Red Sonja #100 Review


How will Red Sonja celebrate her 10th Anniversary at Dynamite? And will it be a celebration fitting the iconic character? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Who knows how to celebrate ten years of Dynamite publishing better than the She-Devil with a Sword herself, RED SONJA? And she’s invited some serious barbarian bards to help! Past and present Sonja scribes GAIL SIMONE (current monthly writer), LUKE LIEBERMAN (the man behind Queen Sonja), MIKE OEMING (the first scribe of Red Sonja’s tenure at Dynamite), ERIC TRAUTMANN (who swept Sonja across the many Hyborian kingdoms), and ROY THOMAS (the man who started it all) pair up with beloved artists for this phenomenal five-story, supersized anthology, celebrating Red Sonja and her many roles and sojourns throughout the Hyborian Age!

RS100CovBHackThe She-Devil with a Sword reaches her 100th issue at Dynamite, and though that may seem like a lot to some fans, it pales in comparison to the time she’s spent in the literary world. Having first been conceived by Conan creator, Robert E. Howard in 1934 as Red Sonya, and created in the world of comics by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith in 1973, this red haired warrior has certainly lasted the test of time, becoming almost as legendary as her male counterpart. Paying respect to this history, we are given five different stories that explore the character’s nature, and though like most anthological tales, some are weaker over others, the general tempo throughout this anniversary issue is breathtaking.

Past and present writers join forces to celebrate Sonja’s 10th Anniversary at Dynamite, with Eric Trautmann, Michael Avon Oeming, Luke Lieberman, current Red Sonja ongoing writer Gail Simone, and Red Sonja creator Roy Thomas collaborating to deliver five stunning tales. Despite each tale having a unique style, matched to the writer in question, the general atmosphere remains the same, with each tale featuring action, humour and above all some amazing fun. Nevertheless, there was certain tales that stood out, with the symbolism within Lieberman’s Three Wishes and humour within Oeming’s Sticks and Stones impressing most.

Accompanying these marvelous scripts, is the artwork of five talented illustrators, with Dave Acosta, Pablo Marcos, Taki Soma, Noah Salonga and Sergio Fernandez Davila being the creative flair behind this anthology. Though there are a couple amongst this line-up that haven’t previously worked on the red headed warrior, they all do the character justice, with the layouts within each story captivating on every level. Naturally however, some impressed more than others, as though there’s not much to fault, the detailed and energetic flair of Salonga, Soma and Davila stood out most. The various colour artists also helped differentiate between the styles, each matching their respective story perfectly.

Red Sonja #100 is what all anniversary issues should aspire to be like, as though there’s nothing flashy within their tales, being fully detached from the ongoing series, they manage to capture the character’s charm and energetic tone perfectly. It also acts as a great taster for fans that are unsure of the character, as though $7.99 may seem a pricey way of doing so, it beats feeling committed to a series that’s not for you.

OUR RATING
9
  • + Five uniquely entertaining tales.
  • + Magnificent art all round.
  • + Great fun.
  • + Perfect taster for new readers.

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