Arrow: Season 2.5 #1 - A Review

For all that it did right, the previous Arrow web-comic was frequently limited by its need to tie into each week's story-line. Thankfully, there is no danger of that in Arrow Season 2.5 - a series which has been designed to set the stage for the many changes that have been promised as Season 3 starts. Indeed, the comic opens up with what seems to be an illustrated version of the new opening for the show!


Fans of the show will be pleased to find that this comic adaptation of the popular TV series features the same snappy banter and adrenaline-fueled action sequences.  This shouldn't be a surprise given that the script for this issue was penned by Arrow executive producer and current X-Men writer Marc Guggenheim!  The story focuses on Oliver Queen and Roy Harper as they attempt to take over a plane full of drugs in mid-flight and ends on an epic cliff-hanger.


The artwork by Joe Bennett and Jack Jadson doesn't quite equal Guggenheim's script.  Bennett's artwork is largely excellent but his pencils seem sloppy and rushed in some places, with some panels lacking the detailed line-work of other panels on the same page.  Likewise, Jadson's inks are skillfully applied throughout most of the book but there is little an inker can do to enhance lines that aren't there.

Despite this, fans of the Arrow series would do well to check this book out, even if they aren't usually comic readers.  The artwork is great in 9 out of 10 panels and the thrilling action of the story more than makes up for the occasional shortcoming in the artwork.  Highly recommended.

Legends Of Red Sonja #5 - A Review

Legends of Red Sonja #5 ends this wonderful mini-series on a high note.  It is notable that there hasn't truly been a bad story in this anthology (no surprise given the talent involved) but there have been several stories that weren't really about Red Sonja.

The first tale in this issue is a prime example of this, being focused upon one of the mercenaries tracking down our favorite fire-haired amazon.  Written by Attack Of The Show host Blair Butler, The Pazyryk delivers a lot of action but isn't truly a legend of Red Sonja.  Sure, she shows up at the end to dispatch the titular warrior, but the tale isn't really hers.



Ironically, the same can't be said of the second chapter in this volume - The Play's The Thing.  Scripted by Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, Sonja doesn't appear in this story but it is definitely about her.  The humor is heavy in this tale where a group of players describe their encounter with the She Devil of Hyrkania to villains by putting on a show!



All of this is ably illustrated by some equally talented artists.  Leaving Megapolis artist Jim Calafiore does a truly epic job on The Pazyryk.  Valentine De Landro's sketchy style leaves The Play's The Thing fittingly looking like a painted woodcut.  And Jack Jadson - one of the finest sword and sorcery artists in the business - brings everything to an epic conclusion along with Gail Simone in the final pages.

Legends of Red Sonja #4 - A Review

As Legends of Red Sonja enters into its penultimate chapter, it shows no signs of losing momentum.  Indeed, the frame story by Gail Simone - detailing a mercenary band that is hunting Red Sonja even as she herself is hounding them - is the strongest section of the book this time around. 

Surprisingly, the weakest of the stories in this anthology is by veteran fantasy author Mercedes Lackey.  Her tale - Jenny's Story: Parallax - relates the adventure of a girl who claims to have had a chance encounter with Red Sonja and whose words speak of a great hero.  But are her words the truth?  It is unclear if the alternate tale we see side-by-side with Jenny's story is the truth of matters or the truth as imagined by the evil men hearing the tale.  In the end, it matters little, for the tale has little meaning either way if Lackey's purpose is to paint a negative portrait of Sonja.


The final chapter, She Lives Still, is a far stronger tale in my humble opinion.  Written by Marjorie M. Liu, the Sonja we see in this story is undoubtedly a hero.  I am reluctant to say much beyond that, save that the base plot is reminiscent of some of the works of Lovecraft as well as Howard.  Suffice it to say those who are fond of Simone's work on the monthly Red Sonja title and some of the changes made therein to Sonja's character will enjoy this tale and what it signifies. 


The artwork is universally strong throughout.  Veteran Red Sonja artist Jack Jadson does his usual stellar job on the framing sequences.  Nei Ruffino offers a childish simplicity to his artwork while retaining amazing detail, creating a final product that is not unlike a medieval woodcut.  Phil Noto's art is intriguing, with individual characters being lightly inked and most of the shadows and definitions being applied to the background, creating an effect that makes it look as if the torchlight on the page is radiating like a true flame.

 

Legends of Red Sonja #3 - A Review

Legends of Red Sonja continues to be one of the best bargains for your comics-buying dollar.  This third issue offers up a trio of stories, all dealing with the theme of vengeance.  The first story details the background of another member of  The Grey Riders - a mercenary band devoted toward hunting down and killing the heroine Red Sonja for one reason or another.


This story by Leah Moore is fairly standard stuff but it is still entertaining, centering upon Sonja as she is forced to save another adventurer from his own stupidity.  The artwork by Tula Lotay has a rough and dirty look to it that suits a story set in a necromancer's lair filled with zombies.

The second story is reportedly the first fiction published by Earth 2 artist Nicola Scott.  This story tells the tale of a witch with a grudge of her own against Red Sonja - one that makes her all too happy to deliver aid unto The Grey Riders.  Scott proves to be as skillful a writer as she is an artist.  And as in the previous chapter, Doug Holgate's artwork - while not the sort of style one usually sees in a sword and sorcery title- is appropriate to the story at hand.  


The third and final chapter of this issue is probably the best of a good bunch.  Written by Rhianna Pratchett (writer of the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot) this amusing story gives us yet another origin story for Red Sonja's famous chainmail bikini.  Gerd - the armorer who tells the tale - is a real hoot and I hope she shows up again in the regular Red Sonja title.  The artwork by Naniiebim has an aspect that puts me in the mind of medieval woodcuts.  This seems appropriate for a story that is light on action but high on humor.




Bottom Line: If you're a Red Sonja fan, you'll love this book.  If you aren't a Red Sonja fan, this book will make you into one!

Legends Of Red Sonja #1 - A Review

And so it was that Gail Simone, having conquered the sales charts with her newly revamped Red Sonja title, decided to share the bounty of her questing with her fellow Valkyries.  Hither come Legends of Red Sonja - an anthology book written entirely by female writers.  Some of them experienced comic writers.  Some of them experienced writers in other media.  All of them having a deep respect for The She-Devil of Hyrkania.  Let me tell you of the book of high adventure!


The introduction of the book provides us with our first exposure to a mercenary band known as The Grey Riders.  Some of their number hunt for Red Sonja in the name of justice.  Some of them hunt her for the price on her head.  Still others seek revenge, having been wronged by Red Sonja personally in the past.  Gail Simone writes this frame story and slowly sets about exposing us to the various members of the Grey Riders with her usual humor.  Jack Jadson, most recently seen on the Red Sonja: Unchained mini-series, illustrates these scenes with the same level of skill and detail he showed there.


Horror author Nancy A. Collins writes the first chapter of the issue - a tale told by the Stygian priest/assassin Eles about his own reasons for seeking out Red Sonja..  Set at an early point in Sonja's career, this story details Sonja's efforts to steal from a Stygian temple.  Naturally, things don't go according to plan and Sonja must fight her way past the temple's many guardians.  The story is fairly standard as far as Red Sonja stories go but it is enjoyable nonetheless and ably illustrated by Noah Salonga.


The final chapter by Devin Grayson is the weakest point of the issue, but it is also by no means unenjoyable.  Told from the viewpoint of a ship's captain who The Grey Riders question about Sonja's whereabouts, the tale is a long and rambling affair.  Indeed, more attention is paid to an unnamed sorceress than Sonja, who must fight the monster that said sorceress summons.  Thankfully, the action is engaging once it finally begins and the artwork of Carla Speed McNeil conveys that action quite well.

Overall, this series is a worthy contribution to the the Red Sonja oeuvre.  Fans of Simone's current Red Sonja title as well as sword and sorcery in general would do well to pick this book up.  It's a great read.

Red Sonja Unchained #4 - A Review

Red Sonja Unchained #4 finds our heroine in dire straits.  Twice cursed by the demon Bhamothes, Sonja awakens to find herself trapped in his hellish domain.  It will take all her cunning and courage to win free of the demon's clutches and escape with her soul.  Can even Sonja's indomitable spirit win free of a realm of pure thought and will?


Peter V. Brett lends the proceedings the same drama and pathos he did earlier in the series.  His take on Sonja has been a powerful one and has offered some real insight into the character.  Brett's Sonja has survived much and made hard choices that she hates herself for but will not waste breath justifying.  Unfortunately, the final confrontation between the amazon and the demon seems somewhat rushed and one wishes there had been another issue to allow for a truly epic final battle.


The art of Jack Jadson seems oddly rushed as well.  Jadson's streamlined style - somewhat reminiscent of Bruce Timm - has been a fitting match for Brett's scripts so far.  Yet this issue has Jadson depicting far more detailed and disgusting violence than we've seen so far and the gore looks odd next to his lightly inked, cartoonish figures.  It doesn't look bad per say, but it seems at odds with what we've seen so far. 

Still, if you've come this far in reading this series, you'll want to see the conclusion.  And Red Sonja fans old and new would be well advised to give the whole of this story a try.  It is not the ending I had hoped for but it's not a bad one at all. 

Red Sonja Unchained #3 - A Review

In truth, I can think of only one glaring flaw with Red Sonja Unchained #3.  Namely that when you have a book with a title like Red Sonja Unchained, you shouldn't have Red Sonja in bondage on the cover.  It smacks of false advertising, no matter how ready she seems to break the chains and start delivering grievous bodily harm upon whoever chained her up in the first place! 


The plot thickens from last issue, with Sonja and her current employer - the scholar Merisan - selling off the journal Sonja retrieved from a deadly tomb.  The two have a good working relationship but an easy life playing bodyguard for a librarian doesn't sit well with the adventurous Sonja.  Luckily - or unluckily from another point of view - Sonja's life quickly ceases being easy and Sonja must cope with the latest gang of bounty hunters seeking the latest price on her head as well as the magical curse she unwittingly acquired.  


The script by fantasy author Peter V. Brett is exciting and well-paced.  I think this may be one of the few sword-and-sorcery stories (let alone Red Sonja stories)  I've ever read that passes the Bechdel Test.  Jack Jadson matches the material with his artwork, proving a great illustrator of expressions as well as action.  If you've never read a Red Sonja comic before, this mini-series would be a fine one to start with.   

Red Sonja: Unchained #2 - A Review

Red Sonja Unchained #2 continues the epic tale started by fantasy author Peter V. Brett in the Red Sonja: Blue one-shot.  Despite this being only the third issue of the storyline, Brett has kept the story moving quickly with multiple conflicts and plot threads being introduced in each issue.  In this way, this story feels more like a novel with chapters than a comic book storyline with issues.

The main plot follows Sonja has she explores the tomb of a famed warrior queen, searching for a journal on behalf of her historian employer.  After a random encounter with the standard crypt-guarding monster, Sonja discovers that the rumors of the queen's death are greatly exaggerated.  Indeed, dark magics have kept her alive and trapped for many years and she requires Sonja's help to be freed.

 

Brett provides a rather neat little in-joke for long-time sword-and-sorcery comics fans and a slight tip-of-the-hat to legendary Red Sonja artist Frank Thorne.  After he ended his run on Marvel Comics' Red Sonja book, Thorne worked on a number of independent projects - most of which were mature in nature.  Perhaps the most famous of these was an erotic sword-and-sorcery series detailing the exploits of the courtesan turned amazon Ghita of Alizarr.  

To say that Ghita borrowed heavily from Sonja (or, at least, Thorne's idea of what Sonja should be) would be something of an understatement!  Still, it seems only fair that if Thorne could borrow from Sonja to tell his own tales, Brett can borrow from Thorne for his Sonja story to give us the figure of Queen Gheta.  Sharpe-eyed fans may note that the names of Queen Gheta's court wizard and sworn enemy are anagrams for Ghita of Alizarr's own wizard companion and her sworn enemy.  It's a jest only one reader in a thousand may get but it speaks to the detail and attention that Brett pays to all the other aspects of this story.

 
Sadly, the artwork by Jack Jadson is more problematic but it is no less enjoyable.  Jadsen has a fine gift for expressions, reminiscent of Kevin Maguire and his action-scenes flow neatly.  Sadly, some of the physical poses he places Sonja and Getha in during their fights seem somewhat improbable.  There are also some panels which seem curiously undefined and under-inked.   Despite this, I'd still recommend the series to all fans of a good ripping yarn and anyone curious about Red Sonja who cannot wait until Gail Simone's new series starts later this year.

Red Sonja: Unchained #1 - A Review

I never had the chance to review Red Sonja: Blue, coming out as it did in the middle of a summer when I was short on cash for new comics and and short on time for writing.  However, I did eventually pick up a copy of it and was greatly amused by fantasy author Peter V. Brett's examination of the Red Sonja mythos and a charming tale that turned the traditional sword-and-sorcery story on its' head.  Red Sonja: Unchained picks up right where Red Sonja: Blue left off, neatly summarizing the story of that one-shot for those who missed it.

In brief, Sonja was hired by an innkeeper to save her virgin son from being sacrificed by an evil wizard.  Sonja won the day but her infamous armor was ripped in the process and she fashioned a new outfit for herself from the blue fur of the demon she slew.  She was ready to settle down for a long winter, guesting with her client while waiting for her armor to get repaired, when the adventure-minded stable boy she'd rescued challenged her to a duel while she was drunk.  His intent was to defeat Sonja in battle and win her heart, so that he could run away from his mom and go live a life of high adventure.


Sadly - for him - annoying Sonja when she's drunk is one of the most common forms of suicide in Hyboria, second only to stomping on snakes in Stygia.  As this story opens, Sonja is arranging for a fast exit from town and a decent burial for the village idiot.  Naturally Sonja doesn't stay at liberty for long, running across a scholar in search of treasure being harassed by bandits.  One fight scene later, Sonja is employed again and on her way to some cursed tomb full of lost lore and treasure.

Peter V. Brett's script is engaging, presenting Sonja as an interesting and conflicted heroine.  While Red Sonja: Blue explored the expectations of Sonja as both a woman and a warrior and set her against her own legend, Unchained offers us an introspective look at Sonja's soul.  Despite this more thoughtful tone, this issue still has action aplenty, ably illustrated by Jack Jadson.  


If you haven't given Red Sonja a shot before as a character, this would be a fine story to start with.  The artwork avoids the cheesecake that so frequently plagues Sonja's titles and the story is an interesting introduction to Sonja's character.  All in all, its a fine effort that leaves me anxiously awaiting the next issue.