PANELS: Red Sonja vol.1 Queen of Plagues

Red Sonja has after battle plans.

Red Sonja vol.1 Queen of Plagues

Comic Review Bites

With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read advanced copies of these graphic novels, in exchange for honest reviews.

Red Sonja vol.1: Queen of Plagues

The Red Sonja movie is a guilty pleasure, yet I have never read the comic, perhaps for fear of what the industry would do with a metal bikini-clad heroine. When I learned that Gail Simone was rebooting the character, I decided it was about time I get on it. I am so glad I did. Sonja is still a metal-bikini clad warrior, but, unlike some equally dressed ladies from pulp scifi/fantasy (lookin’ at you, Dejah Thoris), she is a strong, take charge woman – without having to repeatedly proclaim that she has no need of a man in order to prove herself. Her reputation as a warrior is known and is respected, which is why the king enlists her aid in defending his kingdom. She proceeds to teach everyone to fight, men and women, but the battle itself is where things start to fall apart for her when she comes face to face with her friend and former fellow prisoner. Following a brutal loss, Sonja is exiled and learns and remembers a thing or two about humility, strength and overcoming her failures, in order to return to the defence of the kingdom and earn herself a long respite at the local tavern.

Mass Effect: Foundations vol.1

Mass Effect fans know Maya Brooks from the Citadel DLC. In Mass Effect: Foundations, we learn how she came to be an agent of Cerberus, compiling dossiers on Shepard’s eclectic crew. Issue one was a very interesting look into that very process, but when the next issues began shoehorning Maya into what should simply have been origin stories for our favourite characters, things started to fall apart. I suspect the idea was to make Maya the Mara Jade of the Mass Effect world, but her presence lacked the subtlety of the Emperor’s Hand. I found Kaidan Alenko’s story particularly disappointing. Anyone who took the time to talk to him in the original game  already knew this story, so the issue felt more like an excuse to show Kaidan’s teacher being excessively mean and shouting a lot, within panels literally flooded with biotic powers, without telling anything new.

Grimm Fairy Tales: Realm Knights

Based on the covers of Grimm Fairy Tales, I hadn’t expected much, but was pleasantly surprised when I read volume one. Realm Knights takes a different spin on the fairy tales with fully realized characters as part of the real world. And when Chronos returns seeking vengeance against the gods that imprisoned him, Snow, Robyn Hood, Hook, Van Helsing and Red Riding Hood are brought together to defeat him. Fans of the series will undoubtedly recognize the characters and their powers, quirky personalities and relationships, but a new reader can have just as much fun on this wild ride, especially when the amusing Hades shows up to help or hinder them in the fight against his father.

Sheltered

One thing that immediately sets Sheltered apart from other post-apocalyptic stories is the fact that it’s actually a pre-apocalyptic story. It begins at a secluded camp of survivalists who have been busily preparing for the inevitable. What they didn't expect is how their preparations would affect their children. Lead by Lucas, who believes that the only chance the younger generation has for survival, is to take their parents' teachings to heart. Meanwhile, Hailey and Victoria, who were not part of the plan, end up doing a lot of nothing for most of the volume, while Lucas tries to maintain his fragile control.

While I really liked the idea behind Sheltered, I felt the motivations of the children were not strong enough to make it truly believable. The Lord of the Flies mentality is easy enough to comprehend, but not before the children bring their deadly plan to fruition. There is no clear reason for the children to follow through with Lucas' plan, no matter how much of a bully he might be or how convincing his end of the world scenario is.

Will-O-the-Wisp

Following the death of her parents, Aurora Grimeon is sent to live with her grandfather, Silver, in the mysterious Ossuary Isle. Upon her arrival, she is greeted by the haunting form of a blue flame. The neighbours refer to it as a will-o-the-wisp, but Silver dismisses it as science. And while Silver does not care much for the superstitious nature of his neighbours, he does consent to send her off to Mama Nonnie, the local hoodoo woman, for protection spells. Death surrounds the people of Ossuary Isle, and Aurora's arrival seems to herald more of it.

This is a an intriguing little tale, with quirky, beautiful art, perfectly suited to the dark, morbid environment. Graves and grave workers line the swamp and Silver's hobbies and research certainly are macabre. I really liked the way the superstitions, which at first seemed to be worthy only of dismissal, were used, taking on a life of their own as the mystery unwound and the story went places I did not quite expect. And then  there's Missy the raccoon...

An All New Red Sonja by Gail Simone

I love the movie Red Sonja. It’s a hunt-through-bargain-bins treasure that has been with me since the ‘80s, yet I’ve never read or even been inspired to read the comics. Until I learned that Gail Simone was going to be penning this issue (Does she have a thing for redheads?). This means no more excuses not to read about the metal bikini adventures of Red Sonja. It’s only fair, after recently checking out the other pulp fiction warrior princess, Dejah Thoris.

The book was introduced this Wednesday with six fantastic covers by female talents in the industry. These are my favourites, by Fiona Staples, Amanda Conner and Jenny Frison:

In a recent ComiXology interview, Gail Simone explained that this reboot presents a Sonja that is no longer the ice queen of the past. She’s still the woman that will kneel to no one, but earn her respect, and she will keep her promises. Save her from a captivity of fighting for her life everyday, then she’ll be willing to train your kingdom to defend themselves against a pending attack from a deadly enemy.

In her re-introduction, the deadly swordswoman is clearly deadly, her sword poking menacingly from the ground, but she is also clearly drunk, something that the previously stodgy Sonja would likely never have allowed. Her stupor is interrupted by would-be thieves and the predictable display of her prowess, in spite of her condition is revealed. It’s a fantastic scene though, perfectly hinted at in the second cover above, by Amanda Conner. At the end of issue one, we also get a look of this scene through the revelation of Gail Simone’s writing process for the first few pages.

Now that I’ve checked out both pulp princesses, the differences between them really are striking to me. Despite the similarities in barely there metal costumes, Red Sonja has always worn hers with far more nobility than Dejah Thoris ever thought she did. The new Dejah Thoris comics seem to have tried to make her more of a warrior woman, but they still rely on the damsel in distress/every male wants to get with her storyline. Sonja has always denied men, believing them unworthy of her time. In the reboot, she seems to be less about the misandry, but she remains a woman that I can respect. As in, metal bikini and deadly sword aside, her demeanour is of a person who takes and gives no quarter, demands respect and expects you to earn hers. Just because she has impressive cleavage (which is praised by her admiring twin acolytes) and is comfortable with her body and blade, doesn’t mean it’s there for anyone else’s purposes but her own.

3.5 of 5 stars