Given the success Dark Horse Comics has had with the revival of the Conan brand (and the reprinting of the old Marvel Comics material), it's understandable that someone who pursue and promote the resurrection of the Red Sonja character as well. The creators here do a good job when it comes to capturing the same sort of stoic feel for the character, especially in the artwork. The cheap promotional price is a shrewd move and is likely to earn the publisher's Sonja revival plenty of attention (at least in the short term). Unfortunately, this effort, while it will please fans of the ancient warrior genre, does nothing more than expected. I'm never been a fan of the barbarian/lone warrior genre, and the creators on this book haven't done anything here to win me over. It's not a criticism of their work, per se, but an acknowledgement of my own particular biases.
Red Sonja wanders into a small village, looking for food, libations and some rest. She suspects she's not going to get it, though, given the stares and violent intent she sees in the eyes of the men who live there. No one attacks her, though, as her keen senses and cold stare tell all those around her that any victory will be hers. Sonja makes a friend in the form of a barmaid who keeps her belly full, not to mention her mug of mead. Of course, indulgence in drink could prove fatal when there are so many underhanded, bloodthirsty types lurking about.
Mel Rubi's art reminds me of the work of such artists as Claudio (Wolverine: The End) Castellini and Andy (Marvel 1602) Kubert, but most importantly, it elicits an easy comparison to the style of the late John Buscema. Buscema stood out as the king of barbarian-genre artists in the 1970s; his Conan work is heralded as some of the finest of his long career. Rubi captures th same sort of elongated, powerful figures here. He also instills a soft femininity and vulnerability in the title character during a brief scene in the tavern during which she lets her tough facade fall away from her face. The colors are nicely textured and reinforce the historical backdrop nicely.
The colloquial, modern tone in the barmaid's dialogue held to bring the story and characters down to earth. The setting and circumstances here are practically alien, so putting at least one character on the same level as the audience is a wise move. Unfortunately, the purple prose employed in the narration at the end of the issue eclipses that more casual tone.
We don't know why Sonja is reviled by the villagers. We don't know why she's attacked. And we don't know why she's betrayed. The end result is that this is barely a story. The conflict is exciting and full of action and energy, but there's no motive for it. The reason for the conflict goes unsaid, and that leaves us with something that barely qualifies as a story. I realize this is just an introductory promotional issue, but it would have been nice had there been some semblance of a plot. Still, there's no denying the value of this issue. At a quarter, readers would be stupid to pass this over. 6/10
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
