LEGENDERRY: RED SONJA #1 Review

What new adventures will Red Sonja get involved in? And can this series be as exciting as the regular ongoing? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

One of the breakout stars of LEGENDERRY gets her own series! After sailing the high seas, Red Sonja returns to the Big City for some R&R, but when she tries to stop a simple kidnapping, she discovers that things ain’t so simple! Red finds herself caught up in an adventure that will take her from the city to the sea to—- well, you’ll find out! And who is that mysterious figure lurking in the shadows? All— well, some anyway, will be revealed in a story that had to be called “The Body Electric”!

Since it was first announced that Legenderry would be returning in three limited series, I’ve been eager to once again delve into the world of steampunk, having already enjoyed the first outing of Legenderry: Vampirella. There has however been one series that I’ve been looking forward to more than the rest, as having adored Gail Simone‘s work on Red Sonja, my love for the character has only grown.

Marc Andreyko conveys this adoration wonderfully throughout this opening issue, capturing the characteristics of Sonja perfectly, whilst at the same time delivering a brilliant steampunk tempo. Be that as it may, it’s the plot that captivates most, as not only does Andreyko inject Sonja’s raw passion, but he also manages to intwine other classic concepts, that will leave certain fans mesmerized. Despite all this, the issue did take a while to settle into a grove, as though seeing Sonja in her element was awesome, it was a little mundane.

Having proven a grasp of the steampunk genre in Steampunk Battlestar Galactica 1880, I was delighted to see Aneke‘s name attached to this title, with the artist not disappointing. Delivering beautiful pencils that will leave readers speechless, Aneke creates a vibrant feel to this world, with lively layouts adding that extra level of excitement. It is however the work on the strange foes that really captivates, with it being clear from the start who these foes are related to. Impacto Studios also do a fantastic job of this series’ colours, delivering depth and tone to this extraordinary tale.

Legenderry: Red Sonja #1 may have taken it’s time in finding it’s feet, but once it does, writer Marc Andreyko and artist Aneke deliver a truly fascinating tale, with the cross in genre’s being fabulously handled.