Red Sonja #14: Tiger By the Tail

Sonja the Red, warrior maiden and favored of The Morrigan, has crushed her greatest foe but can she defeat the scourge of any newly won kingdom; famine?

Red Sonja is a character that has ever lived in the shadow of those who came before her but this series truly seems to see her step from Conan’s shadow. The story takes us back to familiar places and sees the return of familiar faces. Sonja’s greatest enemy can now become her savior, quite to her chagrin, and it’s an interesting posture for such a strong character as Sonja. The story was engaging and the B plot never seemed to slow down the main story; quite the contrary actually. The action is definitely with Sonja, as she and her advisors walk headfirst into the lions den, or the Tigers Den I suppose, but the B plot centers around things happening back home with Isolde and Cerkus who are just trying to keep her newly won kingdom intact. For a B plot about starvation too its riddled with humor, some of it pretty black, that had me laughing in a very guilty way.

But its not all about the Story here. The art will transport you to the kingdom of Khitai, a land of rich colors and vibrant locals, and to quaint charms of Hyrkania where we see a people in peril and a land of soft colors and deep textures. Bob Q and Dearbra Kelly have certainly outdone themselves and their love of immersive work has paid off by bringing the world of Red Sonja to life. Their work paints a picture, no pun intended, that goes hand in hand with an engaging and well written story to create a comic I couldn’t put down.