Red Sonja: Unchained

Title: Red Sonja: Unchained

ISBN: 9781606904534

Price: $19.99

Publisher/Year: Dynamite, 2014

Artist: Walter Geovani, Jack Jadson

Writer: Peter V. Brett

Collects: Red Sonja: Blue, Red Sonja: Unchained #1-4



Rating: 3.5/5



Red Sonja: Unchained collects the Blue one-shot and the four-issue Red Sonja: Unchained series from last year. Blue sets up the Unchained storyline, so it’s great to have all of these issues in one spot.The Red Sonja: Unchained



Red Sonja rescues a tavern owner’s son from a demon sacrifice, but falls into trouble when – in true Sonja fashion – she makes an outfit for herself out of the demon’s pelt. To be fair, he did break her chain mail bikini, but clothing oneself in demon pelt is probably never a good idea, especially when there’s a lot of blood flying around oneself as a rule. Sonja’s on the run and has to figure out how to break the curse before it’s too late and she ends up donating her own body to Bhamothes, the demon whose fur she wears.



I came in on the tail end of this storyline when I started reading Red Sonja last year, so I was very happy to get the full story here. Peter V. Brett, writer of the Demon Cycle, is great here, giving us a solid supernatural bent that puts the “sorcery” in “sword and sorcery”. He also knows his stuff – there’s a great smack at Conan – because Red Sonja wouldn’t have it any other way – that made me snicker with appreciation. Walter Geovani’s on art duty here, and he knows how to create atmosphere, whether it’s in a mead-soaked tavern or a creepy dungeon. I love his work on Red Sonja.



In addition to the 5 issues, there’s a cover gallery featuring all the covers from Geovani and Mel Rubi, who creates some amazing Red Sonja art. The book is a great companion for Red Sonja fans, and fans of sword and sorcery fantasy.