Red Sonja #2 – Review

Gail Simone (Writer), Walter Geovani (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist)

The Story: Red Sonja tries to defend a village from Dark Annisia as she learn a great deal about what is happening to others and herself.

The Review: The propensity to surprise is not something that many writers have the ability to create very often. In a world where perhaps hundreds of stories are produced each and every day, originality and the potential to twist the audience expectation is not something that everyone can pull off.

Thankfully, Gail Simone is not a run-of-the-mill writer, as she do know how to build up a situation, only to subvert it for the readers pleasure. What she has done, in this issue, is construct a premise that could have very well offered a potent, yet unsurprising premise for a sword and sorcery title, only to reveal some key information at the right time, creating a delightful plot twist that bodes well for the future of this title.

The issue opens where the first one left off, as the conflict between the invaders and the village that Red Sonja is trying to defend open. Right off the bat, Simone goes a bit deeper in the first scenes of the previous comic as we get some explanation of just what kind of character Dark Annisia is. What we get from this character is something strange, yet compelling as this new character starts off as a clear foe, yet evolve into something more as the story develops and the connection between Sonja and her is explained. The evolution of the situation from the readers grasp is something that is handled well and that promise more from that specific character, which is something to look forward to.

Red Sonja #1 – Review

Gail Simone (Writer), Walter Geovani (Artist), Adriano Lucas (Colorist)

The Story: To settle a debt of honor, Red Sonja has to train poor villagers how to defend themselves from a brutal horde in a few days.

The Review: I have to confess, I didn’t particularly have high expectations out of this one. It is a sad thing to say, but I have close to no knowledge of who Red Sonja is and what she does, as her character, to me, consist mainly of being a epitome of fanservice. Let’s face it, to those left in the dark, a woman clothed in the thinnest of armour that leaves pretty much nothing to the imagination may lead a lot of readers to think so about the character. The only reason I was interested to begin with, beside the fact that I do rather like the sword and sorcery genre, was that Gail Simone, the writer who brought us the delightful Secret Six was going to be the one telling us stories with this character. With the knowledge that she is quite talented when it comes to strong female characters and female-centric book, could she be the one to make me see the character in a different light?

It is, much to my surprise, pretty much what she did. Not only is Red Sonja a character that has many facets, which Simone manage to show us here, but she also does so in a way that makes it interesting for the readers to explore further. She is a brute, a savage with a sword that can beat most without even thinking about it, yet also able to show mercy and compassion during a fight. She can be bashful and without any reservation, yet has a personal level of honor that shows she has a code even though her violent tendencies may lead otherwise. In the very first issue of this first volume, Simone shows us just who is Red Sonja in a way that feels compelling, proving that she is much more than mere eye candy. I have no problem saying that my initial thoughts on the character were wrong and that thanks to Simone, I have seen the error of my way. The bikini armour may still be there, but the character filling it is interesting.

X-O Manowar #13 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (Writer), Cary Nord (Artist), Moose Baumann (Colorist)

The Story: Aric tests his connection to the Shanhara armor and defends the Visigoth settlement against the vine.

The Review: As the Planet Death storyline went on, I had problem with the pacing and the characterization of Aric, being bored at his stubbornness and his general attitude toward his goals. The comic had some good idea, but seemed to spin a bit on its own wheels as some new elements were being introduced, but not thoroughly explored in a satisfying way.

Conan the Cimmerian #3 – Review

By Timothy Truman (Writer), Tomas Giorello & Richard Corben (Art), and Jose’ Villarubia (Colors)

Now this is more like it! While I enjoyed the first two issues of this series, I was a bit let down by the way in which Conan was sort of pushed by the wayside in favor of the extremely compelling, horror-tinged tale of Conacht. While (somewhat surprisingly) Conacht returns this month to star in another tale, Conan is featured much more prominently and does, well, what I always figured Conan was supposed to do.

While traveling through icy, dangerous terrain on the way back to Cimmeria, Conan has a chance-encounter with a childhood friend, Caollan. The reunion doesn’t exactly go as Conan had hoped and the two quickly find themselves fighting off an angry band of Aesir that was hunting down Caollan for abandoning a wedding arrangement. Some action and a daring escape later, the two find themselves taking refuge in a cave where Conan tells a tale about Conacht while the Aesir prepare to escalate the hunt.

I really can’t say enough about the creative team working on this series, as they provide us a compelling issue that manages to find a nice balance between the main Conan story and the adventures of Connacht. Timothy Truman’s writing is spot on for this type of book and it delivers just what I had hoped for when I decided to start reading about Conan. The storytelling has a classic feel to it, the darkly humorous dialogue is entertaining, and the introduction of Conacht helps to keep things from getting stale. As for the art, both distinct styles (one for Conan and one for Conacht) do a fantastic job elevating the stories being told. Tomas Giorella really brings Conan’s gritty environment to life, while Richard Corben gives Conacht’s story a surreal, unnerving tone that makes me think that his tale may once again dabble in the horror genre. Both artists are complimented by some fantastic color work by Jose’ Villarubia.

What else can I say? I really enjoyed the latest issue of Conan the Cimmerian, and I think you will too. While I wish there was a bit more substance to the overall plot at this point, I can’t act as though I have not been thoroughly entertained. Another strong issue from what looks to be a strong series. (Grade: B+)

– Kyle Posluszny

A Second Opinion

This book is definitely worth checking out simply because it stands out from other comics. It’s one of the few good sword and sorcery books, and it somehow manages to carry a horror tone as well– thus making it a distinguishable book of its genre. From swords and barbarians to blood rituals, you might want to consider peeking through this book.

My only complaint is that it’s still tough to see where things are going. Conan’s returning home to Cimmeria, but why? Conan’s fought raiders, saved a childhood friend and presses on deeper into his homeland. But so far there’s no villain, no Thulsa Doom, or the like with an evil plot to foil. Conan the drifter is fine, and definitely works in the context of this story. But sooner or later I think I’ll want to see him pushing towards a goal rather than killing raider after raider. And for the record, Conan, Conacht, and Caollan– just because you’re a god-dang Cimmerian, it doesn’t mean your name has to start with the letter “C.” (Grade: B+)

-Ben Berger