Red Sonja: When the She-Devil was Sonja the Red

Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil TP
Writer: Luke Lieberman
Artist: Sergio Davila
Cover: Lucio Parrillo
FC  |  104 pages  |  $17.99  |   Sword and Sorcery  |  Teen+

Long before Xena burst into the scene, Red Sonja was my favorite female warrior. My late dad always bought comic books when I was a kid, which is why I became a comic book geek. That’s how I discovered the She-Devil and fell in love with her tales of sword and sorcery.

I haven’t read a Red Sonja comic book in decades. So it’s somewhat fitting that the first one I’m reading is about her early adventures as the young and untamed Sonja the Red.

This Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil trade paperback from Dynamite Entertainment collects the four issues of the mini-series written by Luke Lieberman, with art by Sergio Davila and a gorgeous cover by Lucio Parrillo. It features the She-Devil’s mentor Ozzyus, who raised the orphan Sonja the Red. Spoilers ahead.

Sonja the Red

This early adventure of Sonja the Red takes place when she is just 18. Even at that tender age, however, she has earned many names and strikes fear in the hearts of many.

Ozzyus is the narrator. We see Sonja through the eyes of the man who tried to “raise her”. Just like the tales I remember, this one immediately plunges into action. Clad in her trademark bikini armor, Sonja always makes her presence felt and dominates every scene she is in. No one has ever accused her of subtlety.

Which is what I’ve always loved about the character. Yes, I’d be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t find her gorgeous and sexy even when I was a kid. But even if though it’s the way she looks that first catches your eye, it’s her fearlessness and incredible prowess with the sword that makes you truly fall in love with her. Sonja was someone who would never back down, no matter the odds. She feared no one, whether they were kings, sorcerers, or monsters. Men desired her, but she never let them conquer her heart, and woe to any fool who dared to force himself on her. As the sultan in these very first scenes will learn to his dismay.

The devil within

And, yet, this early adventure also shows a tender side of Sonja the Red. Her friendship with Shashana, who is as innocent as Sonja is embittered by the horrific loss of her family. Which is why the abduction of Shashana a year before this tale starts has shattered her world. It also leads to Sonja parting ways with Ozzyus, whom she blames for the loss of Shashana. Now she and Ozzyus are reunited, because he has been looking for Sonja to bring her good news. That he has finally found the man who abducted Shashana: the villainous Raka.

Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil is a savage tale that’s both gorgeously and horrifically illustrated by the talented Davila. The art perfectly complements this fascinating story about inner demons that Lieberman has crafted.

Is Sonja the Red’s recklessness a form of death wish? This tale shows that from the start Sonja was a drunkard who was always spoiling for a fight. A frightening She-Devil ready to mow down entire armies if they get in her way.

And, yet, for all her violence, Sonja remains a force for good — or what passes for good in the Hyborian Age. She vows to save Shashana, no matter what it takes. And her quest brings her face to face with true evil, in the form of Raka.

Servant of chaos

Raka, who betrayed her and Ozzyus. Raka, who killed Shashana’s merchant father and abducted her. But more frighteningly, Raka, who turns out to be a servant of Bel, the god of chaos. Who believes that laws are just lies that kings invented. That the true nature of men is to become beasts. Beasts that embrace their inner demons and let their darkest desires hold sway, with the strong butchering the weak. This, Raka believes, is the will of the gods.

These four action-packed issues show Red Sonja in all her glory. They are real page-turners, and I’m glad I was able to read them as a trade paperback instead of having to wait for the next issue.

I’m excited to read more Red Sonja stories, because this collection has truly rekindled my love for this character. I hope you will fall in love with the She-Devil, too.

Sonja the Red is dead, long live Red Sonja!

(Editor’s note: This review is based on an advanced review copy provided by Diamond Entertainment. Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil will come out on June 17.)