Red Sonja Volume 1: Queen of Plagues

by Gail Simone

[inlibrisveritas]

Red Sonja is definitely a woman who makes an impression! I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect going into this and all I had really was the praises of a fellow blogger, so I took the chance and sat down to read. Now I’m more than happy to add Red Sonja to a list of comics I want to buy in the future and I’ve added Gail Simone to a list of authors I want to see more from.

The story of Red Sonja is set in a world during what could be likened to the medieval period; there are kings, fierce battles with armor and swords, and plagues. There is also an added fantasy element that I hadn’t expected. We’re introduced to a race of creatures that seem to be known as Merpeople, which resemble aquatic creatures sort of like the Davy Jone’s pirates from the Pirates of the Caribbean. The story was really interesting, though admitted slow in the beginning, and held a lot of elements to enjoy. One of which is the amount of strong females. I think issue two was the turning point for me, because the stakes are raised and we learn more of Sonja’s background. It humanized her and instead of being just some force of nature, she became a human to be reckoned with.

I’ll be the first to admit I kind of scowled at the outfit Red Sonja is wearing, and the first impression was lackluster for me. It resembles something a high level female would wear in an MMO. However once I got into the story and saw just how fierce, determined, and utterly strong this woman was I suddenly didn’t mind…combined with the fact that she’s smart enough to wear clothes when needed. This woman kicks all kinds of ass, but even though she’s a bit rough around the edges she still maintains a certain amount of honor and respect that makes her completely likable. I’m also really fond of her two ‘bodyguards’ who are really sweet, a tad naïve, and incredibly brave. They are not truly the soldiers they think themselves to be but their determination alone makes them worthy of the title.

It’s rare that I have so much to say about a graphic novel but this one really provides plenty to talk about. I’ll be looking forward to reading more of this series and seeing what Sonja faces next.