BOOK REVIEW | THE COMPLETE RED SONJA | GAIL SIMONE

 

BOOK REVIEW | THE COMPLETE RED SONJA | GAIL SIMONE

INTRODUCTION

After watching the new Red Sonja film on Prime recently I thought it was about time that I read some Red Sonja. 

Red Sonja is one of those characters that I am well aware of and I am old enough to remember the old film with Brigitte Nielson. 

Originally created in 1973 by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor - Smith for Marvel Comics and loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino by  Robert E. Howard. However, there was one major difference. In Thomas’s comic, Sonja is a warrior woman of the Hyborian Age and was often paired with the legendary Cimmerian Barbarian, Conan, whereas the Red Sonya of Howard’s story is a warrior woman of Polish - Ukrainian descent and most notably has a ‘Y’ in her name instead of ‘J’ as well as living in the 16th Century (about the same time as another female Howard heroine, Dark Agnes de Chastillion).

Making her debut in Conan the Barbarian #23, Red Sonja ran from 1973 to 1986. However, she did not receive her own title until 1977, having a seven issue run which was written by Roy Thomas and Bruce Jones, with art from Frank Thorne (from #2 onwards). As mentioned earlier, she received her own title in 1977 which lasted 15 issues. This headlining run was written by Clair Noto & Roy Thomas (who in an interview with the website Four Colour Sinners identified that she was screwed over by Roy Thomas as she states that she was doing most of the heavy lifting on the comic) and art again was provided by Frank Thorne with inks and pencils by such notables as John & Sal Buscema, Al Milgram & Tony de Zuniga.

The title then ran off and on for short series except in 1983 when it ran for 13 issues.

Dynamite then began publishing Red Sonja with a 2005, starting with a Year Zero which was written by Michael Avon Oeming and Mike Carey. After this initial reboot, the series was then continued to be written by several writers before it ended after 80 issues. 

Gail Simone then picked up the mantle in 2013 for eighteen issues, which was then followed by a six issue series written by Marguerite Bennett and artist Nicola Scott in 2016.

2017 saw Red Sonja returning with a 25 issue run, written by Amy Chu and art by Carlos Gomez. 

The series has remained a steadfast part of Dynamite’s retinue with the latest comic being released in January 2026

Sources: Wikepdia & https://fourcolorsinners.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

Gail Simone (Batgirl, Birds of Prey) gives the iconic fantasy heroine a fresh new attitude! Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword, intends to pay back a blood debt owed to the one man who has gained her respect... even if it means leading a doomed army to their certain deaths! Who is Dark Annisia, and how has this fearsome warrior accomplished what no god nor demon has been able to force Sonja to her knees in surrender? An epic tale of blood, lust, and vengeance, Queen of the Plagues takes Red Sonja from the depths of her own grave to the heights of battlefield glory.

REVIEW

When interviewed by previewsworld.com in 2010, Gail Simone talked about how her approach to Wonder Woman was different stating that ‘my goal was to present a human Diana, someone who had some wit and charm and an inner life, but also someone who was cohesive’.  (previewsworld.com) and this was an obvious aesthetic that she brought to her run on Dynamite’s Red Sonja.

Obviously a great fan of the original Marvel runs, Simone’s run began  in 2013. Simone’s run was a reinvention of the classic sword and sorcery icon presenting her as a survivor defined by her choices rather than being defined by the trauma she experienced when her whole village is massacred. That is not to say that this does not affect her at all, but it is placed more in the background rather than being her main motivation. This alone marks a significant shift from earlier depictions and gives the character emotional weight without reducing her to a symbol of suffering. Sonja is still fierce, still lethal, and still proudly sexual—but now those traits belong to her, not the reader’s gaze.

Coupled with art by contributors such as Walter Geovani, this is a definitive vision of the flame haired warrior queen. The art is dynamic and often brutal, but stays away from being overly gratuitous. In addition to that there is some brilliant colouring that is vibrant, visually stimulating and ultimately fits the mood of the comic coupled with cohesive letttering that keeps the reader involved in the narrative without taking away from the story. 

The run is a sharp and thoughtful reinvention of the character that respects the pulpy roots of the character whilst giving her a place in the modern era. It’s more about agency rather than the mythologised trauma that was the centre of Roy Thomas’s original run. In fact, Sonja openly laughs at some of the tropes introduced in her earlier incarnation, making fun of a swordsman that cannot go to bed with a woman until he has been bested by an opponent, which was her backstory in the original run. 

One of the strongest points of this run is that Simone gives the She Devil with a Sword fantastic characterisation. She is blunt, sarcastic, proud, and deeply principled, even when those principles isolate her. Her internal monologue balances grim determination with dark humor, making her feel human despite the heightened fantasy setting. Supporting characters, including allies and antagonists, are given enough depth to avoid feeling like disposable genre pieces, and the political tensions of Sonja’s world—war, class division, and power—are treated with surprising nuance.

Furthermore the comic is filled with genuinely funny moments and wit. For instance, the second book hilariously deals with Sonja being constantly curtailed in her search for a good seeing to. 

The plot successfully blends episodic adventure with an overall story arc exploring such themes as leadership, moral responsibility and the cost of violence. Essentially though Simone explores what it is like for a warrior that does not want to rule who is constantly forced to lead. This particularly comes to the fore in the third book of this omnibus, The Forgiving of Monsters where she fights the Goddess of Death.

For those familiar with the red haired barbarian, Simone’s run proves that classic fantasy heroines can be bold, sexual, violent, and complex without being demeaning or shallow and for new fans this is the best jumping on point.

Ultimately, Simone’s vision of the character proves that characters can be reinvented successfully without losing the essence of the original.