanians out and making them pay for it.

There's also an interesting dynamic in how Sonja - the ultimate outsider - is the one who takes action to save a system she has no wish to be a part of.  Sonja lives the life she does so that no one else suffers as she did, yet she's a stark individualist. It's an interesting dichotomy and Bennett explores that wonderfully.


The artwork of Aneke skilfully captures the essence of Bennett's script. Aneke has a wonderful sense of staging and there is a sense of motion in every panel, even in the more static scenes of two characters just talking. Jorge Sutil's colors are well chosen, with the palettes offering a variety of subtle gradients to indicate light and shadow, even in the skin tones.