The Art of Red Sonja

Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword (2005) (Collected Editions)

by Christopher Lawrence, Various (Artist)

From the edge of her sword to the murky swamp below, this magnificent work of art captures every dramatic detail of the She-Devil with a Sword. This is a must have for both the fine art collector and the lover of sword and sorcery fantasy. Over 35 years in the making! Featuring a look at every aspect of the she-devil with a sword - Red Sonja! From the Dynamite revival and back to the classic era of Roy Thomas and Marvel Comics, the Art of Red Sonja has it all! Bursting with incredible art by a veritable who's who of talent: ALEX ROSS, Jim Lee, Frank Cho, Frank Brunner, Adam Hughes, Pablo Marcos, John Cassaday, Art Adams, Mel Rubi, Howard Chaykin and more!

Genres: Comics, Art, Fantasy, Ebooks

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2009

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of pretty pictures of an impossibly proportioned red head striking a bunch of "battle" poses.

although there a a few images from the early era of Red Sonja, most of the images presented are re-prints of Dynamite's covers without the image hidding text. This was a sore point, as even the Barry Windsor Smith interpretation of the character doesn
Most of the images are nice, some are OK, and some just plain, well, you know... too busy ;-)

The large size edition is nice, but alot of inside space is wasted on borders around the images... they could have skipped the borders and simply given us a somewhat larger image.

At least it does solve a long-stnding mystery; Red Sonja does indeed wear underoos under her bikini chain mail bottom... most of the time.

[Vikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an introduction to the art and artists of Red Sonja, and it was nice, after all, it was full of wonderful art. Physically, this might be a big book to enjoy all the wonderful art, but on the Kindle edition on my tablet it was all about zooming in to the art when it's placed 3 onthe page, and also there were many twin page art but the formatting didn't allow me see them together as the formatting of this book is just one page at a time. Okay, then let's see volume 2 of this one, and then let's keep on reading.

I have always loved comics, and I can and I have. I love comics to bits, may the comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more. You should also read what you love, and I hope you will always love it. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics, Diamond Comics, or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I just want to Keep on Reading.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holy chainmail bikini chaffage Batman! Red Sonja must have nipple calluses half an inch thick.

I love Conan. I like Red Sonja. She is interesting in the insanely hot, casually murderous way. Lots of people, even Robert E. Howard, have a hard time writing her consistently well. Is she a bloodthirsty tart, or is she a vengeful, sword swinging nun? It's tough.

This is a book where she should shine. No story, no dialogue, just look good. Unfortunately I though there were more badly done, or slightly off Sonja's than really inspiring ones. I might have felt differently at 13.

[Conan Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great art.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going to up this from 3 to 4 stars based on the writing introduction, but it cut off mid sentence and never continued. I was reading the electronic version, but the page numbers written were consecutive. I also noticed a few typos so I don’t think this book was put together well for such a short 8 page or so introduction. The images were so so. Some were great, others too modern/anime looking. I don’t think drawing Sonja with huge bazoombas is necessary. She can have normal sized ones. It ruins the image for me. The introduction said it’s more about her vulnerability, being scarred emotionally, and her forging out on her own, standing for justice that make this character so interesting. I was really enjoying the history of Robert E. Howard and how Sonja came to be, but wish it hadn’t cut off.

[Tristan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Currently available on Kindle Unlimited, this is meant to be a celebratory retrospective on a significant comics character. However, it’s shoddy.

The only interesting bit - the article on the character’s development - is rudely cut off mid flow. Didn’t the editors even notice? Nope. So much for the care such a property ought to inspire.

And as for the art … this mainly covers the period owned by the latest editorial team … and the remarkable constant is how bad it is, with one or two exceptions. Disappointing.

[Aran Chandran · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is just a collection of pin up or full spread art from various artist. It’s a real missed opportunity to show more behind the scenes art concepts and character development art along with growth of the character. In the end it feels like it’s for a teen fanboy audience. Glad I didn’t actually spend money to buy this.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag of great artists and others who are far less so. And you quickly run out of themes to illustrate with the character, which leads to a strong sense of repetition