Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil #2
Recap
The previously untold story of the early years of Red Sonja continues in Birth of the She-Devil #2! The stakes continue to grow as Sonja is thrust back into an uneasy alliance that combines elements of her past against deadly new Hyborian foe as a literal death cult seeks to enslave all those in their path!
Review
The story of how Sonja truly became the She-Devil with a Sword gets bloodier and a bit more complicated in ‘Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil #2’. This is a book that is full of violence and death, but will still have readers cheering Sonja on by the final page!
The second issue of the ‘Birth of the She-Devil’ miniseries maintains its brutal direction, this time choosing to delve into the past events that led to the rise of Rakka and search for Shashana. While this is a welcome backstory that provides context for what is happening in the story’s overarching narrative, the amount of interwoven plot lines begin to hinder the strong foundation laid in issue #1. The story feels bloated at times, burdened by one too many characters who require more setup than the book allows.
While the inconsistent narrative structure does impact the reading experience, it isn’t enough to make it not worthwhile. This is still one of the better dark fantasy comics currently on the shelves. Sonja continues to shine with a fierce and gory charm that only makes you wish she was included more. Leaving readers wanting more is generally the sign of a book that succeeded on a fundamental level, but if the following issues in the series do not deliver, it could be a sign that the creative team simply took on too much. For now though, it’s both interesting and full of potential.
The artwork is luckily both consistent and absolutely beautiful. The flashbacks presented in a different tone (or color palette) help to distinguish time frames, the character work is solid and the lettering distinct. It’s an all around great job by the creative team who show a particular knack for gruesome deaths that involve instances such as arrows through the neck and decapitations. This is just what I want from a Red Sonja comic!
The story is shaping up to be more epic than it had previously hinted, which is both a good and bad thing. If the creative team can pull it off, this will certainly be one of the more noteworthy stories in Red Sonja’s illustrious history. The second issue of ‘Birth of the She-Devil’ might not be as good as the first, but it is still headed in the right direction and I can’t wait to find out what’s next.
Final Thoughts
Although not quite as excellent as the first issue, 'Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil #2' overcomes pacing flaws to continue a brutal and complicated story packed full of gorgeous visuals.