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Red Sonja/Conan #1-4
Red Sonja/Conan: The Blood of a God
Red Sonja, the fiery She-Devil with a Sword. Conan, the relentess barbarian from Cimmeria. The two legendary heroes of the Hyborian Age are reunited once more, captains in a mercenary army drawn together to wage war on an evil sorcerer. With good swords at their side and loyal men at their backs, Sonja and Conan believe themselves more than capable of defeating Kal'Ang, an ambitious herbalist whose power resides in Blood Root experimentation. But little do they know, a shadow of the past has returned, a foe both familiar and fearsome... and whose secret goal is nothing short of divinity!
96 pages, Hardcover
First published February 23, 2016
52 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Victor Gischler
373 books415 followersVictor Gischler is an American author of humorous crime fiction.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
Gischler's debut novel Gun Monkeys was nominated for the Edgar Award, and his novel Shotgun Opera was an Anthony Award finalist. His work has been translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese. He earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of Southern Mississippi. His fifth novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse was published in 2008 by the Touchstone/Fireside imprint of Simon & Schuster.
He has also writes American comic books like The Punisher: Frank Castle, Wolverine and Deadpool for Marvel Comics. Gischler worked on X-Men "Curse of the Mutants" starting in the Death of Dracula one-shot and continued in X-Men #1.
Gun Monkeys has been optioned for a film adaptation, with Lee Goldberg writing the script and Ryuhei Kitamura penciled in to direct.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 17, 2016
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
Oh this was such an awesome graphic novel! I was taken back to the day in my teens when I read Conan comics all of the time. I actually have tons of them still and I have been buying the big omnibuses they have been coming out with, I also have some Red Sonja comics.
I thought this was a great book and it's now on my wishlist on Amazon!
The tale is about a wizard named Ka'ang who is into herbology, mainly working with blood root, he's making an elixer so he can be the all powerful. Red Sonja and Conan team up to fight for the King, they didn't know about Ka'ang just yet.
So Conan and Sonja get an army together so they can go to battle for the King. But... it takes an unexpected turn when they are attacked in the night by some funky, gynormous dude things! The dude things give them a message from Ka'ang. Well you know this just enrages Conan and Sonja so they set out early to attack Ka'ang.
I'm not going to say any more but just know it's so awesome and they fight all kinds of creatures until they find out a big surprise toward the end. I love the graphics, they remind me of younger days! Loved it!
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for making this copy available in exchange for my honest review.*
Oh this was such an awesome graphic novel! I was taken back to the day in my teens when I read Conan comics all of the time. I actually have tons of them still and I have been buying the big omnibuses they have been coming out with, I also have some Red Sonja comics.
I thought this was a great book and it's now on my wishlist on Amazon!
The tale is about a wizard named Ka'ang who is into herbology, mainly working with blood root, he's making an elixer so he can be the all powerful. Red Sonja and Conan team up to fight for the King, they didn't know about Ka'ang just yet.
So Conan and Sonja get an army together so they can go to battle for the King. But... it takes an unexpected turn when they are attacked in the night by some funky, gynormous dude things! The dude things give them a message from Ka'ang. Well you know this just enrages Conan and Sonja so they set out early to attack Ka'ang.
I'm not going to say any more but just know it's so awesome and they fight all kinds of creatures until they find out a big surprise toward the end. I love the graphics, they remind me of younger days! Loved it!
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for making this copy available in exchange for my honest review.*
July 27, 2022
Nothing unusual about the plot in this one, except that this isn’t the Red Sonja that has spurned male affection for decades. Is this encounter between the two a worthy element? Not for me. In fact, there isn’t much in plot that doesn’t scream PASTICHE very loudly. Is the artwork a saving grace? If you have an interest in the male and/or female form with minimal clothing this may appeal. The work of many artists is on display in various interpretations of this duo. Not quite a case of buyer’s regret, but I may have learned a valuable life lesson from this purchase: All that’s Conan is not golden.
2.5*
2.5*
April 1, 2016
CROM!
A nice read for diehard fans of the cimmerian barbarian and the she-devil with a sword.
Alex Ross & co covers art is far better than the interior one.
A nice read for diehard fans of the cimmerian barbarian and the she-devil with a sword.
Alex Ross & co covers art is far better than the interior one.
January 31, 2016
*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Red Sonja and Conan decide to team up as joint leaders to lead an army to defeat the wizard Kal'Ang. His use of Blood Root to mutate his army throws a few surprises at our heroes, the biggest surprise will be someone from their past re-emerging to defeat them once and for all.
I've always enjoyed the Sonja comics I've read, She Devil with a sword and the Gail Simone series painted her as a fun, bawdy character who used sly humour to engage readers. I'm not getting any of that in this comic and to be honest there wasn't much personality from either of the leads. Conan looks as though he should be dragging his knuckles and he was given more to do than Sonja which just felt uneven since the comic is about both of them.
The art was okay but I wasn't hugely impressed with it and annoying there were several pages where very faint yellow lettering was used against a white background making it almost impossible to read. Since this is an e-Arc, I'm sure the publishers will correct anything before print but it really pulled me out of the story each time an unreadable page appeared.
The story was okay but felt as though it'd read it all before.
It was enjoyable enough for what it was but disappointing since I've really loved most of the other Sonja comics I've read.
Red Sonja and Conan decide to team up as joint leaders to lead an army to defeat the wizard Kal'Ang. His use of Blood Root to mutate his army throws a few surprises at our heroes, the biggest surprise will be someone from their past re-emerging to defeat them once and for all.
I've always enjoyed the Sonja comics I've read, She Devil with a sword and the Gail Simone series painted her as a fun, bawdy character who used sly humour to engage readers. I'm not getting any of that in this comic and to be honest there wasn't much personality from either of the leads. Conan looks as though he should be dragging his knuckles and he was given more to do than Sonja which just felt uneven since the comic is about both of them.
The art was okay but I wasn't hugely impressed with it and annoying there were several pages where very faint yellow lettering was used against a white background making it almost impossible to read. Since this is an e-Arc, I'm sure the publishers will correct anything before print but it really pulled me out of the story each time an unreadable page appeared.
The story was okay but felt as though it'd read it all before.
It was enjoyable enough for what it was but disappointing since I've really loved most of the other Sonja comics I've read.
January 9, 2016
Red Sonja/Conan is a great graphic novel featuring my favorite sexy warriors. The pair is made captain of the armies and sent to stop an evil herbalist/sorcerer, Kal'Ang, who is using the power of the blood root seed he stole from the King. Kal'Ang also has a blind seer with him and of course an army. There is lots of graphic fight scenes, imaginative monsters the sorcerer makes, and a twist at the end. The story line is good, graphics are great, adult themed, lots of action, fast moving, easy to follow, and it has the sexiest heroes around! I received this for a honest review but this in no way effected my rating or review content.
November 3, 2021
Overall a decent story and artwork, if somewhat predictable. At only 111 pages it's a quick read.
April 23, 2022
Honestly, I was really disappointed by this one. Conan and Red Sonja had an extremely nuanced and interesting relationship inside the Roy Thomas comics. Conan desired her tremendously but Red Sonja just flat out didn't much care for the Cimmerian despite his inhuman charisma with the ladies. I think Roy actually pointed out every time he had Sonja attracted to a man, it turned out to be a harmless pretty boy in her own series. It makes sense, after all, not everyone is into the beefcake.
Sadly, this is a fairly paint-by-the-numbers story and Sonja seems ready to get busy with Conan from the get go but they're interrupted. Personally, I wouldn't believe either of them would let that get in the way of their fun time if they were both down to rut. However, there's an evil wizard. The evil wizard has an army. He has an evil scheme. There's ANOTHER evil wizard involved. It ends with a fight.
Ho hum.
It's disappointing as a title with Sonja and Conan both should be epic.
Sadly, this is a fairly paint-by-the-numbers story and Sonja seems ready to get busy with Conan from the get go but they're interrupted. Personally, I wouldn't believe either of them would let that get in the way of their fun time if they were both down to rut. However, there's an evil wizard. The evil wizard has an army. He has an evil scheme. There's ANOTHER evil wizard involved. It ends with a fight.
Ho hum.
It's disappointing as a title with Sonja and Conan both should be epic.
January 19, 2016
Red Sonja/Conan: The Blood of a God by Victor Gissler brings back these two gorgeous and violent heroes of the pulp fiction comics.
Red Sonja, the chain mail bikini wearing She-Devil with a Sword teams up once again with the Barbarian from Cimmeria, Conan. The two team up to lead a mercenary army as they wage war against a powerful sorcerer. Together they believe themselves to be a match for Kal'Ang, a herbalist whose powers reside in Blood Root experiments. But the conjurer is far more adept than they realize and he is capable of raising his own armies. An army of monsters and demons. But from where did Kal'Ang get this power. Could there be another even more powerful behind him. Someone who has bid their time to take vengeance upon Red Sonja and Conan!
There was always something incredibly fun and yet visceral about a Red Sonja and Conan comic book. Something forbidden even. There was far more blood and way more sex and it seemed as a young boy, well that you shouldn't be reading this one. As if maybe this comic belong hidden under your Dad's bed with all those other magazines.
Dynamic Forces does a terrific job in the continuum of these characters and their series. They never really hit mainstream but that is really part of their charm. You don't want them to. You want them to remain the same. You want to keep them yours.
Red Sonja, the chain mail bikini wearing She-Devil with a Sword teams up once again with the Barbarian from Cimmeria, Conan. The two team up to lead a mercenary army as they wage war against a powerful sorcerer. Together they believe themselves to be a match for Kal'Ang, a herbalist whose powers reside in Blood Root experiments. But the conjurer is far more adept than they realize and he is capable of raising his own armies. An army of monsters and demons. But from where did Kal'Ang get this power. Could there be another even more powerful behind him. Someone who has bid their time to take vengeance upon Red Sonja and Conan!
There was always something incredibly fun and yet visceral about a Red Sonja and Conan comic book. Something forbidden even. There was far more blood and way more sex and it seemed as a young boy, well that you shouldn't be reading this one. As if maybe this comic belong hidden under your Dad's bed with all those other magazines.
Dynamic Forces does a terrific job in the continuum of these characters and their series. They never really hit mainstream but that is really part of their charm. You don't want them to. You want them to remain the same. You want to keep them yours.
October 23, 2016
Good things to know:
This is a sequel to Conan/Red Sonja.
This must be considered as non-canon, because you will see someone die (I know, someone dying in a Conan story is a stretch) but this is someone known to be alive in a King Conan story.
This is four chapters of goodness, but still has some flaws.
Flaws worth throwing the BS flag on:
Someone needs to define Red Sonja's measurements for the artists. I swear she had cosmetic surgery between the first chapter (which I would name "the lithe chapter") and the last chapter ("the pornstar chapter").
Conan is not known for addressing Conan in the third person.
One does not adventure for 10 years in a scale-mail bikini without things... sagging. But no sign of this from Sonja!
My non-canon issues above...
This is a sequel to Conan/Red Sonja.
This must be considered as non-canon, because you will see someone die (I know, someone dying in a Conan story is a stretch) but this is someone known to be alive in a King Conan story.
This is four chapters of goodness, but still has some flaws.
Flaws worth throwing the BS flag on:
Someone needs to define Red Sonja's measurements for the artists. I swear she had cosmetic surgery between the first chapter (which I would name "the lithe chapter") and the last chapter ("the pornstar chapter").
Conan is not known for addressing Conan in the third person.
One does not adventure for 10 years in a scale-mail bikini without things... sagging. But no sign of this from Sonja!
My non-canon issues above...
December 16, 2015
2nd Series combining these great Robert E. Howard characters. Very good art and story make is a nice read. Recommended
April 17, 2016
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
Red Sonja and Conan team-up! A can’t miss sword and sorcery extravaganza!
Huh. No, I’m not talking about that movie.
What I’m talking about is the most recent comic pairing of these two legendary characters. Red Sonja and Conan joining forces as the leaders of the king’s army, sent to defeat a vile wizard called Kal’Ang. This sorcerer having usurped power, using Blood Root to mutate his soldiers into hideous monsters who reek havoc on our heroes until an even more fearsome villain from their past emerges to destroy them once and for all!
I can’t really say I’ve ever been a Red Sonja fan until Gail Simone began writing this series a while back. Simone turning the she-devil with a sword into a fun comic, where Sonja was always portrayed as a brash and crude warrior; she herself making sarcastic remarks about her chainmail bikini and slyly explaining the tactical advantages of her opponents looking at her boobs during a sword fight.
So when I picked this one up that Gail Simone-type story was what I was looking for. But I didn’t get that. Here the creative team paints Sonja as a straight up sword and sorcery heroine with Conan along for fun. The two trading sword strokes and sexual innuendo as much as they hack down their enemies. All of it fun, just not what I was expecting.
As for the art, I can’t complain. There were pages where I thought Conan looked more like a Neanderthal than a barbarian and Sonja more like a lingerie model than a woman warrior though, but the former I can overlooked and the latter I can enjoy. I mean, this is a sword and sorcery fantasy after all, so realism isn’t what I was looking for.
To sum up, this is a fun, sugarcoated, sword and sorcery tale. Don’t pick it up expecting serious drama or even Gail Simone-like tongue-in-cheek humor, and you won’t be disappointed in the roller coaster ride it takes you on.
I received this book from Netgalley and Dynamite Entertainment in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank both of them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
Red Sonja and Conan team-up! A can’t miss sword and sorcery extravaganza!
Huh. No, I’m not talking about that movie.
What I’m talking about is the most recent comic pairing of these two legendary characters. Red Sonja and Conan joining forces as the leaders of the king’s army, sent to defeat a vile wizard called Kal’Ang. This sorcerer having usurped power, using Blood Root to mutate his soldiers into hideous monsters who reek havoc on our heroes until an even more fearsome villain from their past emerges to destroy them once and for all!
I can’t really say I’ve ever been a Red Sonja fan until Gail Simone began writing this series a while back. Simone turning the she-devil with a sword into a fun comic, where Sonja was always portrayed as a brash and crude warrior; she herself making sarcastic remarks about her chainmail bikini and slyly explaining the tactical advantages of her opponents looking at her boobs during a sword fight.
So when I picked this one up that Gail Simone-type story was what I was looking for. But I didn’t get that. Here the creative team paints Sonja as a straight up sword and sorcery heroine with Conan along for fun. The two trading sword strokes and sexual innuendo as much as they hack down their enemies. All of it fun, just not what I was expecting.
As for the art, I can’t complain. There were pages where I thought Conan looked more like a Neanderthal than a barbarian and Sonja more like a lingerie model than a woman warrior though, but the former I can overlooked and the latter I can enjoy. I mean, this is a sword and sorcery fantasy after all, so realism isn’t what I was looking for.
To sum up, this is a fun, sugarcoated, sword and sorcery tale. Don’t pick it up expecting serious drama or even Gail Simone-like tongue-in-cheek humor, and you won’t be disappointed in the roller coaster ride it takes you on.
I received this book from Netgalley and Dynamite Entertainment in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank both of them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
June 19, 2016
'Red Sonja/Conan: The Blood of a God' by Victor Gischler with art by Ed Benes and Roberto Castro is a perfectly fine story, but I've been spoiled by what Gail Simone has done with the Red Sonja character.
A kingdom wants to wage war with a sorceror and a mercenary army has a battle amongst themselves to find out who should lead. When the victors are Red Sonja and Conan, we know the army is in good hands. The mage they face is named Kai'Ang and he is a gifted herbalist who has concocted a liquid that creates horrific monsters. When Sonja is knocked out during the battle, she wakes to find carnage all around her. When she and Conan investigate, they discover one of their oldest and most dangerous foes is actually behind it all.
I felt a bit cheated when the battle gets completely overlooked because Red Sonja gets knocked out. There are some flashbacks, but it felt like a bit of a cheat to me. Included is a gallery of alternate covers for the series. It's not a terrible story, but I've read better ones lately. Still I am kind of a sucker for the sword and sorcery genre.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Dynamite Entertainment, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
A kingdom wants to wage war with a sorceror and a mercenary army has a battle amongst themselves to find out who should lead. When the victors are Red Sonja and Conan, we know the army is in good hands. The mage they face is named Kai'Ang and he is a gifted herbalist who has concocted a liquid that creates horrific monsters. When Sonja is knocked out during the battle, she wakes to find carnage all around her. When she and Conan investigate, they discover one of their oldest and most dangerous foes is actually behind it all.
I felt a bit cheated when the battle gets completely overlooked because Red Sonja gets knocked out. There are some flashbacks, but it felt like a bit of a cheat to me. Included is a gallery of alternate covers for the series. It's not a terrible story, but I've read better ones lately. Still I am kind of a sucker for the sword and sorcery genre.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Dynamite Entertainment, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
February 4, 2023
The story was an ok action piece, nothing special but a fun read. It seemed to be loosely connected to an earlier story which i guess should be read first, but I did not know this beforehand and it did not make a huge difference. Sonjas outfit was of course laughable, the epitome of bikini armor. Oh well...
The art, read from a reasonably sized tablet on the other hand was at times spectacular. So crisp and colorful. It got me thinking, though. Is it true no one has thought to make an eComic with partly animated screens? I mean flickering flames, hair caught in a breeze, sunlight glimmering on helmets etc. It would look gorgeous! I guess the tech isn't there yet. I would throw my money at whoever makes an animated Conan comic omnibus.
The art, read from a reasonably sized tablet on the other hand was at times spectacular. So crisp and colorful. It got me thinking, though. Is it true no one has thought to make an eComic with partly animated screens? I mean flickering flames, hair caught in a breeze, sunlight glimmering on helmets etc. It would look gorgeous! I guess the tech isn't there yet. I would throw my money at whoever makes an animated Conan comic omnibus.
November 5, 2018
Conan is so red on that cover. Somebody, please, give him some after-sun-lotion. Fast. Or we see how tough he is tomorrow.
Not too good, not too bad, but simple slightly fantasy sword wielding fun. Should've been better, could've been worse. I read it now the second time and I bet I won't remember tomorrow reading it at all.
Not too good, not too bad, but simple slightly fantasy sword wielding fun. Should've been better, could've been worse. I read it now the second time and I bet I won't remember tomorrow reading it at all.
April 15, 2016
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
Conan and Red Sonja, together again? Absolutely! And it works!
I've been a fan of the Conan stories since reading the Robert E. Howard books and stories back in the 70's. Then I followed that up with the really excellent comics published by Marvel. But as with almost any good thing, the market seemed to get glutted with Conan - new books, new comics - and I lost interest. I've picked up a few Conan graphic novels and thumbed through them, but wasn't very impressed. But when this became available for review I thought I'd give it a try.
Conan and Sonja are both captains of some mercenary soldiers who have hired on to help a small kingdom fight off a wizard in a neighboring kingdom. When the local king wants to choose one captain to lead the mercenary army, Conan and Sonja step up to be co-captains, and of course must first fend off some foolish men who think that they should captain the army. Once the captaincy is decided, Conan and Red move their army out. When they camp for the night, giant monsters attack the captain duo. Monsters send by the wizard of the soon-to-be-invaded kingdom.
The wizard's blind adviser warns the wizard that Sonja and Conan could bring the wizard to ruin, but hubris gets in the way, the wizard confident he can fend of the Hyborean barbarians. Indeed, the wizard send an entire army of monsters and nearly everyone on the field of battle lies dead. Except Conan and Red Sonja. Though Conan doesn't see Sonja's body and presumes she is dead as well, so Conan continues on toward the castle. Sonja crawls out from under some bodies to find looters already going through the pouches of the dead. She gets the story of the battle from these observers' eyes, and heads off after Conan.
Conan and Sonja catch up to the wizard, but there is something that gets revealed to the pair and they have yet an even bigger fight, just for their very survival.
This book definitely had a sense of adventure and excitement and just the right amount of fighting to feel like I'm reading a classic Conan story. The wizard and his secret is not too unexpected if you've read this sort of story before, but it works in just the right way.
What doesn't work quite so well is the personalities of Sonja and Conan. While both have always been a bit arrogant it has typically come across as confidence - knowing their skills and not afraid to talk about it. But here it comes across as hubris - particularly with Conan. When he's fighting, he's classic Conan. When he's not fighting, he's bragging and boasting, which just doesn't feel right.
The artwork is fine. For the most part it works. At times it doesn't come across very well. Sonja alternates from a tough fighting warrior woman to a cutesy little girl (which is not how I ever picture her) and Conan sometimes has the classic Romita/Buscema/Alcala look and sometimes he looks Native American. Inconsistent, but over-all, worth looking at.
This was a fun romp in the Conan/Red Sonja world and made me want to read some of the original stories again.
Looking for a good book? Red Sonja/Conan: The Blood of a God is a graphic novel that is a decent throw-back to the classic Conan comics that Marvel once published and is worth picking up to read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Conan and Red Sonja, together again? Absolutely! And it works!
I've been a fan of the Conan stories since reading the Robert E. Howard books and stories back in the 70's. Then I followed that up with the really excellent comics published by Marvel. But as with almost any good thing, the market seemed to get glutted with Conan - new books, new comics - and I lost interest. I've picked up a few Conan graphic novels and thumbed through them, but wasn't very impressed. But when this became available for review I thought I'd give it a try.
Conan and Sonja are both captains of some mercenary soldiers who have hired on to help a small kingdom fight off a wizard in a neighboring kingdom. When the local king wants to choose one captain to lead the mercenary army, Conan and Sonja step up to be co-captains, and of course must first fend off some foolish men who think that they should captain the army. Once the captaincy is decided, Conan and Red move their army out. When they camp for the night, giant monsters attack the captain duo. Monsters send by the wizard of the soon-to-be-invaded kingdom.
The wizard's blind adviser warns the wizard that Sonja and Conan could bring the wizard to ruin, but hubris gets in the way, the wizard confident he can fend of the Hyborean barbarians. Indeed, the wizard send an entire army of monsters and nearly everyone on the field of battle lies dead. Except Conan and Red Sonja. Though Conan doesn't see Sonja's body and presumes she is dead as well, so Conan continues on toward the castle. Sonja crawls out from under some bodies to find looters already going through the pouches of the dead. She gets the story of the battle from these observers' eyes, and heads off after Conan.
Conan and Sonja catch up to the wizard, but there is something that gets revealed to the pair and they have yet an even bigger fight, just for their very survival.
This book definitely had a sense of adventure and excitement and just the right amount of fighting to feel like I'm reading a classic Conan story. The wizard and his secret is not too unexpected if you've read this sort of story before, but it works in just the right way.
What doesn't work quite so well is the personalities of Sonja and Conan. While both have always been a bit arrogant it has typically come across as confidence - knowing their skills and not afraid to talk about it. But here it comes across as hubris - particularly with Conan. When he's fighting, he's classic Conan. When he's not fighting, he's bragging and boasting, which just doesn't feel right.
The artwork is fine. For the most part it works. At times it doesn't come across very well. Sonja alternates from a tough fighting warrior woman to a cutesy little girl (which is not how I ever picture her) and Conan sometimes has the classic Romita/Buscema/Alcala look and sometimes he looks Native American. Inconsistent, but over-all, worth looking at.
This was a fun romp in the Conan/Red Sonja world and made me want to read some of the original stories again.
Looking for a good book? Red Sonja/Conan: The Blood of a God is a graphic novel that is a decent throw-back to the classic Conan comics that Marvel once published and is worth picking up to read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2019
In my quest to try different types of fantasy, I gave _Red Sonja/Conan: The Blood of a God_ a try. I figured it would be quick read (it was, read it in a single sitting after lunch one day) and that it would be something different, as it is my first Red Sonja story, my first Conan story, my first reading of any fantasy story in a graphic novel format. I had been hesitant for a while about the whole “chain mail bikini thing” (though to be pedantic, it looks like scale mail) but figured this book would be a taste of both a Red Sonja story and a Conan story as well as another example of a low fantasy book, as that is just not a fantasy subgenre I have read much but do wish to remedy.
Yes all excuses to read a book with a woman in a bikini and apparently that is all she ever wears, at least in this graphic novel collection. Guilty I guess, though the book isn’t a pin up book or the like and it isn’t just about Red Sonja and if that is all it was I wouldn’t be reading it. At least I take comfort in the fact that many of the later graphic novels dedicated to her are illustrated and also written by women. From what I read with the success of the Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel films, we might see still more of Red Sonja in the years to come, possibly even on the big screen. There is a collection of graphic novels where Red Sonja makes her way to the modern United States (the Worlds Away series) written by Amy Chu that I would like to read.
So…how was the story? I imagine a basic low fantasy set up, where non-magic using sword users (Red Sonja does use a bow sometimes and Conan is comfortable also in unarmed combat) vie with a wizard/sorcerer with lots of monsters at their command (at least from what I have read or heard). Basically, the reader gets a prologue where an evil sorcerer uses deception and trickery to steal from the prince he serves a gift from his father, a chest of…seeds? Apparently though these seeds aren’t just any seeds as the seeds are blood root seeds, blood root being one of the most dangerous and magically useful plants ever, and the sorcerer in question, a man by the name of Kal’ang (“court magician of Enshophur, a mag of middling powers, commanding little respect”) is content to steal one seed (out of a huge chest of them) and to go forth with a prophetic blind seer to further his life ambitions, mostly to become a Powerful Man. Oh and Kal’ang also happens to be the world’s greatest herbalist, which I will admit was unusual. The seer does warn Kal’ang that “two will rise to oppose you,” those two, sorry if this a mild spoiler, being Red Sonja and Conan.
We fast forward years later, when the kingdom of Kush, fearing an invasion by the country controlled now by Kal’lang, has raised an army to defend themselves (it is interesting that Kal’lang apparently had no intention to invade Kush and privately talking to the seer is surprised at this turn of events). The army, roused to action when Kal’lang sends monstrous assassins to attack Red Sonja and Conan in an inn the night prior to the invasion, attacks the next day.
I won’t say much more about the plot itself, though it involves lots of sword play, quite a few decapitations in battle, huge, rather interestingly drawn monsters, later sorcerous attempts to kill Red Sonja and Conan, and a hidden identity (which would have meant a little more to me if I had read an earlier story as I didn’t realize this book was a sequel to an earlier Conan/Red Sonja team up, but not having read the previous story didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the graphic novel).
The good? Loved the monsters, they were well drawn. My two favorites were a towering green humanoid with multiple limbs that looked like a very monstrous nod to the green Martians from Edgar Rice Burroughs and a giant three-headed tentacled rat thing that was creepy and dangerous. There were some bits of humor I liked, mild but enjoyable. There was some nice banter between Red Sonja and Conan. I liked how in addition to lots of swords and axes bows and at one-point lassos were the weapons of choice; more variety is good. At about the mid-point of the book Red Sonja puts on a winged helm of sorts and it suits her, makes her to me fit a little more into the setting, I don’t know. It just worked. Made her seem less pin up and more to me at least a fitting part of the setting. I liked the illustration of all the huge sorcerous energies and far realms the two heroes encounter later in the book. Conan wasn’t depicted as some Neanderthal-like brute (nor was Red Sonja) but had plans and use their intellect to figure out new strategies and even pierce some of the spells of their opponent. Sigh, and yes, Red Sonja was often nice to look at.
The bad? There were some inconsistent art styles at times. The cover art collection I understand, even love as different artists each did their take on the duo, but sometimes the way Red Sonja especially was depicted seemed to change distractingly (as another reviewer I read pointed out, her measurements seemed to change sometimes, though also sometimes the construction of her “armor” seemed to change a little from scene to scene). Lots and lots of flying heads in battle. Is it that easy to decapitate someone in battle? Maybe people, but monsters too? A standard complaint about Red Sonja I can add, of her always wearing that armor, of the armor not chafing, and her body not depicted as a highway road map of scars, but to be fair if one is reading Red Sonja, with few exceptions one should know what one is getting into and either accepts it or doesn’t (there was an early 1980s Marvel run I believe that did not have her in the bikini and sometimes in the later graphic novels she wears clothing with a nod to actually being cold). The main villain does monologue a bit, though as with many monologues it is for the benefit of the reader, not the protagonists, and to be fair seems to fit the flair many villains in these stories seem to have (proclaiming people “fools” and hatching plots of revenge largely because of pride). Kal’ang being a herbalist was neat…but we didn’t get to see much of that other than his use of blood root seeds. That might have been a lot better explored. The men in the story are inconsistent in how they treat Red Sonja, sometimes with the utmost respect and not blinking an eye at a woman in their midst or leading them into battle, at other times calling her names and showing her not the least amount of respect because she is a woman. I think she would stick out less and be more acceptable to some if writers of Red Sonja stories included at least the occasional other female warrior in the setting. The only women I saw in this story were in the inn as either waitresses or prostitutes. I think including more women leaders, warriors, and villains might go a long way to improving Red Sonja.
Not bad at all, I could see reading more, at least to see if my take on a “basic low fantasy story” is correct. I understand the character Red Sonja is written witty at times, I would like to see that myself. I definitely want to read some Conan at some point, as stories centered on him have been hugely influential to the fantasy genre.
Yes all excuses to read a book with a woman in a bikini and apparently that is all she ever wears, at least in this graphic novel collection. Guilty I guess, though the book isn’t a pin up book or the like and it isn’t just about Red Sonja and if that is all it was I wouldn’t be reading it. At least I take comfort in the fact that many of the later graphic novels dedicated to her are illustrated and also written by women. From what I read with the success of the Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel films, we might see still more of Red Sonja in the years to come, possibly even on the big screen. There is a collection of graphic novels where Red Sonja makes her way to the modern United States (the Worlds Away series) written by Amy Chu that I would like to read.
So…how was the story? I imagine a basic low fantasy set up, where non-magic using sword users (Red Sonja does use a bow sometimes and Conan is comfortable also in unarmed combat) vie with a wizard/sorcerer with lots of monsters at their command (at least from what I have read or heard). Basically, the reader gets a prologue where an evil sorcerer uses deception and trickery to steal from the prince he serves a gift from his father, a chest of…seeds? Apparently though these seeds aren’t just any seeds as the seeds are blood root seeds, blood root being one of the most dangerous and magically useful plants ever, and the sorcerer in question, a man by the name of Kal’ang (“court magician of Enshophur, a mag of middling powers, commanding little respect”) is content to steal one seed (out of a huge chest of them) and to go forth with a prophetic blind seer to further his life ambitions, mostly to become a Powerful Man. Oh and Kal’ang also happens to be the world’s greatest herbalist, which I will admit was unusual. The seer does warn Kal’ang that “two will rise to oppose you,” those two, sorry if this a mild spoiler, being Red Sonja and Conan.
We fast forward years later, when the kingdom of Kush, fearing an invasion by the country controlled now by Kal’lang, has raised an army to defend themselves (it is interesting that Kal’lang apparently had no intention to invade Kush and privately talking to the seer is surprised at this turn of events). The army, roused to action when Kal’lang sends monstrous assassins to attack Red Sonja and Conan in an inn the night prior to the invasion, attacks the next day.
I won’t say much more about the plot itself, though it involves lots of sword play, quite a few decapitations in battle, huge, rather interestingly drawn monsters, later sorcerous attempts to kill Red Sonja and Conan, and a hidden identity (which would have meant a little more to me if I had read an earlier story as I didn’t realize this book was a sequel to an earlier Conan/Red Sonja team up, but not having read the previous story didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the graphic novel).
The good? Loved the monsters, they were well drawn. My two favorites were a towering green humanoid with multiple limbs that looked like a very monstrous nod to the green Martians from Edgar Rice Burroughs and a giant three-headed tentacled rat thing that was creepy and dangerous. There were some bits of humor I liked, mild but enjoyable. There was some nice banter between Red Sonja and Conan. I liked how in addition to lots of swords and axes bows and at one-point lassos were the weapons of choice; more variety is good. At about the mid-point of the book Red Sonja puts on a winged helm of sorts and it suits her, makes her to me fit a little more into the setting, I don’t know. It just worked. Made her seem less pin up and more to me at least a fitting part of the setting. I liked the illustration of all the huge sorcerous energies and far realms the two heroes encounter later in the book. Conan wasn’t depicted as some Neanderthal-like brute (nor was Red Sonja) but had plans and use their intellect to figure out new strategies and even pierce some of the spells of their opponent. Sigh, and yes, Red Sonja was often nice to look at.
The bad? There were some inconsistent art styles at times. The cover art collection I understand, even love as different artists each did their take on the duo, but sometimes the way Red Sonja especially was depicted seemed to change distractingly (as another reviewer I read pointed out, her measurements seemed to change sometimes, though also sometimes the construction of her “armor” seemed to change a little from scene to scene). Lots and lots of flying heads in battle. Is it that easy to decapitate someone in battle? Maybe people, but monsters too? A standard complaint about Red Sonja I can add, of her always wearing that armor, of the armor not chafing, and her body not depicted as a highway road map of scars, but to be fair if one is reading Red Sonja, with few exceptions one should know what one is getting into and either accepts it or doesn’t (there was an early 1980s Marvel run I believe that did not have her in the bikini and sometimes in the later graphic novels she wears clothing with a nod to actually being cold). The main villain does monologue a bit, though as with many monologues it is for the benefit of the reader, not the protagonists, and to be fair seems to fit the flair many villains in these stories seem to have (proclaiming people “fools” and hatching plots of revenge largely because of pride). Kal’ang being a herbalist was neat…but we didn’t get to see much of that other than his use of blood root seeds. That might have been a lot better explored. The men in the story are inconsistent in how they treat Red Sonja, sometimes with the utmost respect and not blinking an eye at a woman in their midst or leading them into battle, at other times calling her names and showing her not the least amount of respect because she is a woman. I think she would stick out less and be more acceptable to some if writers of Red Sonja stories included at least the occasional other female warrior in the setting. The only women I saw in this story were in the inn as either waitresses or prostitutes. I think including more women leaders, warriors, and villains might go a long way to improving Red Sonja.
Not bad at all, I could see reading more, at least to see if my take on a “basic low fantasy story” is correct. I understand the character Red Sonja is written witty at times, I would like to see that myself. I definitely want to read some Conan at some point, as stories centered on him have been hugely influential to the fantasy genre.
January 26, 2016
Am I stupid? I don't know - are all their comics like this?
In this comic, Conan and Red Sonja just didn't seem like heroes. Both were willing to kill anyone for anything. Conan was as misogynistic as they come. I mean, I wasn't expecting a feminist, but at least I thought he had some hero in him. But it didn't come across in this book. They both seemed like muscle-bound jerks.
The art was good. And the story decent. Fantasy with magic and monsters - just what I like.
But I just can't get past the fact that I didn't feel like they were written about as sympathetic heroes.
Shouldn’t you like your protagonists?
Thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.
In this comic, Conan and Red Sonja just didn't seem like heroes. Both were willing to kill anyone for anything. Conan was as misogynistic as they come. I mean, I wasn't expecting a feminist, but at least I thought he had some hero in him. But it didn't come across in this book. They both seemed like muscle-bound jerks.
The art was good. And the story decent. Fantasy with magic and monsters - just what I like.
But I just can't get past the fact that I didn't feel like they were written about as sympathetic heroes.
Shouldn’t you like your protagonists?
Thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.
September 17, 2019
She fights in the equivalent of metal dental floss instead of armor. She's dreamy...
December 3, 2024
"Conan needs no weapon. Conan is a weapon.”
Conan and Red Sonja return to do battle with a wizard who has the last blood root seed in his possession, stolen from the castle of Enshophur. However, this wizard may in fact be a pawn of Thoth-amon, whose body Conan killed but whose spirit traveled to the astral portal to wander through space and time…
This trade paperback collects all four issues of the 2015 crossover miniseries. It is a direct follow up to Conan/Red Sonja by Gail Simone and Jim Zub.
[Note: Most of the Conan material from the Dark Horse years 2004-2017 has been collected into the Epic Collection trade paperbacks, which runs to 10 volumes. However, some of the miniseries and one-shots are omitted, so I am delving into out-of-print collections to complete the series. This is the third of four Conan crossovers for Dark Horse.]
Victor Gischler's story is uninspired except for the twist of having Thoth-amon travel through time to steal a blood root seed just moments before the opening panel of the previous crossover.
The art by Robert Castro is dark and gloomy, but it needs more panoramas and depth. Too many of the scenes are drawn in close quarters, small rooms and narrow staircases.
3 stars
Conan and Red Sonja return to do battle with a wizard who has the last blood root seed in his possession, stolen from the castle of Enshophur. However, this wizard may in fact be a pawn of Thoth-amon, whose body Conan killed but whose spirit traveled to the astral portal to wander through space and time…
This trade paperback collects all four issues of the 2015 crossover miniseries. It is a direct follow up to Conan/Red Sonja by Gail Simone and Jim Zub.
[Note: Most of the Conan material from the Dark Horse years 2004-2017 has been collected into the Epic Collection trade paperbacks, which runs to 10 volumes. However, some of the miniseries and one-shots are omitted, so I am delving into out-of-print collections to complete the series. This is the third of four Conan crossovers for Dark Horse.]
Victor Gischler's story is uninspired except for the twist of having Thoth-amon travel through time to steal a blood root seed just moments before the opening panel of the previous crossover.
The art by Robert Castro is dark and gloomy, but it needs more panoramas and depth. Too many of the scenes are drawn in close quarters, small rooms and narrow staircases.
3 stars
February 12, 2021
3.5 Stars
This was a sequel to the Conan/Red Sonja series, but I enjoyed the previous series a little more. The art was decent and this wasn't bad, but just seemed like it was done just because they wanted another half to the crossover and not out of the need to tell another good story.
Still okay though, and if you enjoyed the first series you may as well read this one.
This was a sequel to the Conan/Red Sonja series, but I enjoyed the previous series a little more. The art was decent and this wasn't bad, but just seemed like it was done just because they wanted another half to the crossover and not out of the need to tell another good story.
Still okay though, and if you enjoyed the first series you may as well read this one.
June 28, 2022
Not as strong as the other cross-over between these two characters especially when it comes to the art. Dynamite's stable of artists is much less consistent than Dark Horse's, but the direct contrast is pretty stark.
April 3, 2018
Finally, Red Sonja has hers equal on the battleground: Conan!
April 3, 2020
It's a good story, with a nice art, but very '00, if you know what a mean. But in the end, it was fun.
May 22, 2020
Action packed
Action packed not unlike Victor Gischlers fantasy novels. Although some of it is at times a little corny and shallow it's still a cool read.
Action packed not unlike Victor Gischlers fantasy novels. Although some of it is at times a little corny and shallow it's still a cool read.
August 9, 2020
Excellent story. Excellent artwork. Excellent all around.
This book makes me want to go back and read all of the Red Sonja and Conan stories.
This book makes me want to go back and read all of the Red Sonja and Conan stories.
March 27, 2021
Interesting take on the times and death of Julius Ceaser. It was well written.
November 27, 2021
sub par effort but with strong conclusion against wizard Thoth-Amon.
May 22, 2022
Fun
This was a good story of sword and sorcery. I really enjoyed the story arc and the artwork was excellent.
This was a good story of sword and sorcery. I really enjoyed the story arc and the artwork was excellent.
August 24, 2025
A fun, frothy fantasy romp that hits all the sword-and-sorcery targets. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s not trying to. Just sit down, read it and ride the vibes all the way to the very end.
January 7, 2022
Nice
Short but fun to read. Remind me of the old movies from 80s. If they draw them like the old days they would be more successful
Short but fun to read. Remind me of the old movies from 80s. If they draw them like the old days they would be more successful
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