Red Sonja (Dynamite Volume 3)
Background
Red Sonja
Aliases: Sonja of Hyrkania, Sonja the She-Devil
Occupation: Warrior
First appearance: Red Sonja #1 (January 13, 2016)
Likes: Raka, Lyna, Midyan
Dislikes: Boredom, royalty, Savas
Backstory
“If I am not Sonja the Queen, Sonja the She-Devil, Sonja of Hyrkania… I will be what I was always meant to be. The huntress… Red Sonja!”
The Hyrkanian King Dimath lay dying. Bedridden with illness, the king was given every possible form of cure, from elixirs to ancient texts and enchanted jewels, yet nothing worked. Even Sonja’s best efforts were not enough. Despite slaying the Thunder Bull of the Steppes and giving him its life-enhancing blood, his condition remained unchanged. Regretting his inability to unite the neighboring tribes and kingdoms, he asked Sonja to become his successor, but she refused, believing she wasn’t fit for that lifestyle.
She’d soon come to regret this when the king’s death ushered in an era of peace across Hyrkania, much to her chagrin. However, she’d soon learn that Hyrkania’s military group, the Black Talons, were secretly corrupt and killing those who refused to join their ranks.
After killing the men and learning of their general, Taerga, Sonja ventured out to confront her, picking up the actress Midyan as her new companion while setting out to find Taerga’s leader, the Falcon King. But upon meeting him, she discovered he was actually one of her past lovers, Savas. Having grown rich following their time together, the former merchant had risen through the ranks to become Hyrkania’s new ruler. Using his newfound power, he hoped to fulfill Dimath’s dying wishes and unite Hyrkania into onewith Sonja as his wife.
Naturally disgusted by what his actions had wrought, Sonja refused to join and escaped the castle. Enraged by her refusal and the growing unrest among his people, Savas deployed his Hound Hunters, women dressed and disguised as Sonja, to bring her in.
Sonja did battle with the Hunters alongside another ex-lover, Raka, though he died seconds later. Enraged, Sonja defeated two of the Hunters, but was forced to surrender when the final one took Midyan hostage. After burying Raka, Sonja traveled to the mountains, causing the people to believe she had abandoned them, chief among them Midyan, who defected to Savas’ side over this perceived betrayal.
In truth, Sonja’s journey to the mountains had been to gain some extra backup by forcibly taming a Roc. With the fiery bird as her steed, she united the Hyrkanians against Savas’ rule and handed Midyan her knife, demanding the playwright show where her loyalties truly lie. But when Midyan threatened to kill herself, Sonja backed down and allowed Savas to be arrested instead. But his lover Kanasa wasn’t content with this defeat and stabbed Sonja, leaving her bleeding to death. Fortunately, the Roc managed to intervene, using its power to restore Sonja back to health, allowing her to fight another day.
Personality
Red Sonja is a brutal warrior who can’t stand injustices against others, especially children, and will respond violently to them.
She’s a thrill-seeker who gets bored easily whenever there isn’t any excitement. During her journeys, her positive attitude allowed her to befriend numerous companions, like Raka, Lyna, and Savas.
She treats royalty with high suspicion and refuses to accept a position as one, believing she would be a poor fit for a queen.
She has occasionally invoked the gods, like saying “Mitra” when surprised or angered or “Derketo’s tits” when impressed.
Experience
Sonja is a skilled warrior capable of taking down fully grown men, as well as mythological beasts like the Thunder Bull and Roc. She’s also got a sense of pragmatism and will weaponize objects in her surroundings.
Strength
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #1:
Holds back the Thunder Bull’s attempt to crush her and kills it, cutting out its heart.
Stabs a soldier.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #2:
Rips her sword out of the soldier from last issue and disarms another.
Dropkicks a soldier, throws another into his own group, then throws a third with her legs and stabs him.
Slits a guard’s throat.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #3:
Punches Savas hard enough that he spits blood.
Kicks a guard and smacks another with the butt of her sword.
Elbows Raka, then kicks and punches him.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #4:
Throws a bowl at one of the Hound Hunters, then later does it again and backhands another with a second bowl.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #5:
Clashes with a Roc.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #6:
Kicks a table.
Backhands Savas.
Speed
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #2:
Pushes Midyan out of the way of a falling chandelier.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #3:
Blocks a spear thrust.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #4:
Dodged the Hound Hunters’ swords and knives.
Durability
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #2:
Elbowed by a guard.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #3:
Smacked by Raka’s sword.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #5:
Thrown off by a Roctwice.
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #6:
Cut by Kanasa’s sword and smacked by a piece of rebar.
Intelligence
Red Sonja (Vol 3) #5:
Identifies a Roc as a scavenger and uses this knowledge to set a trap.
Abilities
Stealth
Snuck up behind General Taerga and claims she could sneak into an army’s camp. She’s also used this to disguise herself and set traps for a Roc.
Arsenal
Chainmail Top
Sonja’s regular outfit in this run. It provides her top half with protection at the cost of looking extremely boring.
Broadsword
Her main weapon, a double-edged steel broadsword.
Dagger
Used to restrain a Roc.
Horse
A brown steed that serves as Sonja’s main method of transportation. As a horse, it should be able to reach a speed of 44 mph and kick with 2000 lbs of force
Roc
A legendary bird of prey that Sonja forcibly tamed after defeating it in battle. Its feathers can channel fire, letting it coat itself in an aura or unleash massive bursts of flame.
Feats
- Killed the Thunder Bull of the Hyrkanian Steppes
- Killed a group of Black Talon soldiers to protect a fleeing Hyrkanian family
- Tamed a Roc
- United Hyrkania against King Savas
Weaknesses
Sonja may be an inspiration and symbol to the Hyrkanians, but she’s no harder to kill than the ordinary human. And unlike her predecessors, this version lacks any impressive showings of pain tolerance or endurance, meaning she can die from something as simple as being stabbed in the stomach.
Conclusion
If you read my previous blog, you’ll know I really wasn’t a fan of Marguerite Bennet’s previous work on Sonja, and reading this was slightly better, though it didn’t start that way. But before we get into why this series sucked, let’s start with the positives.
Savas was probably the best character in this run. His motives felt generic but at least he had a presence and was memorable, while the rest of the cast were so boring I couldn’t remember their names. It’s also neat seeing Sonja’s old design come back for this series, even if it’s being used by villains that are extremely lame and one-note. Some ofthe panels after Rama’s death looked cool, and Sonja taming a Roc and riding it into battle was really badass.
That’s where the good parts end. Everything else? Oh, boy! I’m surprised people don’t talk about this as one of the worst Red Sonja books.
The attempts at humor in the first issue were just as bad as Marguerite’s previous works and made Sonja come across like an awkward teenage girl instead of an experienced, hardened badass. She gets better and acts more like that later on in the run, but there’s not much else to say personality wise.
But the comedy is small potatoes compared to some of the other issues I have. These doublepage spreads had some of the most annoying paneling I’ve seen, and all throughout the series Sonja had this awful redesign that looks more like a gray tank top at times. However, my personal pick for the absolute nadir of this run is Sonja’s companion Midyan. She starts off criticizing the decisions of Savas’ rule, then, just because she thought Sonja abandoned her, all of a sudden she switches sides, joins the oppressive dictatorship she hated a few days ago, and decides to smear Sonja in her plays. But when Sonja calls her out on her shit and demands she show where her loyalties truly lie, she starts crying and threatens to kill herself? And that’s enough to get Sonja to abandon her quest for vengeance against Savas, after she already killed a good deal of his men and watched a child soldier die in front of her?
If that wasn’t bad enough, Midyan suffers no consequences for the shit she pulled. NONE! Meanwhile, you’ve got Sonja getting stabbed and nearly dying until the Roc uses its previously never implied healing abilities to restore Sonja and save the day.. It honestly would’ve been better if Sonja either stayed dead, or if Midyan had died instead and her death inspired Sonja to take up the throne. At least then there could’ve been a good finale, and Midyan’s actions would’ve had consequences.
Fortunately, this is where the series ended, and now I can move on to the next volume. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Amy Chu’s run, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Savas was probably the best character in this run. His motives felt generic but at least he had a presence and was memorable, while the rest of the cast were so boring I couldn’t remember their names. It’s also neat seeing Sonja’s old design come back for this series, even if it’s being used by villains that are extremely lame and one-note. Some ofthe panels after Rama’s death looked cool, and Sonja taming a Roc and riding it into battle was really badass.
That’s where the good parts end. Everything else? Oh, boy! I’m surprised people don’t talk about this as one of the worst Red Sonja books.
The attempts at humor in the first issue were just as bad as Marguerite’s previous works and made Sonja come across like an awkward teenage girl instead of an experienced, hardened badass. She gets better and acts more like that later on in the run, but there’s not much else to say personality wise.
But the comedy is small potatoes compared to some of the other issues I have. These doublepage spreads had some of the most annoying paneling I’ve seen, and all throughout the series Sonja had this awful redesign that looks more like a gray tank top at times. However, my personal pick for the absolute nadir of this run is Sonja’s companion Midyan. She starts off criticizing the decisions of Savas’ rule, then, just because she thought Sonja abandoned her, all of a sudden she switches sides, joins the oppressive dictatorship she hated a few days ago, and decides to smear Sonja in her plays. But when Sonja calls her out on her shit and demands she show where her loyalties truly lie, she starts crying and threatens to kill herself? And that’s enough to get Sonja to abandon her quest for vengeance against Savas, after she already killed a good deal of his men and watched a child soldier die in front of her?
If that wasn’t bad enough, Midyan suffers no consequences for the shit she pulled. NONE! Meanwhile, you’ve got Sonja getting stabbed and nearly dying until the Roc uses its previously never implied healing abilities to restore Sonja and save the day.. It honestly would’ve been better if Sonja either stayed dead, or if Midyan had died instead and her death inspired Sonja to take up the throne. At least then there could’ve been a good finale, and Midyan’s actions would’ve had consequences.
Fortunately, this is where the series ended, and now I can move on to the next volume. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Amy Chu’s run, so I’m really looking forward to it.
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