Gail Simone proves that she's not only capable of writing Batgirl and her adventures, she's also well versed in dishing out sword and sorcery tales such as Dynamite's RED SONJA # 1 together with Walter Geovani.
This issue starts fast and then drags on a bit till we reach the cliffhanging conclusion. Regardless of the pacing though, you can see a strong woman written in this new book. A strong woman who knows what she wants, knows her limitations and knows when to look desperate.
Like all traditional fantasy books, we get to see only a part of the story behind Sonja. First time readers might be confused about the she-devil's origins but I'm sure Simone would tackle that in the near future. This issue however focuses on her time as a slave and her eventual freedom after a siege. Much is left as vague as possible to thicken the plot for future issues.
The action is intense here and I'm a bit sad that we don't fully see Sonja in all out berserker mode. In #1 she's pratically just like a cat playing with mouse. We do see bits of pieces of the Red Sonja that we all grew up and admired. The mean spirited, red haired warrior that can cut down men in the battlefield much like how we are with the game Fruit Ninja.
RED SONJA isn't a world building romp through the worlds of barbarians and vipers and wizards but the look and feel is definitely there. The issue also shows that when Simone is writing something that's in her element, you really see her bring life to the characters with every tick and every nuisance and small talk. Heck there were even some funny bits in the dialogues that sucks you right into the story and reminds us how fragile Sonja's newfound 'friends' are.
Verdict: 8.5/10
RED SONJA # 1 is still available in all Castle Geek branches and online through Comicx Hub (click HERE).
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