Red Sonja: Vulture’s Circle #2 Review

Worthy yarn? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

Following the fight to the death with one Sutekh’s demonic advance scouts, Red Sonja and her prize pupils, Lyla and Xoana, return to their school with the renegade priest Sefkh in tow. After the Stygian reveals that the half-human son of the serpent-god Set is marching forth to reclaim the world for his sire, Sonja realizes that the world is in peril. But before she can decide whether to come out of ‘retirement’ one last time, the school’s compound is attacked by The Eaters of the Dead-a legion of flesh-eating undead created by Sutekh from those who have dared to defy him. Now Red Sonja, her longtime companion, Yusuf, and her young pupils must battle not only hell-beasts and ghouls, but the terrifying Son of Set himself in a bloody fight for not only their lives, but their souls as well.

There’s a lot to love about this by the numbers adventure tale. First off the creative team conjures up a second entry that moves their mini-series forward while placing our aged warrioress, and her students, directly in the cross-hairs of a dynamic threat.

Nancy A. Collins and Luke Lieberman combine forces to tell a tale that’s in line with what followers of Red Sonja have become accustomed to. What’s key is that our protagonist has a stake in this conflict and that humanizes her. But the piece gets a hefty amount of exposition in its earlier portions before the authors ease back to fit violence, destruction and of course bloodshed. In the end it’s a bit off balance but fun, as fans of this Robert E. Howard creation will no doubt find worth here.

The written word can be a bit thick, but thanks to the illustrations handed in by Fritz Casas we get some visuals to enjoy. Each page is full of sharp renditions placed in a world full of monsters. It’s an epic to the most recognizable degree, and when the She-Devil lets loose this is one talent that captures her ferocity with ease. Add in the colors by Adriano Lucas and the book gets a sturdy look.

Red Sonja: Vulture’s Circle #2 is an entry that knows what it wants even as the written word lays heavy burdens on its storied icon. However it finds fun and enough quality to earn a recommendation from me.