I’m the first to admit this isn’t my normal cup of tea – but I respect Gail Simone as a writer, and she’s a hilarious follow on Twitter, so when I saw this on NetGalley, it was a no-brainer. The art by Walter Geovani fits the sword and sorcery style very well, and some of the alternate covers in this particular collection are great.
The story covers Sonja trying to help the one man she respects defend his plague-ravaged kingdom against a staggering invasion force. Interspersed are bits of Sonja’s backstory, rising up from a slave pit, wrecking everyone in her path in gladiator duels and, with apologies to Kerrigan, being queen bitch of the universe. There is blood, poison, betrayal and death.
Look, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like if a strong female writer took on the hot barbarian woman trope, check out Red Sonja. Individual issues are out at your local store, or pick up this trade, with issues 1-6, a bunch of awesome covers from female artists, and the script for issue 1.