PHOTOS
Jerome Maida
After a seminal and often spectacular 29-issue run by writer Mike Oeming, many thought his departure meant the quality of
Red Sonja would severely drop off.
Well, the series hasn't, but the character has - quite literally.
Indeed, after her ultimate, final battle with Kulan Gath, the "She-Devil With A Sword" finds herself adrift in the afterlife, sailing on the river Styx to an eventual final judgement.
Dynamite made the unusual move of having a different creative team tell a storyline for five consecutive issues. While each creative team will show how her journey down the river Styx en route to Hades progresses, they also will be revealing her past sins and regrets.
Dynamite has chosen an all-star team of creators for this unique experiment. Issue #30 was drawn by Lee Moder and written by Ron Marz - who gave comic fans arguably the greatest and most creative
Green Lantern in Kyle Rayner a decade ago and is currently working on the strongest run in the history of Top Cow's
Witchblade. In it, the Ferryman taking Sonja to her destination remarks that she has much to answer for - he knows this because he has ferried many whose deaths were brought about by her. When she replies that all who died by her hand deserved their fate, the tale is told of when she stole items for kings' ransoms, and her arrogance and overconfidence caused a horrible fate to befall her partner, Daneeka.
Issue #31 is even better, written by the incomparable Christos Gage and drawn by the legendary Pablo Marcos, who also drew a beautiful wraparound cover. As the story opens, the Ferryman reminds her that choosing the warrior's path has cost not only others but herself, and that she could have been a queen many times over.
Scoffing at the idea, she says "Better to offer me a poisoned chalice. I'd be more likely to accept."
Then she is reminded of when she worked as a bodyguard for King Teran of Valdesia. Teran was a skilled warrior who inspired his troops and insisted on fighting alongside them. As he put it, he refused to sit and watch while other men died in his name.
Sonja found herself attracted to his chivalry, courage, sense of justice and nobility. She was ready to accept his offer of marriage. The only thing standing in the way was her vow to the goddess to never love a man who could not defeat her in battle. When it became apparent Teran would never be able to defeat her, Sonja was ready to break her vow, even though it would mean she would lose her prowess in the battlefield.
However, just as she was about to make her fateful decision, Teran was attacked and Sonja and he were lucky to escape with their lives. Sonja realizes that her skill with a blade was the only thing that saved them. If she had broken her vow, not only would Teran have been killed, but thousands of others in his kingdom would have been killed and countless others enslaved or made to suffer. Multiply that by the number of kingdoms she had saved and likely would in the future and Sonja realizes she cannot break her vow.
Gage's words and Marcos' expressions are extremely powerful as Sonja realizes her great skill comes at a price, a sacrifice almost too much for her to bear.
Issue #32 will feature writer Joshua Ortega and artist Fabiano Neves weaving a tale of the dark path Sonja could have taken under the guidance of the Dark God. Issue #33 has Luke Lieberman scripting and the sensational Homs drawing a tale of Sonja going up against her greatest foes whom she has killed in battle over the years. Issue #34 promises a shocking end chronicled by writer Brian Reed and artist Mel Rubi.
In short,
Red Sonja is hotter than Hell, in every way.