Comics Review: SHEENA Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #7

SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 2 #7
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Steven E. de Souza
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner; Lucio Parrillo; Jackie Goehner and Rick Narvaez (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

Rated Teen+

Sheena originally created by S.M. “Jerry” Iger and Will Eisner; reboot by Steven E. de Souza

“Cenozoic” Part Two

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is an American comic book character.  She first appeared in the British magazine, Wags #46 ( January 1938), and was created by legendary American comic book creators, Will Eisner and S. M. “Jerry” Iger.  Sheena made her first American appearance in Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House, cover dated: September 1938) where she was a mainstay until 1953.  Sheena was also the first female comic book character to star in her own series.  A “jungle girl heroine,” Sheen was an orphan, like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, who had adventures featuring African natives, wild animals, and white hunters and villains.

Dynamite began publishing Sheena comics in 2017.  Dynamite's second series is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2.  It is written by Steven E. de Souza; drawn by Jethro Morales and Wil Rio; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  Writer de Souza begins a new series of challenges for Sheena in the story line, “Cenozoic,” which finds Sheena on a mission to save a nature preserve only to get trapped in time.

As Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2 #7 opens, she is not where she expected, as some kind of vortex transported the plane she was aboard to a mysterious island.  Her human companions, Bob Kellerman and Martin Ransome, are not good for much beyond getting her into more trouble.  Luckily, her animal friends:  Yagua, Chim, and Pete are more useful.

However, this strange new land is filled with unseen things and a rumbling volcano!  When Sheena captures an elderly man, the mystery deepens.  When he starts talking, panic sets in!

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #7, which is the seventh Dynamite Sheena comic book that I have read.

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 is one of my favorite Dynamite titles.  Dynamite's current incarnation of the character has apparently been “rebooted” by the prolific writer, Steven E. de Souza, known for his work in Hollywood as a writer, producer, and director of film and television.  If he worked as a “script doctor,” then, he performed emergency surgery or face lifts on a large number of action, crime, and suspense films over the past few decades.

Here, de Souza's fix is to smartly mix lost world and pulp fiction elements with modern sensibilities and technology.  Artist Jethro Morales turns it into riveting graphical (comic book) storytelling with this issue acting as a pulse-pounding chapter in a thrilling serial.  Dinei Ribero colors make the art pop, and here, letterer Taylor Esposito shines on the parakeet “dialogue” and on general sound effects.

I have been highly recommending Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 since the first issue.  Having a major Hollywood figure writing it should give you extra incentive to read it, dear readers.  Or how about reading it because you need something good to read?

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Sheena will want to try Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” June 2022, which features an interview with writer Christopher Priest.]

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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Comics Review: "ELVIRA in Horrorland Volume 1 #2" Visits Kubrick's Overlook Hotel

ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND VOLUME 1 #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone
ART: Silvia Califano
COLORS: Walter Pereya
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Dave Acosta and Jason Moore
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Dave Acosta and Jason Moore; John Royle; Silvia Califano; photo cover
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

Rated Teen+

Chapter Two: “She's a Kubrick... House”

In 1981, actress and model Cassandra Peterson created the “horror hostess character,” known as “Elvira.”  Elvira gradually grew in popularity and eventually became a brand name.  As Elvira, Peterson endorsed many products and became a pitch-woman, appearing in numerous television commercials throughout the 1980s.

Elvira also appeared in comic books, beginning in 1986 with the short-lived series from DC Comics, Elvira's House of Mystery.  In 2018, Elvira returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment.  Elvira's latest comic book series is Elvira in Horrorland Volume 1.  The series is written by David Avallone; drawn by Silvia Califano; colored by Walter Pereyra; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  The series finds Elvira trapped in the Multiverse of Movies (a bunch of “pocket dimensions” created by the existence of movies) with only the illusive “Remote Control of Federico Fellini” capable of returning her home.

Elvira in Horrorland Volume 1 #2 (“She's a Kubrick... House”) opens in the aftermath of Elvira's (mis)adventures at “Bloch's Motel” and its crazy proprietor and his mother.  Now, it's on to “The Overcooked Hotel” and its temporary manager, Nick Torrents.  Elvira's journey is about to get quite a shining, and she still has to find that remote.

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Elvira in Horrorland Volume 1 #2, one of many Dynamite/David Avallone Elvira comic books that I have read and enjoyed.

This second issue is a spoof of director Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film, The Shining.  Writer David Avallone has quite a bit of fun with Kubrick much discussed film.  In fact, this may be the most fun Avallone has had with a revered director since he held Guillermo del Toro's head under water in Elvira: The Shape of Elvira.  In “She's a Kubrick... House,” Avallone finds endless delight in Kubrick's masterpiece, which I consider one of the darkest films I have ever seen.  But Avallone mines so much humor out of this movie that he has the momentum to potentially turn this issue into a graphic novel.

I think artist Silvia Califano is perfect as Avallone's collaborator here.  Califano's turns Avallone's script and comedy into comic book gold.  I've previously compared Califano art for Elvira in Horrorland to the 1980s work of Howard Chaykin.  Now, I'm approaching the point of bringing up the name of the humor comics maestro, Wallace Wood.

Once again I … redrum, redrum … recommend Elvira in Horrorland, dear readers.  My God!  It's full of humor, indeed.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Elvira and of David Avallone's Elvira comic books will want to read Elvira in Horrorland Volume 1.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” June 2022, which features an interview with writer Christopher Priest.]

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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Comics Review: JOHN CARTER OF MARS #3

JOHN CARTER OF MARS, VOL. 1 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Chuck Brown
ART: George Kambadais
COLORS: George Kambadais
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Dave Acosta
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Jonathan Case; George Kambadais; Nathan Szerdy; Dave Acosta; Rachel Hollon and David Turner (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

John Carter is a character that first appeared in the serialized novel, Under the Moons of Mars (The All-Story, 1912), written by Tarzan creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.  When it was first collected and published in hardcover, the novel was re-titled, A Princess of Mars (1917), the first of Burroughs' “Barsoom” novels, which were set on Barsoom, a fictional version of Mars.  The novel also introduced Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars.

John Carter is a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War who is transported to Mars via “astral projection.”  There he gets a new body that is similar to the one he leaves behind on Earth.  John makes several trips back and forth between Earth (which the Martians call “Jasoom”) and Barsoom, and Dejah and John eventually marry and have two children.

John Carter first appeared in comic books in the early 1950s and continues today as a comic book character via Dynamite Entertainment.  His latest comic book series is John Carter of Mars.  The series is written by Chuck Brown; drawn and colored by George Kambadais; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  In the new series, a re-imagining of and a sequel to the original “Barsoom” novels, John Carter is back on Earth and discovers that Martians are being transported to Earth while humans are being transported to Mars.

John Carter of Mars Volume 1 #3 opens with an explanation of how the villains of this piece, the Therns, have gained a new ability with Ninth metal.  It all has to do with an asteroid made of pure Ninth and how it affects both Earth and Mars.

Shifting to the Kingdom of Helium on Mars, Dejah has joined with the human army officers, Fred and Charlie, in order to benefit the denizens of both planets.  But first she has a lesson for them: how to jump on Mars the way John Carter once did.  This leads to a reunion for Fred … some of it with a group of angry humans.

Meanwhile, on Earth, John Carter continues his boogie-woogie with the Green Martians.  Despite some generosity on his part, Carter may still have to fight for his life.

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is John Carter of Mars Volume 1 #3.  It is the third solo Dynamite John Carter comic book that I have read.

With John Carter of Mars, writer Chuck Brown has created the freshest take on John Carter, if not ever, then, in a long time.  Brown simultaneously reinvents Burroughs' influential series and revitalizes it with fast-paced cross-planet action.  The first two issues worked on character development, but this third issue focuses on advancing the plot via big action scenes.

As I have previously written, George Kambadais's art and coloring remind me of the work of Darwyn Cooke and also of the graphic design of the Cartoon Network series, “Samurai Jack.”  Kambadais' art and storytelling recall the energy and sense of wonder of classic Silver Age comic books.  His art super-charges Brown's script and transforms it into powerful and attention-grabbing storytelling.

So the first two issues were not flukes.  John Carter of Mars has an excellent writer and artist, and the result is a fantastic read that can appeal to a broad audience.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite's Barsoom comic books will want to try John Carter of Mars.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” June 2022, which features an interview with writer Christopher Priest.]

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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Comics Review: SAMURAI SONJA #1

SAMURAI SONJA VOLUME 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Jordan Clark
ART: Pasquale Qualano and Miriana Puglia
COLORS: Kike J. Diaz
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Leslie “Leirex” Li; Clayton Henry; Paulina Ganucheau; John McCrea; Johnny Desjardins; Ariel Diaz; Erik Klaus; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon and @dead_shot_photo (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Robert E. Howard

Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated: February 1973) saw the debut of a high fantasy, sword and sorcery heroine, Red Sonja.  Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith, Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), the creator of the character, Conan the Cimmerian.

Dynamite Entertainment is now the publisher of Red Sonja comic books, and it publishes a number of titles featuring alternate versions of the character.  The latest is Samurai Sonja, Volume 1.  It is written by Jordan Clark; drawn by Pasquale Qualano and Miriana Puglia; colored by Kike J. Diaz; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  This series introduces a brand new Sonja whose adventures are set in feudal Japan.

Samurai Sonja, Volume 1 #1 opens in the Sengoku period of Japan (1467-1615).  It is a time of near-constant civil war.  Sonja, daughter of a slain samurai, is eager to prove herself worthy of her family's glorious name and history.

In a desperate moment, Sonja makes an awful deal with a dreaded sea goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, agreeing to become her champion.  Gifted with magical armor and weapons capable of slaying mythical beasts, Sonja must take on the demon shogun, Shuten Doji.  If she falls in battle, her bloodline and family's name will be erased.

THE LOWDOWN:   Since July 2021, the marketing department of Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Samurai Sonja, Volume 1 #1, one of many Red Sonja-related comic books that I have read.

I enjoyed Samurai Sonja.  Jordan Clark offers a story that is essentially a Japanese spin on a Red Sonja adventure.  This time, however, he grounds her fate in family and legacy.  This comes across, at least to me, as more consequential than the usual Red Sonja tale.  I like that the story will feature “yokai” (creatures of Japanese myth and lore) of which the 2013 movie, 47 Ronin (remember that one), could have used more.

The art team of illustrators Pasquale Qualano and Miriana Puglia and colorist Kike J. Diaz present some pretty art.  They also move the story at an easy pace, allowing the new concepts to ingratiate themselves with the readers.  This new take on Red Sonja is not offensive, and it looks to be quite an interesting new angle in the saga of Red Sonja.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja will want to try Samurai Sonja, Volume 1.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” June 2022, which features an interview with writer Christopher Priest.]

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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Review: DOWNTON ABBEY: A New Era" Celebrates the New with the Old

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 43 of 2022 (No. 1855) by Leroy Douresseaux

Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, four minutes)
MPAA – PG for some suggestive references, language and thematic elements
DIRECTOR:  Simon Curtis
WRITER: Julian Fellowes (based on the television series created by Julian Fellowes)
PRODUCERS:  Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, and Liz Trubridge
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Andrew Dunn (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Adam Recht
COMPOSER:  John Lunn

DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nicol, Harry Hadden-Paton, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, and Penelope Wilton with Dominic West, Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Jonathan Coy, Jonathan Zaccai, and Nathalie Baye

Downton Abbey: A New Era is a 2022 historical drama film directed by Simon Curtis.  It is based on the British television series, “Downton Abbey” (ITV, 2010-15), which was created by Julian Fellowes, who also wrote the screenplay for this film.  A New Era is also a direct sequel to the 2019 film, Downton Abbey.  In A New Era, the Crawley family go on a grand journey to uncover the mysteries behind the dowager countess' recent inheritance, a villa in the south of France.

Downton Abbey: A New Era opens in 1928.  Tom Branson (Alan Leech), the son-in-law of Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham and 7th Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), is marrying Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton).  Lucy is the former maid and the recently-revealed daughter of Lady Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton), and she will become the heiress to Lady Bagshaw's extensive estate.

Returning from the wedding, the Crawley family experience two big surprises.  First, they learn that Lord Grantham's mother, Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith), has inherited a villa near Toulon, in the south of France, from a gentleman she knew in the 1860s, the Marquis de Montmirail.  He has recently died, and his son, the new Marquis (Jonathan Zaccai), has invited the Crawleys to visit the villa, named “La Villa des Colombes” (the Villa of the Doves).

Violet is not well enough to travel, but she is particularly anxious for Tom and Lucy to go, because she has decided to transfer ownership of the villa to Sybbie, Tom's daughter with the late Lady Sybil Crawley.  So Lord Grantham and his wife, Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), lead a small group of family and servants to the south of France, where the late Maquis' wife, La Marquise, Madame Montmirail (Nathalie Baye), awaits them with a mind to challenge her late husband's will.

The second surprise is that a studio, British Lion, wishes to use Downton as a filming location for a silent film entitled, The Gambler.  Although Robert, Lord Grantham is initially opposed to the idea, his eldest daughter, Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), convinces him that the money from the film could be used to replace Downton Abbey's leaky roof.

So the film crew arrives.  The members of the staff at Downton Abbey are intrigued by the chance to see the stars of the film, the leading man, Guy Dexter (Dominic West), and the leading lady, Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock).  Lady Mary appears to make an impression on the film's director, Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy), and he soon needs her help.  The Gambler is being made just as a great change is occurring in the world of cinema, one that could prematurely end production of the film.

These are just a few of the dramas and melodramas, both large and small, that threaten to upend the lives of those upstairs and downstairs at Downton Abbey.

The original television series, Downton Abbey, began airing on the British television network, ITV, in 2010 and ended in 2015, after six seasons and 52 episodes.  It aired on the American broadcast network, PBS, as part of its “Masterpiece” series from 2011-20, before moving onto streaming services, Peacock and Netflix.  The final episode of “Downton Abbey” was set on New Year's Eve, 1925.  The first film, 2019's Downton Abbey, is set in 1927, 18 months after the TV series finale.  Downton Abbey: A New Era opens in the following year and picks up on some of the plot lines from the first film.

As I wrote in my review of the first film, when I first heard of “Downton Abbey,” I mostly ignored it, although I watched a few minutes here and there.  One Sunday afternoon, however, while channel surfing, I came across the show and recognized an actor (maybe American actress Elizabeth McGovern).  I decided to see what she was doing on the show and within a few minutes I was hooked.  It wasn't until two hours later I realized that I still had chores to do, but it was hard to pull myself away from the TV.  I found myself in the thrall of “Downton Abbey's” hypnotic powers.

I also found Downton Abbey the movie hypnotic, and a New Era was no less hypnotic, in large part because director Simon Curtis seems to have a grasp of all elements of the film, down to the details.  Both films offer many of the same ingredients of the television series that made it so popular and have since made it an enduring favorite.

One thing that A New Era does that the first film did not is offer a lot of change, including one monumental change.  Much of that change directly or indirectly involves the ailing dowager countess, Violet Crawley, as she settles her affairs and prepares the family for her eventual passing.  Series creator and screenwriter of both films, Julian Fellowes, specializes in historical ensemble dramas, such as Gosford Park (2001), and historical costume dramas, such as The Young Victoria (2009).  Fellowes spends much of this film introducing a sense of newness or of renewal in the lives of the denizens of Downton Abbey and of those connected to them.

There are new relationships and changes in employment, including the promise of another wedding and of two acquaintances becoming a couple.  Individuals assume new positions in the Crawley family, and even members of the film crew get new leases on their careers and in their personal relationships.  Downton Abbey: A New Era is truly the dawning of a new era in this world, and while this film does indeed have two primary settings, its story feels a bit more focused than the first film's story.

If you liked the television series, you will like this second film, to some degree, because it is more Downton Abbey.  Honestly, as with the first film, I love it and want more.  Downton Abbey: A New Era makes me happy, and I look forward to what is next...

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, July 16, 2022


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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 10th to 16th, 2022 - Update #13

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Tony Revolori (the Sony/Marvel "Spider-Man" films) and Samara Weaving join the cast of "Scream 6."

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Top Gun: Maverick," starring Tom Cruise, has passed the 600 million dollar-mark at the domestic box office.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey has pled not guilty to five sexual assault charges at a court hearing at London’s famed Old Bailey court Thurs, July 14th and will face trial in June 2023.  Spacey goes to trial in New York in October to face a sexual assault lawsuit from actor, Anthony Rapp.

TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures debuts the trailer for director Rob Zombie's "The Munsters," a film adaptation of the 1960s television sitcom.

EMMYS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced.  HBO's "Succession" and Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" lead in the major categories.  The eligibility period is June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022.  The winners for the "Creative Arts" categories will be announced Sept. 3rd and 4th and the main awards will be announced Sept. 12th on NBC.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/8 to 7/10/2022 weekend box office is DisneyMarvel's "Thor: Love and Thunder" with an estimated take of 143 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's "Thor: Love and Thunder" review.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Hulu is renewed its popular series, "Only Murders in the Building" for a third season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has joined the horror film, "Skill House," as both an actor and producer.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From People:  With new of a "Captain America 4," actor Chris Evans wants to remind people that Sam Wilson, not Steve Rogers, is Captain America, now.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Miles Teller says that he is having conversation with Tom Cruise about a third "Top Gun" movie in the wake of the billion-dollar box office success of the second film in the series, "Top Gun: Maverick."

MOVIES - From THR:  Writer-director Zach Cregger's horror film, "Barbarian," is moving from its Aug. 31st, 2022 release date to September 9th, 2022.  The film stars Bill Skarsgard and Georgina Campbell.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  British film music composer and singer, Monty Norman, has died at the age of 94, Monday, July 11, 2022.  He was best known for composing the instantly familiar "James Bond Theme," which first appeared in the 1962 Bond film, "Dr. No." In the 1950s and 1960s, Norman sang in several big band acts and for various variety shows.  Norman also composed songs for such acts as Cliff Richards, Count Basie, and Bob Hope.

From Variety:  Actor and director, L.Q. Jones, has died at the age of 94, Saturday, July 9, 2022.  As an actor, he was best known for appearing in several films for director Sam Peckinpah, including "Ride the High Country" (1962), and "The Wild Bunch" (1969), and "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), to name a few.  He directed the cult 1975 science fiction film, "A Boy and His Dog."

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple.

Comics Review: 2013 RED SONJA #1 Dynamite Edition

RED SONJA DYNAMITE EDITION

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Gail Simone
ART: Walter Geovani
COLORS: Adriano Lucas
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Josephy Rybandt
COVER: Walter Geovani
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Walter Geovani; Gracie the Cosplay Lass and Morgan McClung and Happy Trigger (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Robert E. Howard

Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated: February 1973) saw the debut of a high fantasy, sword and sorcery heroine, Red Sonja.  Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith, Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), the creator of the character, Conan the Cimmerian.

Dynamite Entertainment is now the publisher of Red Sonja comic books.  One of its recent publications is Red Sonja Dynamite Edition.  It is a facsimile edition of Red Sonja #1 (2013), the debut of the blockbuster creative team of writer Gail Simone and artist Walter Geovani, published with a new cover by Geovani that pays homage to legendary Red Sonja comic book artist, Frank Thorne.  Colorist Adriano Lucas and letterer Simon Bowland completed the 2013 creative team.

Red Sonja Dynamite Edition opens as King Dimath leads his army to victory over the evil Zamorans.  Deep in a Zamoran prison pit, Dimath finds two women that he frees.  One of them is Red Sonja.  A few turns of the season later, it is Dimath that must call upon Red Sonja for rescue.  The Zamorans have attacked again, and Dimath's army has also been decimated by plague.  Sonja is ready to do her part to help the king, but among the enemy is a familiar face.

THE LOWDOWN:   Since July 2021, the marketing department of Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Red Sonja Dynamite Edition, which is one of many Dynamite Entertainment Red Sonja comic books that I have read.

I have vague recollections of Gail Simone writing Red Sonja, but I don't remember the 2013 series in particular.  As usual, Simone presents some really good storytelling, and her take on Red Sonja results in a rich, multi-layered character.  The story, plot, and setting seem very carefully thought-out.

Walter Geovani's art is good, stronger on storytelling that it is on technique.  For instance, the brushwork on the inks a bit heavy, and Geovani saves his best figure and facial drawing for Sonja.  All the other characters are drawn like stock characters.  Adriano Lucas' colors make everything look pretty enough to make me stop quibbling.  Simon Bowland's letters, as usual, are solid and serves the story's swings from mood to movement.

Red Sonja comic book fans who missed the original first issue would do well to pick up this facsimile edition, Red Sonja Dynamite Edition.  Walter Geovani's lovely cover art is also a nice extra.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja, Gail Simone, and Walter Geovani will want to read Red Sonja Dynamite Edition.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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