The Pull List – Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil #1
Before Red Sonja was a refined deadly weapon, she was a wild and rebellious young warrior. Birth of the She-Devil explores a past memory of Sonja’s formable years where she is on a personal quest to find a lost friend. Her mentor Ozzyus prepares the fiery Sonja to take on a cult leader, Raka. With powerful potions, Raka is able to turn men into loyal salvages that terrorize the lands.
Luke Lieberman pens an exciting introductory issue where Sonja has reckless control of her angst and rage. Skilled in combat, Sonja is capable to fight her way out of trouble using brute force. However, she does not think of all the ramifications. Lieberman presents an immature Sonja in shows her vulnerabilities early on and builds on strengthening them. Ozzyus, Sonja’s wise teacher and father figure, is heavily featured and is given some attention to his own story.
Sergio Davila artwork brings a tight focus on explosive action that isn’t afraid to stain the pages with some blood. Fighting is intense and shows off Sonja’s ferocity. There is a careless expression Sonja gives off as she escapes or starts up problems. Davila captures the free-spirited behavior by simply adding a few smiles in dangerous situations.
This new limited series has a fun entry that explores the overconfidence Sonja and the patience Ozzyus trying to calm her down. Raka looks to be a worthy advisory for Sonja, already appearing vicious and cruel in his manner. This series is any sword-and-sorcery fan will definitely check out.