What do you think?
Rate this book
Red Sonja Vol. 2 (Collected Editions) #1-3
The Complete Gail Simone Red Sonja Oversized
Collects all of Gail Simone's amazing work on Red Sonja in one beautiful oversized volume.
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.
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.
528 pages, Hardcover
Published December 10, 2019
164 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Gail Simone
1,078 books1,237 followersGail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
October 16, 2023
Simone's Red Sonja kicks ass.
If you love the She-Devil then you'll more than likely enjoy Gail Simone's updated take on this character. There were a lot of fun nods to her original storyline that made me smile.
The one that stood out the most was when she faced a swordsman who had never been beaten. When he admitted that he was still a virgin because he'd vowed to only sleep with someone who could best him, her reaction was horror at such a stupid oath.
If you've read the old comics then you know that was exactly the same silly promise she had made.
There was a lot to like here, but my favorite arc was the first one that ended with volume 1. It was intense and it was badass. The origin with her village being attacked, and then her meeting with the king who showed her kindness and freed her from the gladiator games that would have forced her to kill her best friend. I loved everything about that whole story. Especially the twist at the end.
The rest of the issues had a little more fun to them. Not that I minded it, but you could just tell the stakes weren't that high. Lots of jokes about how stinky and randy she was, and not as much...something? Urgency? Idk. It was fine. I just preferred the beginning story.
Her fight with the goddess of Death was cool, though.
Overall, fans of this character will love Simone's take on her. She's not just an author, she's a superfan and it shows.
Recommended.
If you love the She-Devil then you'll more than likely enjoy Gail Simone's updated take on this character. There were a lot of fun nods to her original storyline that made me smile.
The one that stood out the most was when she faced a swordsman who had never been beaten. When he admitted that he was still a virgin because he'd vowed to only sleep with someone who could best him, her reaction was horror at such a stupid oath.
If you've read the old comics then you know that was exactly the same silly promise she had made.
There was a lot to like here, but my favorite arc was the first one that ended with volume 1. It was intense and it was badass. The origin with her village being attacked, and then her meeting with the king who showed her kindness and freed her from the gladiator games that would have forced her to kill her best friend. I loved everything about that whole story. Especially the twist at the end.
The rest of the issues had a little more fun to them. Not that I minded it, but you could just tell the stakes weren't that high. Lots of jokes about how stinky and randy she was, and not as much...something? Urgency? Idk. It was fine. I just preferred the beginning story.
Her fight with the goddess of Death was cool, though.
Overall, fans of this character will love Simone's take on her. She's not just an author, she's a superfan and it shows.
Recommended.
February 20, 2020
This is the spoiler free review of Red Sonja by Gail Simone. This run includes issues 1-18. If you would like to read the spoiler full review and fully experience Sonja's crass heroism please visit https://amanjareads.com/2020/02/20/re...
Red Sonja is a barbarian warrior who is as badass as she is half naked. She rides a horse in a chain-mail bikini and doesn't care that you think it's impractical.
She drinks, she kills, she desperately wants to get laid (and is apparently pansexual which is pretty neat), but she doesn't bathe so that last one has been more challenging than she expected.
Red Sonja is an unapologetic female protagonist. She does not need to fit into your mold of what modern feminism looks like, she's just who she is. And I like her all the more for that.
This large collection of Gail Simone's run of Red Sonja follows three main arcs. Each is an exciting adventure story that puts Red Sonja in a predictable path of action with a couple deviations to be thought provoking of what it means to maintain humanity in a dark and violent world.
Adventure fantasy is not my favorite genre, nor is medieval period violence. If these are your thing then you'll probably like Red Sonja even more than I did. I just get tired of the whole random pieces of magic popping up when it's convenient.
Overall though Red Sonja is a fun, coherent collection that serves as a great introduction to the character. I had never read anything of hers before and did not need to in order to understand and follow this one.
I really like being able to pick up a single run of comic books and be able to read it alone. There is no mandatory previous reading here and the book has an actual conclusion to the plot lines so you do not need to read 100 issues afterwards either. An absolute rarity in comics.
I definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a new hero to follow. She is badass, strong, beautiful, and at times very funny. She also never slows down, even is she's sick or dead or asleep or injured. She's always fighting.
Red Sonja is a barbarian warrior who is as badass as she is half naked. She rides a horse in a chain-mail bikini and doesn't care that you think it's impractical.
She drinks, she kills, she desperately wants to get laid (and is apparently pansexual which is pretty neat), but she doesn't bathe so that last one has been more challenging than she expected.
Red Sonja is an unapologetic female protagonist. She does not need to fit into your mold of what modern feminism looks like, she's just who she is. And I like her all the more for that.
This large collection of Gail Simone's run of Red Sonja follows three main arcs. Each is an exciting adventure story that puts Red Sonja in a predictable path of action with a couple deviations to be thought provoking of what it means to maintain humanity in a dark and violent world.
Adventure fantasy is not my favorite genre, nor is medieval period violence. If these are your thing then you'll probably like Red Sonja even more than I did. I just get tired of the whole random pieces of magic popping up when it's convenient.
Overall though Red Sonja is a fun, coherent collection that serves as a great introduction to the character. I had never read anything of hers before and did not need to in order to understand and follow this one.
I really like being able to pick up a single run of comic books and be able to read it alone. There is no mandatory previous reading here and the book has an actual conclusion to the plot lines so you do not need to read 100 issues afterwards either. An absolute rarity in comics.
I definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a new hero to follow. She is badass, strong, beautiful, and at times very funny. She also never slows down, even is she's sick or dead or asleep or injured. She's always fighting.
September 17, 2024
This Red Haired Devil is one of the oldest classic characters from the tales of sword and sorcery. Her stories have inspired numerous imitators as well.
Red Sonja is the fictional sword and sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard who is more famous for his creation Conan. The Red Sonja that we see in these books and graphic novels/comic can be traced to the inspired superstar created by the combination of writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith way back in 1973. Her signature bikini armor has changed over the course of time with several variations visible in this book.
Gail Simone is the heart and soul of this Red Sonja book and provides the book with thrills every page and also propels the characters into a tight weave which is a delight to read. We see many new variations of the Devil in this book.
This book also propels a new story for the Devil doing away with her backstory of assault and also removes the presence or benevolence of Scathach by the singular lack of it. Her personality has changed with a degree of softness and she has also left behind all pretenses of celibacy which were a hallmark of her previous avatars and sealed with her vow of bowing to the one who defeats her in a fair combat.
Neither of these changes are unpleasing and the new Devil seems more human although at times Simone does make her seem stupid and a stupid hulk at that, not unlike her more famous colleague from similar times, Conan.
The Complete Gail Simone Red Sonja Omnibus collects some of the volume 2 issues and includes the oddly enjoyable The Ballad of Red Malek. We start with her Queen of Plagues which includes her reboot; as a former slave turned warrior in a tussle fighting off an invading army led by her one time friend and lover, Dark Anissa. Anissa trying to stamp out the effects is killing all the people who carry or may carry the devastating plague, clearing up villages and habitations, burning them to the ground.
And Simone pulls off this exploitive storyline although I am still not convinced about her doing away with Sonja's rape survivor back story. Sonja's single mindedness in tracking Fella, one of the last of the group who ravaged and killed her village or where she rejects the nuns request to protect their library very bluntly; and then has feeling the sympathy and empathy to forgive the aged scum in the first story and going back to help them the nuns defend their fountain of knowledge (fighting for the underdog) in the second story. doesn't justify her actions enough without that story. My view...maybe I am missing something.
Art of Blood and Fire shows Sonja in a bid to equal the challenge of a dying Pharoah who wants 7 precious people and promises to free a 1000 slaves. This story has several comic points as Sonja quests across the land to assemble the seven artisans of various claims to fame. There are several humorous scenes and a wide cast of characters which lead to a lot of mirth, including cannibals, weird reptilians, a animal hater and finally the true face of a cruel tyrant forms a great story interspersed in between with scenes very unlike the Sonja tales that I had read earlier.
The story where she is cursed with not forgiving any slight, forcing her to punish insignificant common people and determination to stop the curse by destroying her hands and her subsequent duel with another sorcerer goes to dizzying heights as in a painful coma she duels in hell with Death incarnate herself is a stuff for legends.
The stories blow hot and cold maybe because I had read many of them earlier and the huge lot of bonus art (without stories) cover a sizable amount of pages in the book, not for the likes of me.
I recommend this book as an insight into the transition of Sonja from her previous avatars.
Looking forward to the next installment.
Red Sonja is the fictional sword and sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard who is more famous for his creation Conan. The Red Sonja that we see in these books and graphic novels/comic can be traced to the inspired superstar created by the combination of writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith way back in 1973. Her signature bikini armor has changed over the course of time with several variations visible in this book.
Gail Simone is the heart and soul of this Red Sonja book and provides the book with thrills every page and also propels the characters into a tight weave which is a delight to read. We see many new variations of the Devil in this book.
This book also propels a new story for the Devil doing away with her backstory of assault and also removes the presence or benevolence of Scathach by the singular lack of it. Her personality has changed with a degree of softness and she has also left behind all pretenses of celibacy which were a hallmark of her previous avatars and sealed with her vow of bowing to the one who defeats her in a fair combat.
Neither of these changes are unpleasing and the new Devil seems more human although at times Simone does make her seem stupid and a stupid hulk at that, not unlike her more famous colleague from similar times, Conan.
The Complete Gail Simone Red Sonja Omnibus collects some of the volume 2 issues and includes the oddly enjoyable The Ballad of Red Malek. We start with her Queen of Plagues which includes her reboot; as a former slave turned warrior in a tussle fighting off an invading army led by her one time friend and lover, Dark Anissa. Anissa trying to stamp out the effects is killing all the people who carry or may carry the devastating plague, clearing up villages and habitations, burning them to the ground.
And Simone pulls off this exploitive storyline although I am still not convinced about her doing away with Sonja's rape survivor back story. Sonja's single mindedness in tracking Fella, one of the last of the group who ravaged and killed her village or where she rejects the nuns request to protect their library very bluntly; and then has feeling the sympathy and empathy to forgive the aged scum in the first story and going back to help them the nuns defend their fountain of knowledge (fighting for the underdog) in the second story. doesn't justify her actions enough without that story. My view...maybe I am missing something.
Art of Blood and Fire shows Sonja in a bid to equal the challenge of a dying Pharoah who wants 7 precious people and promises to free a 1000 slaves. This story has several comic points as Sonja quests across the land to assemble the seven artisans of various claims to fame. There are several humorous scenes and a wide cast of characters which lead to a lot of mirth, including cannibals, weird reptilians, a animal hater and finally the true face of a cruel tyrant forms a great story interspersed in between with scenes very unlike the Sonja tales that I had read earlier.
The story where she is cursed with not forgiving any slight, forcing her to punish insignificant common people and determination to stop the curse by destroying her hands and her subsequent duel with another sorcerer goes to dizzying heights as in a painful coma she duels in hell with Death incarnate herself is a stuff for legends.
The stories blow hot and cold maybe because I had read many of them earlier and the huge lot of bonus art (without stories) cover a sizable amount of pages in the book, not for the likes of me.
I recommend this book as an insight into the transition of Sonja from her previous avatars.
Looking forward to the next installment.
July 3, 2021
This was such a fun book!
It has Sonja going against her friend Dark Annisia and we get this great friendship tale and their childhood together and where she might have gone wrong. And then this story where she has to rescue slaves from a King Samala and gather the 6 artisans and that was my favorite part, her quest for them and fighting villains left and right and seeing the plight of each and then the final war and betrayals and team work and finally where she is cursed to not forgive and how she battles that. Her friends all coming together in the end when she is almost dead shows her impact on others.
Finally when she rescues some girls from a deranged Empress and the transformation that occurs there where she decides to be a protector of people and recognizes happiness was a great ending and the tale of her self professed lover was cool too.
Overall a great volume and it has some amazing stories featuring the She-devil and her wild and rambunctious adventure and meeting people and what not, getting onto insane and bloody fights and I love how she never apologizes for her act and she also is ready to sacrifice herself for others like when she was cursed. The supporting crew was awesome too. One of the better books Gail has written and I love the art and covers throughout. They were astonishing. A perfect read. Highly recommend it.
It has Sonja going against her friend Dark Annisia and we get this great friendship tale and their childhood together and where she might have gone wrong. And then this story where she has to rescue slaves from a King Samala and gather the 6 artisans and that was my favorite part, her quest for them and fighting villains left and right and seeing the plight of each and then the final war and betrayals and team work and finally where she is cursed to not forgive and how she battles that. Her friends all coming together in the end when she is almost dead shows her impact on others.
Finally when she rescues some girls from a deranged Empress and the transformation that occurs there where she decides to be a protector of people and recognizes happiness was a great ending and the tale of her self professed lover was cool too.
Overall a great volume and it has some amazing stories featuring the She-devil and her wild and rambunctious adventure and meeting people and what not, getting onto insane and bloody fights and I love how she never apologizes for her act and she also is ready to sacrifice herself for others like when she was cursed. The supporting crew was awesome too. One of the better books Gail has written and I love the art and covers throughout. They were astonishing. A perfect read. Highly recommend it.
January 2, 2020
This was raucous, barbaric fun with a "Fierce Fem" edge! Nice last read of the decade.
June 23, 2024
I really wasn’t sure Red Sonja would be my thing, but I picked this up for Gail Simone and this book absolutely did not disappoint. She writes a powerful heroine who owns her body and sexuality, kicking butt between trips to the tavern. The friends and companions are all charming as hell; the villains perfectly vile.
Have to call out the art and colors as well - this creative team flexes with equal quality between fantasy landscapes, horror and big bads.
Have to call out the art and colors as well - this creative team flexes with equal quality between fantasy landscapes, horror and big bads.
January 22, 2020
Gender-swapping a sloppy-drunk, crass, revenge-driven warrior does not a feminist icon make. But sometimes gender swapping enough leads to create representation (my goodness, women take up as much space as men in the world!), and having something pass the Bechtel test simply by virtue of women standing around discussing the same things that men do, is revolutionary enough (especially in comics). That being said, I didn't see anything to gain from reading this in 2019/2020 rather than just watching Xena Warrior Princess 20 years ago.
August 20, 2022
The Complete Gail Simone Red Sonja Omnibus contains the three volumes collecting Gail Simone’s run as writer on Red Sonja. That is issue #0-18 or 19 depending on which Goodreads page you are looking. Issue zero is not first either It is a whole other story. I had read a bunch of these as single issues and then the first two trades I had not read issue zero or the 3rd trade volume before.
Vol. 1: Queen of Plagues just did not improve on this read. This story arc was just not that good or original. Sonja’s bodyguards are the saving grace of this volume in their pure and innocent ways. A story just following these two could be interesting with the right author.
I don’t know if I would still give Vol. 2: The Art of Blood and Fire five stars after this reading. But it is still the best story arc of the bunch. The story follows Sonja as she recruits celebrities of her time to attend a Pharos’s funeral. The stories are each self-contained yet build on the previous issue. Each person Sonja has to find is unique with a weird personality. Unfortunately, the last few recruits are rushed as it seems Gail realized she had run out of pages in which to tell her story (the powers that be should have given her more pages). But like I said this arc is the best of the bunch.
Vol. 3: The Forgiving of Monsters is a collection of shorter stories. Most are decent but there are stinkers here as well. A couple of the stories seem told out of order for whatever reason. I guess defending the library was the best story. It also illustrates that this volume has Sonja learning a lesson or something about herself with each arc. Oh, Sonja also acquires armor or clothing of a more practical and protective nature in this volume – sorry folks that just want a story with a woman nearly naked in chainmail bikini art. Three stars.
Vol. 1: Queen of Plagues just did not improve on this read. This story arc was just not that good or original. Sonja’s bodyguards are the saving grace of this volume in their pure and innocent ways. A story just following these two could be interesting with the right author.
I don’t know if I would still give Vol. 2: The Art of Blood and Fire five stars after this reading. But it is still the best story arc of the bunch. The story follows Sonja as she recruits celebrities of her time to attend a Pharos’s funeral. The stories are each self-contained yet build on the previous issue. Each person Sonja has to find is unique with a weird personality. Unfortunately, the last few recruits are rushed as it seems Gail realized she had run out of pages in which to tell her story (the powers that be should have given her more pages). But like I said this arc is the best of the bunch.
Vol. 3: The Forgiving of Monsters is a collection of shorter stories. Most are decent but there are stinkers here as well. A couple of the stories seem told out of order for whatever reason. I guess defending the library was the best story. It also illustrates that this volume has Sonja learning a lesson or something about herself with each arc. Oh, Sonja also acquires armor or clothing of a more practical and protective nature in this volume – sorry folks that just want a story with a woman nearly naked in chainmail bikini art. Three stars.
March 2, 2021
i like ladies wielding swords what can i say
December 14, 2025
Fantastic!
I have never been much on the swords and sorcery books or stories. Conan, Red Sonya, etc. I have seen the movies and read a few things but never gotten hooked.
This did that, I was enjoying the story, the characters, and the artwork. Well done. I don't know that I will suddenly read more of this type but if written and drawn by this team I will.
I have never been much on the swords and sorcery books or stories. Conan, Red Sonya, etc. I have seen the movies and read a few things but never gotten hooked.
This did that, I was enjoying the story, the characters, and the artwork. Well done. I don't know that I will suddenly read more of this type but if written and drawn by this team I will.
April 3, 2022
Rating Distribution:
Queen of Plagues - 3/5
The Art of Blood and Fire - 3.5/5
The Forgiving of Monsters - 4/5
Average rating - 3.5/5, rounded off to 4 stars.
Really wanted to like this one. Had heard so much of this run, but couldn't get into it. Loved the art though, as well as the bonus cover gallery at the end. A 3 star read, but rounding 3.5 off to 4 because of the excellent illustrations.
Queen of Plagues - 3/5
The Art of Blood and Fire - 3.5/5
The Forgiving of Monsters - 4/5
Average rating - 3.5/5, rounded off to 4 stars.
Really wanted to like this one. Had heard so much of this run, but couldn't get into it. Loved the art though, as well as the bonus cover gallery at the end. A 3 star read, but rounding 3.5 off to 4 because of the excellent illustrations.
December 16, 2019
Still reading this, but quite a weighty tome and well worth having a look at as you can pick it up and put it down.
I would put this up with the Aliens vs Predator collection as one of my favourites of the year.
Big Arnie famously makes his staff watch the movie of Red Sonja if they do something wrong, an animated version of this would be great though.
I would put this up with the Aliens vs Predator collection as one of my favourites of the year.
Big Arnie famously makes his staff watch the movie of Red Sonja if they do something wrong, an animated version of this would be great though.
February 11, 2022
RED SONJA is one of the classic characters of sword and sorcery who has inspired a hundred imitators as well as helped make action girls more acceptable in Modern Fantasy. However, she's unfortunately suffered from being effectively reduced to a joke about her infamous chainmail bikini.
Part of this is due to the inherent silliness of it and the inherent double-standard when it comes to sexualization. Conan can run around with a loin cloth and not be sexualized but every part of Sonja is scrutinized and often deliberately highlighted. After all, Roy Thomas assumed he was primarily selling his creation to teenage boys.
Gail Simone opens her omnibus discussing this dichotomy with the fact that she was part of the periphery demographic of comic book readers that absolutely loved Red Sonja as an ass-kicking, deep, and fascinating character in her own right. Yes, this small and ignored group of people called women that compromised half the human population as well as a significant chunk of comic book readers. In fact, had always been so. When given the chance to write the character, she lept at the chance and decided to put her own spin on it.
Gail Simone's issue with the She-Devil isn't that she wears the chain-mail bikini or fanservice. There's quite a bit of both in the book, though Sonja wears quite a bit more clothes and armor than usual. No, her primary issue is with the other thing that she was most infamous for: her rape backstory, empowerment by Scathach, and the oath to never be with a man unless he beats her in battle. Her opinion on that? "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life."
Indeed, Red Sonja is deliberately not chaste in this reboot of her character and spends a not-insignificant portion of Simone's run trying to get laid. Gail Simone throws quite a number of humorous obstacles to explain why Red Sonja, looking like the original swimwear model, has difficulty with this and it is always hilarious. More controversially, Gail Simone makes it clear that Sonja is bisexual as well. Which perhaps was done due to the character's somewhat checkered history with queer representation.
Gail Simone perhaps goes a bit too far in reinventing the She-Devil with a sword. While I don't think too many readers will mourn the fact she is no longer sexually assaulted in her backstory, being away from the massacre when it happens, the lack of Scathach and changes to her personality are a bit more noticeable.
Fine, let Sonja be horny and a party animal but Gail Simone flat out makes her seem dumb at times as well as a cariacture of Conan--who was, himself, never dumb save when caricatured. To seasoned Conan pastiche readers, you'd know that Conan is Chaotic Neutral occasionally bordering on Chaotic Good while Sonja was always Chaotic Good, occasionally bordering on Neutral or even Lawful Good.
The first of the stories, "Queen of Plagues" is a surprisingly intricate storyline that reboots Sonja's backstory as well as well as deals with an ex-lover/rival Dark Anissa who has now become the head of an army of zealots who kill all people who may carry a devastating plague. "The Art of Blood and Fire" is a hilarious zany comedy about Red Sonja trying to assemble seven artisans for a pharaoh's death party in order to free a thousand slaves. It is one of the best comics I've ever read in my life. "The Forgiving of Monsters" is the only dud in the group as it suffers from the Spider Man 3 problem that it wants the heroine to let go of revenge while their object of revenge remains a complete scumbag continuing to commit crimes.
In conclusion, I definitely recommend this book for fantastic art, fantastic action, and something that goes a long way to reminding readers while Sonja is a beloved fantasy icon. However, I feel it goes a little too far in changing her backstory as I always liked the Scathach connection. I also don't think it was a good idea portraying Sonja as sometimes bordering on a complete dumbass. Which has never been part of her characterization.
Part of this is due to the inherent silliness of it and the inherent double-standard when it comes to sexualization. Conan can run around with a loin cloth and not be sexualized but every part of Sonja is scrutinized and often deliberately highlighted. After all, Roy Thomas assumed he was primarily selling his creation to teenage boys.
Gail Simone opens her omnibus discussing this dichotomy with the fact that she was part of the periphery demographic of comic book readers that absolutely loved Red Sonja as an ass-kicking, deep, and fascinating character in her own right. Yes, this small and ignored group of people called women that compromised half the human population as well as a significant chunk of comic book readers. In fact, had always been so. When given the chance to write the character, she lept at the chance and decided to put her own spin on it.
Gail Simone's issue with the She-Devil isn't that she wears the chain-mail bikini or fanservice. There's quite a bit of both in the book, though Sonja wears quite a bit more clothes and armor than usual. No, her primary issue is with the other thing that she was most infamous for: her rape backstory, empowerment by Scathach, and the oath to never be with a man unless he beats her in battle. Her opinion on that? "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life."
Indeed, Red Sonja is deliberately not chaste in this reboot of her character and spends a not-insignificant portion of Simone's run trying to get laid. Gail Simone throws quite a number of humorous obstacles to explain why Red Sonja, looking like the original swimwear model, has difficulty with this and it is always hilarious. More controversially, Gail Simone makes it clear that Sonja is bisexual as well. Which perhaps was done due to the character's somewhat checkered history with queer representation.
Gail Simone perhaps goes a bit too far in reinventing the She-Devil with a sword. While I don't think too many readers will mourn the fact she is no longer sexually assaulted in her backstory, being away from the massacre when it happens, the lack of Scathach and changes to her personality are a bit more noticeable.
Fine, let Sonja be horny and a party animal but Gail Simone flat out makes her seem dumb at times as well as a cariacture of Conan--who was, himself, never dumb save when caricatured. To seasoned Conan pastiche readers, you'd know that Conan is Chaotic Neutral occasionally bordering on Chaotic Good while Sonja was always Chaotic Good, occasionally bordering on Neutral or even Lawful Good.
The first of the stories, "Queen of Plagues" is a surprisingly intricate storyline that reboots Sonja's backstory as well as well as deals with an ex-lover/rival Dark Anissa who has now become the head of an army of zealots who kill all people who may carry a devastating plague. "The Art of Blood and Fire" is a hilarious zany comedy about Red Sonja trying to assemble seven artisans for a pharaoh's death party in order to free a thousand slaves. It is one of the best comics I've ever read in my life. "The Forgiving of Monsters" is the only dud in the group as it suffers from the Spider Man 3 problem that it wants the heroine to let go of revenge while their object of revenge remains a complete scumbag continuing to commit crimes.
In conclusion, I definitely recommend this book for fantastic art, fantastic action, and something that goes a long way to reminding readers while Sonja is a beloved fantasy icon. However, I feel it goes a little too far in changing her backstory as I always liked the Scathach connection. I also don't think it was a good idea portraying Sonja as sometimes bordering on a complete dumbass. Which has never been part of her characterization.
December 3, 2019
This was uniformly awesome. Sonja in Simone's hands is a surly, gross, violent killing machine with grit and depth she's never had before, and the time she's in is brutal and twisted. These tales within read like classic Howard, but you know; smarter. The art here is in harmony with the story, and the story sings like a thirsty blade clearing a leather scabbard. Gail Simone has spoiled the Devil for me; I'm not sure I'd be enthusiastic about anyone else helming her destiny. Please read aloud to impressionable minds who need swords & sorcery.
December 6, 2020
Simone gets rid of all the illogical, vaguely S/M, cheesecake elements of the Red Sonja mythos and creates a compelling action heroine.
Really quite good!
Really quite good!
February 7, 2023
Art: 5/5
Absolute joy to behold. Had to stop several times and just look at the screens.
Stories: 3-4/5
Pretty basic arcs. The origin story was interesting and it was a very fun read as a whole. I have to say, though, the world often did not feel like Howards Hyborian age. This was like a sillier, less gritty version of it and the feel was more medieval than mythical, lost iron age. Felt pulpier and wrong at times. Still, it mostly fit the feel of the stories themselves.
Thank you, Red Sonja & Gail Simone, for saving my reading hobby from looming stagnation.
Absolute joy to behold. Had to stop several times and just look at the screens.
Stories: 3-4/5
Pretty basic arcs. The origin story was interesting and it was a very fun read as a whole. I have to say, though, the world often did not feel like Howards Hyborian age. This was like a sillier, less gritty version of it and the feel was more medieval than mythical, lost iron age. Felt pulpier and wrong at times. Still, it mostly fit the feel of the stories themselves.
Thank you, Red Sonja & Gail Simone, for saving my reading hobby from looming stagnation.
January 25, 2025
Wasn’t familiar at all with Red Sonya, other than her connection to Conan and his world, but this magnificent collection of swords and sorcery by Gail Simone has made me a super fan. Funny and badass. I had so much fun reading this collection! 🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️
July 13, 2021
Pretty fun, but kind of shallow and Simone definitely struggled with the faux-historical dialogue, but I still really enjoyed it.
December 23, 2023
Took a very long time to finish this. Never really connected with the character. End part had some more interesting bits, but was just too late. Art was good. Rare miss with me for Gail Simone, usually love her work.
August 16, 2020
3.5 stars. I’ll break this down to the three acts.
4 stars for act 1. This was the best arc. We get the tragic background as to how she became Red Sonja the Devil. We also get some great characters here. I loved her “bodyguards” Nias and Ayla. Those two were awesome. Plus I liked her sister from the fighting pits, Annisia. This story showed the most bad ass version of Red Sonja, banished away but comes back with a vengeance.
3 stars for act 2. Here Sonja is charged with going out and finding these six people who are the best in their fields, a chef, a swordsman etc etc. this was at the request of a king who is dying and wants to throw one last party. In order to get Sonja to do this task, he promises her he will free his one thousand slaves. While this was a cool story idea and had some cool adventures, it lost some of the bad ass Sonja allure. It seemed little too current like a sex & the city episode as it didn’t make me feel we were in the sword and sandal era like the first arc. But still decent.
3.5 stars for act 3. Here Red Sonja gets her bad ass persona back and you get that feeling that she is not one to be trifled with again. Here I also feel like we are back in the era this comic is supposed to reside in. Sonja is brought in to take out this sorcerer who has been terrorizing the neighboring town. Which after doing so brings his brother in looking for revenge. The second part has Sonja protecting these nuns at this tower that is a great library. There were a lot of people Sonja befriended, helped and saved throughout this book and all of it comes back full circle which makes for a nice ending.
4 stars for act 1. This was the best arc. We get the tragic background as to how she became Red Sonja the Devil. We also get some great characters here. I loved her “bodyguards” Nias and Ayla. Those two were awesome. Plus I liked her sister from the fighting pits, Annisia. This story showed the most bad ass version of Red Sonja, banished away but comes back with a vengeance.
3 stars for act 2. Here Sonja is charged with going out and finding these six people who are the best in their fields, a chef, a swordsman etc etc. this was at the request of a king who is dying and wants to throw one last party. In order to get Sonja to do this task, he promises her he will free his one thousand slaves. While this was a cool story idea and had some cool adventures, it lost some of the bad ass Sonja allure. It seemed little too current like a sex & the city episode as it didn’t make me feel we were in the sword and sandal era like the first arc. But still decent.
3.5 stars for act 3. Here Red Sonja gets her bad ass persona back and you get that feeling that she is not one to be trifled with again. Here I also feel like we are back in the era this comic is supposed to reside in. Sonja is brought in to take out this sorcerer who has been terrorizing the neighboring town. Which after doing so brings his brother in looking for revenge. The second part has Sonja protecting these nuns at this tower that is a great library. There were a lot of people Sonja befriended, helped and saved throughout this book and all of it comes back full circle which makes for a nice ending.
September 10, 2022
I give this collection/omnibus 2.75 bloody swords out of 5!
I really like the idea of this character, and as a big Conan/Hyborian nerd, I love anything that expands the universe.
That being said, these stories are *mostly* very uh, how do I explain this, um... uninspired? generic? amateur? poorly-written? Maybe that is too harsh, but I expected more gnarly complex stories, filled with adventure and heroic exploits - and to be fair there is some of this - but most of it felt very "paint by numbers" plotlines. RED SONJA DESERVES BETTER.
That isn't to say that there wasn't some standout stories or moments, there definitely was. So anyone that is a Red Sonja fan should still check this out, but it may leave you wanting, in the end.
Also, the art was inconsistent and the quality definitely dipped here and there, which was distracting. The various cover arts included in the collection were fantastic, though!
p.s. not a new or controversial opinion, but women need better armor - ringmail bikinis just aren't cutting it in the modern era lol
p.s.s *spoiler alert* NO CONAN CAMEO? NOT EVEN A MENTION? FAIL!
I really like the idea of this character, and as a big Conan/Hyborian nerd, I love anything that expands the universe.
That being said, these stories are *mostly* very uh, how do I explain this, um... uninspired? generic? amateur? poorly-written? Maybe that is too harsh, but I expected more gnarly complex stories, filled with adventure and heroic exploits - and to be fair there is some of this - but most of it felt very "paint by numbers" plotlines. RED SONJA DESERVES BETTER.
That isn't to say that there wasn't some standout stories or moments, there definitely was. So anyone that is a Red Sonja fan should still check this out, but it may leave you wanting, in the end.
Also, the art was inconsistent and the quality definitely dipped here and there, which was distracting. The various cover arts included in the collection were fantastic, though!
p.s. not a new or controversial opinion, but women need better armor - ringmail bikinis just aren't cutting it in the modern era lol
p.s.s *spoiler alert* NO CONAN CAMEO? NOT EVEN A MENTION? FAIL!
August 24, 2021
This. . . was not good. It was Red Sonja and the Hyborian Age in name only. Much like the last Conan comic I read, it seemed as if the world information had been gained by skimming Wikipedia. Even if this had been Generic Barbarian Heroine In Generic Prehistoric Setting, it would've only been 2.5 stars.
On the plus side, while Sonja inappropriately cracks wise far too much (I blame Joss Whedon for all the snarky/smarmy dialogue that pervades all media these days), at least she isn't a bad ass because some deity gave her magical fighting prowess and she did occasionally wear things other than the stupid scale bikini (both impractical as armor and probably really uncomfortable, her poor nipples).
Pretty disappointed.
On the plus side, while Sonja inappropriately cracks wise far too much (I blame Joss Whedon for all the snarky/smarmy dialogue that pervades all media these days), at least she isn't a bad ass because some deity gave her magical fighting prowess and she did occasionally wear things other than the stupid scale bikini (both impractical as armor and probably really uncomfortable, her poor nipples).
Pretty disappointed.
April 20, 2020
I picked this up because it was Gail Simone. While chainmail bikinis were never my thing, this uses them sparingly and DAMN do I like her Red Sonja - a woman who is often better than she wants to be and earns loyalty often despite herself. But also, one hundred percent is killing you and enjoying it.
January 27, 2020
What a fun, silly adventure while still being heartfelt and showing that all people have worth. I'm new to Red Sonja, but I think people can still be fine with her wearing a chain mail bikini, since Simone never uses it to flaunt her body.
August 7, 2023
I’ve never read Red Sonja before, and I loved every minute of it! The pacing was really well done. The art is perfect for the story, and the covers are worthy of their own frames. I suggest this to lovers of action comics and drunken brawls.
May 17, 2020
OVERALL RATING: 5 stars (9 out of 10)
Art: 5 stars
Writing Style/Quality: 5 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Pacing: 5 stars
Characterization: 5 stars
World Building: 4
Art: 5 stars
Writing Style/Quality: 5 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Pacing: 5 stars
Characterization: 5 stars
World Building: 4
February 24, 2020
This is actually my second review of this, Goodreads deleted the first one due to me changing editions, which I didn't know it did.
Anyway on with the review, Gail Simone writing is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand her Red Sonja is simply amazing but her Batgirl, well it needs work.
Red Sonja, Vol. 1: Queen of Plagues
Red Sonja is tasked with defeating a plague that is threatening a kingdom, whilst trying to do that she comes across a warrior from her past.
This was a really good in to Red Sonja, I actually read this the first time it came out in singles. There are a few twists sprinkles throughout, the bulk of it is getting to know about Red Sonja. I did have a few problems with how this ended, as it felt like there were a few ass pulls.
Red Sonja, Vol. 2: The Art of Blood and Fire
Sonja is requested to get the 6 wonders of the world, to a dying kings party. In exchange for the lives of all of his slaves, this is a standard quest story. the first few issues focus on finding each wonder, which all comes together in the end nicely.
Easily the best story in the omnibus, however the ending was a little naff. It is essentially the same as the one prior, although I liked the way it handed Red Sonja a lot more.
Red Sonja #0
An interlude between the action, it's a humorous love story.
Red Sonja, Vol. 3: The Forgiving of Monsters
Back to the action, this time she comes face to face with a wizard. Not that it will stop her, this didn't play out the way I thought it would which was kind of nice. Thinking about it, the ending of this one wasn't solid either but I think that was down to it becoming a bit too comic booky and predictable.
Red Sonja #17
That being said I think issue 16 wrapped up the story very nice, it felt like a definitive ending. The next 2 issues feel very tacked on as if Gail had a mandate that she had to meet, thus we get 2 more issues. It's that or she wanted to end the series on a meta ending, which again was a nice tough but could of easily been fitted into the last volume.
I had a few minor gripes with it but as a whole I bloody love it, it was awesome a must for any Red Sonja fan.
Anyway on with the review, Gail Simone writing is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand her Red Sonja is simply amazing but her Batgirl, well it needs work.
Red Sonja, Vol. 1: Queen of Plagues
Red Sonja is tasked with defeating a plague that is threatening a kingdom, whilst trying to do that she comes across a warrior from her past.
This was a really good in to Red Sonja, I actually read this the first time it came out in singles. There are a few twists sprinkles throughout, the bulk of it is getting to know about Red Sonja. I did have a few problems with how this ended, as it felt like there were a few ass pulls.
Red Sonja, Vol. 2: The Art of Blood and Fire
Sonja is requested to get the 6 wonders of the world, to a dying kings party. In exchange for the lives of all of his slaves, this is a standard quest story. the first few issues focus on finding each wonder, which all comes together in the end nicely.
Easily the best story in the omnibus, however the ending was a little naff. It is essentially the same as the one prior, although I liked the way it handed Red Sonja a lot more.
Red Sonja #0
An interlude between the action, it's a humorous love story.
Red Sonja, Vol. 3: The Forgiving of Monsters
Back to the action, this time she comes face to face with a wizard. Not that it will stop her, this didn't play out the way I thought it would which was kind of nice. Thinking about it, the ending of this one wasn't solid either but I think that was down to it becoming a bit too comic booky and predictable.
Red Sonja #17
That being said I think issue 16 wrapped up the story very nice, it felt like a definitive ending. The next 2 issues feel very tacked on as if Gail had a mandate that she had to meet, thus we get 2 more issues. It's that or she wanted to end the series on a meta ending, which again was a nice tough but could of easily been fitted into the last volume.
I had a few minor gripes with it but as a whole I bloody love it, it was awesome a must for any Red Sonja fan.
Read
April 28, 2020Recommended by Jared Shurin, who has more hits than misses. Recommended by Shurin as a rollicking sword-and-sorcery tale without a lot of ick. So (the argument goes), Sonja is not just here for boys to gaze at, as she is in worse works featuring her. (Also: rather than have the standard of Howard days, where X nation full of dark-skinned people is known for Y and Z traits, this version shows people from all different lands acting in all different ways. Except maybe for the swamp cannibals, who are pretty homogenous.)
And yeah, it is fun -- particularly the middle arc where Sonja has to gather the six best artisans for a dying emperor's last party so that he will free his slaves -- but also gets a little repetitive. Which is not surprising: Sonja, like Conan, is what an iconic hero, not a dramatic hero. That is, she doesn't change a lot, but rather keeps changing the world by enforcing her ethos. So Conan, through brawn and barbaric innocence, defeats decadent sorcerers and conspirators.
So here, Sonja, through indomitable will and savagery, is the Curse of the Hyrkanians, striking down bad people and saving as many innocents and common people. (And also common animals.)
Which can be a little repetitive when gobbled in collected form. Howard gets away with this (mostly) by showing Conan in some different stages of his life: thief, warrior, pirate, mercenary, king. So we see how Conan defeats conspirators (with his axe!) and how he defeats pirates (with his axe!) and how he defeats sorcerers (with...). Yeah, he mostly has one mode, but the scenario changes around him.
Here, honestly, there's a little too much of "Sonja protects X" -- a kingdom from an enemy agent, a town from a mad sorcerer, a library from an evil queen. Which is probably why the second arc -- Sonja collects artisans -- sticks out so much, not just different from the other arcs, but itself full of Sonja in different situations.
Fun still, but maybe pace yourself.
And yeah, it is fun -- particularly the middle arc where Sonja has to gather the six best artisans for a dying emperor's last party so that he will free his slaves -- but also gets a little repetitive. Which is not surprising: Sonja, like Conan, is what an iconic hero, not a dramatic hero. That is, she doesn't change a lot, but rather keeps changing the world by enforcing her ethos. So Conan, through brawn and barbaric innocence, defeats decadent sorcerers and conspirators.
So here, Sonja, through indomitable will and savagery, is the Curse of the Hyrkanians, striking down bad people and saving as many innocents and common people. (And also common animals.)
Which can be a little repetitive when gobbled in collected form. Howard gets away with this (mostly) by showing Conan in some different stages of his life: thief, warrior, pirate, mercenary, king. So we see how Conan defeats conspirators (with his axe!) and how he defeats pirates (with his axe!) and how he defeats sorcerers (with...). Yeah, he mostly has one mode, but the scenario changes around him.
Here, honestly, there's a little too much of "Sonja protects X" -- a kingdom from an enemy agent, a town from a mad sorcerer, a library from an evil queen. Which is probably why the second arc -- Sonja collects artisans -- sticks out so much, not just different from the other arcs, but itself full of Sonja in different situations.
Fun still, but maybe pace yourself.
January 29, 2022
3.5 / 5
I thought Queen of plagues was the meat of this collection of stories . I really enjoyed the backstory and character relationship of Sonja and Annisia. While the other two volumes were of less interest and quality imho. The Art of Blood involves Sonja basically going on a fetch quest for a dying emperors offer in exchange for the release of slaves only to be predictably betrayed at the end , with friendship being an ending theme . The Forgiving of Monsters introduces Sonja to the concept of Forgiveness , humanizing the iconic character although I feel it was rather anticlimactic . The last story involving Sonja protecting a tower library I also found to be straightforward and ended rather unsatisfyingly with insignificant unexplained actions such as her cutting her hair off and taking the Empress’ crown . Don’t get me wrong , the writing dialogue and action sequences were in no way sub par , it was an easy engaging read with the inclusion of her inner voice which Simone excels at . I just didn’t care for the plots of the latter two volumes . Overall entertaining enough but I would rate 4/5 for Queen of Plagues and 3 for the remaining two .
I thought Queen of plagues was the meat of this collection of stories . I really enjoyed the backstory and character relationship of Sonja and Annisia. While the other two volumes were of less interest and quality imho. The Art of Blood involves Sonja basically going on a fetch quest for a dying emperors offer in exchange for the release of slaves only to be predictably betrayed at the end , with friendship being an ending theme . The Forgiving of Monsters introduces Sonja to the concept of Forgiveness , humanizing the iconic character although I feel it was rather anticlimactic . The last story involving Sonja protecting a tower library I also found to be straightforward and ended rather unsatisfyingly with insignificant unexplained actions such as her cutting her hair off and taking the Empress’ crown . Don’t get me wrong , the writing dialogue and action sequences were in no way sub par , it was an easy engaging read with the inclusion of her inner voice which Simone excels at . I just didn’t care for the plots of the latter two volumes . Overall entertaining enough but I would rate 4/5 for Queen of Plagues and 3 for the remaining two .
May 21, 2023
This is an actual graphic novel, having a proper beginning and ending. The ending is particularly good, as it reframes everything we’ve seen up to that point.
Red Sonja here is the equal to any male barbarian, and more power to her. Some will say that just changing the gender of the protagonist doesn’t make it a feminist story, which is true, but also so what? There are women who quote-unquote “behave like men” and here we have a fictional one doing so. Stop gatekeeping and limiting what women can do, whether they be real or fictional. This is just a cracking fun adventure.
The art is somewhat inconsistent but no biggie. It ranges from great to mediocre, but always tells the story so it can be easily followed.
Red Sonja here is the equal to any male barbarian, and more power to her. Some will say that just changing the gender of the protagonist doesn’t make it a feminist story, which is true, but also so what? There are women who quote-unquote “behave like men” and here we have a fictional one doing so. Stop gatekeeping and limiting what women can do, whether they be real or fictional. This is just a cracking fun adventure.
The art is somewhat inconsistent but no biggie. It ranges from great to mediocre, but always tells the story so it can be easily followed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews