THE BOOK
RED SONJA: EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED #1
Writer: Steve Niles | Artist: Alessandro Amoruso | Covers: Josh Middleton | Joseph Michael Linsner | John Tyler Christopher | Cosplay / Rachel Hollon
Dynamite Entertainment | Teen+ | $4.99
After landing in jail following a night of drunken revelry, Red Sonja hears an outlandish story from a fellow inmate. Deep in the mountains lies a dead city in a valley with no name. Abandoned and forgotten, its fields and streets are littered with the bones of two armies, all destroyed by a curse from a warlock who has long since vanished, along with his vast treasure — untold riches just waiting to be taken.
At least that is the legend. But Sonja's cellmate Morgo has more than a diverting tale — he's also got a map that says this legend could well be reality. All they need to do is break out of lockup and hit the road — which may be easier said than done!
Crafted by legendary writer STEVE NILES (30 Days of Night, Simon Dark) and rising art star ALESSANDRO AMORUSO, Red Sonja: Empire of the Damned #1 delivers monsters, magic and mayhem in equal measure — all wrapped up in sumptuous covers from JOSHUA MIDDLETON, JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER, JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER, and cosplay by RACHEL HOLLON!
THE REVIEW
As I've said before, Steve Niles is hit or miss with me, but when he hits — like with 30 Days of Night — it's a bull's eye! I always read his work with hope that he'll hit the bull's eye again, since I know he's capable.
This issue is basically set-up, where Sonja attains the map mentioned above and the unnamed barbarian who gives it to her gets killed (sorry, Spoiler). So off she goes on a quest quite solo. And there's one glaring loose end: Nobody knows what became of the warlock. (Which, in comics, means he will appear before all is said and done.)
But does the map guy really die? In the interview with Niles I reprinted in Comics Guide for week of April 1, 2024, the writer gives the barbarian a name (Morgo) that isn't used in the first issue. And he says elsewhere in the interview that not everybody is who they seem. I would not be surprised to see Morgo return, if for no other reason than to receive his name. But he could also be the warlock with his glamour on.
While I say the first issue is just set-up, I'm not complaining. Although not a lot happens, it's a set-up with a great bar-fight scene, ominous foreboding and a Sonja whose characterization is pitch perfect. Plus, the interview promises more companions as Sonja rides for the lost city (which is in her native Hyrkania, BTW), any one of which could be the warlock. So while the first issue is just set-up, it's set-up for a story I look forward to reading.
The art is so-so for me. A little too far on the Vince Colletta side of the sketchiness scale for my taste. But it suffices, and my taste isn't universal.
Plus, Sonja's boobs are normal size, which is a huge plus with me. Sometimes they're so exaggerated you wonder how she can swing a sword! Which is annoying. It's pandering to the slice of readership I am part of (heterosexual male), which I find vaguely insulting. And it drives female readers of all stripes away.
You can judge for yourself from the preview:
Replies