REVIEW: ‘Red Sonja: Age of Chaos,’ Issue #1

Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #1 is published by Dynamite, written by Erik Burnham, with art by Jonathan Lau, colors by Celeste Woods, and letters by Carlos M. Mangual. At the end of his fight with his nemesis, Red Sonja, Kulan Gath the Sorcerer uses his dying words to threaten his return. To ensure it doesn’t happen, Sonja chucks the source of Kulan’s power, a totem necklace, into the sea. This way, no one will be able to obtain it or resurrect him. However, due to a mysterious force, the plan changes.

This is the first time I am jumping into a Red Sonja comic. Looking at the first few panels of Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #1, I was intrigued by the level of violence, blood, and the design of Red Sonja herself. Here you have the woman dual-wielding daunting looking weapons and not giving her enemy a single minute to pull off an evil monologue. As the issue continues, I love Lau’s and Woods’ art and colors, especially when it comes to showcasing other characters. The gritty art doesn’t shy away from adult themes such as partial nudity, the use of alcohol but primarily the violence and blood. The action seems like a storyboard for a television show or movie that one can picture vividly in their mind.

Being intrigued by Red Sonja from page one, I was disappointed that she was not showcased more. However, I did like the approach of introducing major players in the story that will be unfolding in issues to come. Aside from Kulan, there is only one other male villain and it seems like the remainder are all badass women in their own right, spanning different time periods. Coupled with Lau’s and Woods’ art and coloring, Burnham breathes personality and life into each character. Not to give too much away but I am looking forward to seeing the character Chastity more. She’s half-vampire, half-human, and all hunter. 

I enjoyed the story building of what’s to come and see the antagonists fight among themselves. However, I was quite confused about the timeline. At first, I thought it was self-explanatory with seeing Sonja and Kulan fighting in the Hyborean Age, moving to what looks like modern time introducing our other characters but then we get an awesome shot of Sonja holding a decapitated head with a villain about to take her by surprise. Hopefully, all will be explained but I feel at least a hint could have been given to avoid the confusion allowing room for other questions and speculations.

Whether you’re new to Red Sonja or a returning fan, Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #1 is going to make for a kick-ass bloody good time. I definitely think this is a great place for newcomers to get into something new, especially if Red Sonja was on that list. 

Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #1 is available wherever comic books are sold.