Red Sonja: A Death In Scarlet – Volume 01 Issue 01

“A Death In Scarlet”

On the rough and tumble streets of Khorusun, two young women scan the incoming merchant trains looking for a mark. The day is young, as is their flesh. Sonja points to a Khitai trader lavishly adorned with gold and silk; a peacock seemingly out of place amongst the prostitutes and street vendors selling their wares. The two teenagers approach the gentile while avoiding the brash solicitations from a barbarian horseman. The nerve of the uncouth hill man.

Sonja and her Kushite partner, T’Shika, are both fresh faces amongst the sunbaked denizens within the crossroads city. An advantage that has aided them in their previous hustles. The only question left unanswered. Would their youthful appearance help facilitate the act of robbery? Sonja had learned one thing over everything else during her time in Khorusun. The more wealth a man accumulated here amongst the depravity, the greater their sexual degeneracy would become.

Will Sonja find the men who slaughtered her family in the recent past? Are the walls of Quianlang’s palace impenetrable? What lurks in the catacombs of the goldsmith trader? Collect the book to find out!

“The Second [Or Third] Coming Of Red Sonja”

In this fascinating article from 1999, Roy Thomas recounts the origins of Red Sonja – a character birthed by Robert E Howard in his story “Shadow Of The Vulture”, then re-imagined by the team at Marvel Comics four decades later. From the depths of obscurity, Sonja would rise to become an icon for the fantasy action genre. This is a must-read for any fan of the She-Devil with a sword. 

Review 

During a time when the publishing rights of Red Sonja were uncertain, Cross Plains Comics was on the verge of releasing a new wave of comic books based on Robert E Howard’s work. With the support of Marvel Comics writer/producer Roy Thomas, Steve Lightle and Cross Plains produced several outstanding books – one of which was Red Sonja: A Death in Scarlet. With a limited print run, this book would see limited success in a market saturated by Marvel and DC at the time. An unfortunate fate for such a memorable production.

I recently learned about this comic book from a random social media post. As a fan of Red Sonja, I wanted to see just how the character would be handled from inside a different publishing house. I have to say, this was an outstanding read, cover to cover. In this story,  we follow a very young Red Sonja who has just recovered from the tragedy of losing her family. On the road to revenge, Sonja and her fellow thief, T’Shika, begin to track down those who had murdered Sonja’s family. I loved every minute of the reboot. Unfortunately, it would not continue past the first issue.

Where is Dynamite Entertainment when you need them? This storyline would be an easy win for their production team. “A Death In Scarlet” receives five stars from the Relic Keep. It is a must for any collector of Red Sonja comic books. Go get this one now! 

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