Review - Red Sonja #5Review by Paul Fiander
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MAIN COVER - Jenny Frison
Becky Cloonan VARIANT Cover Writer: Gail Simone Art: Walter Geovani |
It's odd coming into a run in its penultimate issue but that's the position I’m finding myself in with Red Sonja. The character for those of you who are unsure is cut from the same cloth as Conan the Barbarian. Both characters are the brain child of writer Robert E. Howard but in this case we find Sonja entrusted into the hands of the very talented Gail Simone. The story shows Sonja recovering from a near death experience and follows her path to recovery. She is described as a formidable and his is emphasised time and again in the dialogue.
From the first glimpse we get of our or heroine there is an aura about her, the artwork gives her a sense of power but it's the mixture between art and script that really make this stand out. This shows a team in sync and makes the flow of the comic feel organic. A great example of this is an early reaction of guards to seeing 'the devil', the tension and fear in their voices is echoed by the shadows drawn around them and the focus of their attention. Walter Geovani does some great work with the art and I love the fact Sonja is not over muscularised. It would be easy to make her menacing by making her the size of Conan but instead we get her strength coming through in other ways. This is also true of her 2 companions although Sonja does tower over them.
With her height, physique and lifestyle the comparisons to Sonja and the Amazonians is unmistakable. Even Conan is named after an ancient European tribe. The idea of powerful women who could rule themselves and only needed men for procreation scared those in ancient times. The myth of the Amazons is still with us today and in some ways so is the fear of independent women. It’s a theme in many walks of life but in recent times especially comics and games especially. This though is not the article to cover it fully, it deserves its own platform but if you are looking for a strong female lead character I think Sonja will fit the bill to a tee.
The Comic is available in both print and digital from Dynamite Comics.
From the first glimpse we get of our or heroine there is an aura about her, the artwork gives her a sense of power but it's the mixture between art and script that really make this stand out. This shows a team in sync and makes the flow of the comic feel organic. A great example of this is an early reaction of guards to seeing 'the devil', the tension and fear in their voices is echoed by the shadows drawn around them and the focus of their attention. Walter Geovani does some great work with the art and I love the fact Sonja is not over muscularised. It would be easy to make her menacing by making her the size of Conan but instead we get her strength coming through in other ways. This is also true of her 2 companions although Sonja does tower over them.
With her height, physique and lifestyle the comparisons to Sonja and the Amazonians is unmistakable. Even Conan is named after an ancient European tribe. The idea of powerful women who could rule themselves and only needed men for procreation scared those in ancient times. The myth of the Amazons is still with us today and in some ways so is the fear of independent women. It’s a theme in many walks of life but in recent times especially comics and games especially. This though is not the article to cover it fully, it deserves its own platform but if you are looking for a strong female lead character I think Sonja will fit the bill to a tee.
The Comic is available in both print and digital from Dynamite Comics.
Images courtesy of Dynamite Comics
Comic - Provided by Publisher
Comic - Provided by Publisher
