Written by Mark Henely
Before we get started, it’s important to point out that this comic costs 25 cents.
Is it worth reading? Yeah, it’s only 25 cents, why not?
Due to the low price tag, this issue functions more as a commercial for Red Sonja #1. So, the real question should be, what can we expect from Red Sonja #1?
It looks like readers can expect fish out of water comedy and a ton of cheesecake.
For those that don’t know, Red Sonja is the female counterpart to Conan the Barbarian. She is the Xena to his Hercules. However, this comic is going to take her out of Cimmeria and into Times Square. Readers will get to see an ancient warrior fight it out with the citizens of 2016. Basically, imagine Thor as a woman (which I am aware is already a comic that Marvel is publishing). Fans can expect to see her confused by metro cards and pizza.
It’s too early to tell if this change will be good or bad, but it is the story they are telling, nonetheless.
I think it is also worth noting that readers get to see Red Sonja bare ass on the first page (her metal loin cloth blows flares up in the heat of battle and readers get to see ‘dat ass’). This sets a precedent that artist Carlos Gomez will always draw Red Sonja in the sexiest pose possible. As a straight man, I am not complaining, but it could put new readers off.
But, I suppose that is the trouble that Dynamite has with another prominent IP they own in Vampirella. Red Sonja and Vampirella are both strong willed, powerful, independent women who also happen to be very sexy and wear almost no clothes. Recently, Dynamite redesigned Vampirella’s costume and covered up a lot of the skin she was showing presumably as a way to highlight the independent woman side of her personality and downplay the sex appeal. I assumed that Dynamite was going to try to take a similar approach with Red Sonja, but I feel like they decided against that with this issue. It’s not that there is anything in this issue that is misogynistic or that Red Sonja doesn’t come off as strong or independent (or that a woman can’t be sexy and all of those things at all), I guess I was hoping they would trust more in the character than in the cheesecake.
Although, I guess cheesecake artwork can be a way in for an audience. People started watching Game of Thrones, at least in part, for the nudity and then got engrossed in a complicated world of Fantasy and politics. Why can’t they also have the same way in for Red Sonja?
Rating: 4 out of 10
