Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #1

It’s strange to admit this but I haven’t read much of Red Sonja over the years. The character has been around for almost five decades and she’s one of the biggest non-superhero characters in comics but my only real exposure before this issue was a mid-2000’s crossover with Spider-man. That’s partially down to not being a fan of the swords and sorcery genre but also due to her design. I would see her books in comic stores, the covers with this statuesque redhead in her chain mail bikini and it seemed like pure cheesecake. I like to give the benefit of the doubt though so when I saw the first part of this new mini-series was due out I decided to give Red Sonja a try. I’m glad I did.

Erik Burnham writes a simple but enjoyable tale. Long ago, Red Sonja killed the evil sorcerer Kulan Gath and cast the source of his power into the sea. Now, in modern-day there are numerous supernatural forces trying to claim that power source as their own. This is where most of the book’s action comes from as these forces battle it out for the artifact. What I love about this book though is that alongside the action there’s a nice sense of humour. This is definitely a blood and guts action comic with beheadings galore but it’s not afraid to have some fun.

The Chaos! comics characters Burnham uses within the book are fantastic. Sadly, I never got to read any Chaos! titles growing up but this makes me wish I had. They have similarities to a lot of existing comic characters but they still have enough originality to feel unique.

I think one of the things I loved most was Sonja herself though. The writing and the artwork by Lau really portray her as a legitimate, badass warrior. I was worried, especially due to the cover that this book would present Sonja as an idealised sex object. That worry was unnecessary though because from the very start they make her look and act truly intimidating. Yes, she’s attractive and in good shape but she isn’t walking around with pornstar proportions. She’s athletic like you’d expect a warrior to be and she has a personality to match. You might question the bikini armor but why shouldn’t a woman be able to dress the way she wants? Why can’t a woman dress scantily and still be a badass? That’s the feeling I get from the character. She’s a woman who completely owns her sexuality and would tear apart anyone who tries to take it from her.

Overall, this was a great, fun read. It’s not a complex comic but the action is great and fans of Chaos! comics will love it. I think the sense of humour and willingness to poke fun at itself was brilliant and I’m sold on the series. I think I might even have to look into Dynamite’s other Red Sonja books now. Red Sonja: Age of chaos #1 was definitely worth a read and I highly recommend it whether you’re an existing fan or a new one.