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Red Sonja: Empire of the Damned #1
After landing in jail following a night of drunken revelry, Red Sonja hears an outlandish story from a fellow inmate. Deep in the mountains lies a dead city in a valley with no name. Abandoned and forgotten, its fields and streets are littered with the bones of two armies, all destroyed by a curse from a warlock who has long since vanished, along with his vast treasure ? untold riches just waiting to be taken. At least that is the legend. But Sonja?s cellmate Morgo has more than a diverting tale ? he?s also got a map that says this legend could well be reality. All they need to do is break out of lockup and hit the road ? which may be easier said than done! Crafted by legendary writer STEVE NILES (30 Days of Night, Simon Dark) and rising art star ALESSANDRO AMORUSO, Red Empire of the Damned #1 delivers monsters, magic, and mayhem in equal measure ? all wrapped up in sumptuous covers from JOSHUA MIDDLETON, JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER, JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER, and cosplay by RACHEL HOLLON!
28 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 3, 2024
1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Steve Niles
831 books464 followersSTEVE NILES is one of the writers responsible for bringing horror comics back to prominence, and was recently named by Fangoria magazine as one of it's "13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years."
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 9, 2024
Action focused and fast paced. I enjoyed the art and the carnage but the lack of dialogue left me feeling lukewarm. Things seemed to happen a bit too quickly for my liking.
April 21, 2024
Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1 Review
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Alessandro Amoruso
Colorist: Salvatore Aiala
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Cover Artists: Joshua Middleton, Joseph Michael Linsner, John Tyler Christopher, Philip Tan & Cosplay
Publisher: Dynamite
Price: $4.99
Release Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Skeletons litter a valley in Hyrkania. A legend tells of a battle fought long ago. Might tales of sorcerers and treasure draw Red Sonja there? Let’s grab our broadswords, leap into Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1, and find out!
Story
Red Sonja quenches her thirst in Nemedia. When a patron buys her a drink, the She-Devil tips the ale onto the floor. The man’s ire fades as soldiers burst into the tavern. The other customers flee, but Red Sonja and her admirer fight for the right to continue drinking. Both hold their own for a time. But numbers are not on their side, and the soldiers don’t fight fair.
Adjoining cells in Blackworm Prison affords the man a second opportunity. He can't offer her a drink this time, but she entertains his proposal. The adventurer tells a variation of the tragic tale revealed in the opening pages. Might Red Sonja consider a partnership? Perhaps. But first, they must escape.
Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1 is a quick, bracing read. Steve Niles doesn't explain why the warrior sought Red Sonja’s aid. Still, the adventurer reveals how much finding the hidden valley in Hyrkania means to him in the final pages.
Art
A wizard hovers overhead as armies clash. Energy surges from one hand while runes encircle the other. The wizard becomes the fulcrum of explosive energy that sweeps across the valley. When the clouds part, a skull on the ground testifies to the devastation he unleashed.
Red Sonja sits back, clutching a glass as she watches people drink, fight, and do the Unskinny Bop. Soldiers burst in with spears and grim expressions. One holds an order bearing a wax seal. Red Sonja’s fist slams into his nose, splattering the reader in blood. Her admirer stands with her against a squad of angry soldiers. Their weapons cleave spears, armor, and flesh, leaving a whirl of air to mark their passage.
Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1 reveals the nasty, brutish, and short nature of life in the Hyborian world. Alessandro Amoruso doesn’t flinch from revealing missing teeth and eyes. Scars mar the adventurer’s features. Among her fellow death dealers, only Red Sonja looks untouched by violence. But then, her bargain with the red goddess Scathach grants her strength, prowess, and vitality.
This issue could be called Red Sonja: Red, Brown, And Gray. And yet, Salvatore Aiala lends a wealth of color and nuance to Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1. Buildings reveal texture, and shading breathes reality into this Sword And Sorcery adventure. After all the spurting and splattering crimson, Red Sonja kneels in the forest, her body covered in shadows cast by light streaming through nearby trees.
Dave Sharpe fires uppercase black letters into colored narrative boxes and white dialogue balloons in this action-packed story. His sound effects enliven the brawl in the bar, the pummeling in the prison, and the fury filling the skies in the fraught finale.
Final Thoughts
Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1 is a blood-splattered story filled with fighting and death. Fueled by an adventurer’s ambition and Red Sonja's lust for life, the fast-paced story leaves you breathless to discover the truth behind a haunting legend.
8.6/10
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Alessandro Amoruso
Colorist: Salvatore Aiala
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Cover Artists: Joshua Middleton, Joseph Michael Linsner, John Tyler Christopher, Philip Tan & Cosplay
Publisher: Dynamite
Price: $4.99
Release Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Skeletons litter a valley in Hyrkania. A legend tells of a battle fought long ago. Might tales of sorcerers and treasure draw Red Sonja there? Let’s grab our broadswords, leap into Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1, and find out!
Story
Red Sonja quenches her thirst in Nemedia. When a patron buys her a drink, the She-Devil tips the ale onto the floor. The man’s ire fades as soldiers burst into the tavern. The other customers flee, but Red Sonja and her admirer fight for the right to continue drinking. Both hold their own for a time. But numbers are not on their side, and the soldiers don’t fight fair.
Adjoining cells in Blackworm Prison affords the man a second opportunity. He can't offer her a drink this time, but she entertains his proposal. The adventurer tells a variation of the tragic tale revealed in the opening pages. Might Red Sonja consider a partnership? Perhaps. But first, they must escape.
Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1 is a quick, bracing read. Steve Niles doesn't explain why the warrior sought Red Sonja’s aid. Still, the adventurer reveals how much finding the hidden valley in Hyrkania means to him in the final pages.
Art
A wizard hovers overhead as armies clash. Energy surges from one hand while runes encircle the other. The wizard becomes the fulcrum of explosive energy that sweeps across the valley. When the clouds part, a skull on the ground testifies to the devastation he unleashed.
Red Sonja sits back, clutching a glass as she watches people drink, fight, and do the Unskinny Bop. Soldiers burst in with spears and grim expressions. One holds an order bearing a wax seal. Red Sonja’s fist slams into his nose, splattering the reader in blood. Her admirer stands with her against a squad of angry soldiers. Their weapons cleave spears, armor, and flesh, leaving a whirl of air to mark their passage.
Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1 reveals the nasty, brutish, and short nature of life in the Hyborian world. Alessandro Amoruso doesn’t flinch from revealing missing teeth and eyes. Scars mar the adventurer’s features. Among her fellow death dealers, only Red Sonja looks untouched by violence. But then, her bargain with the red goddess Scathach grants her strength, prowess, and vitality.
This issue could be called Red Sonja: Red, Brown, And Gray. And yet, Salvatore Aiala lends a wealth of color and nuance to Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1. Buildings reveal texture, and shading breathes reality into this Sword And Sorcery adventure. After all the spurting and splattering crimson, Red Sonja kneels in the forest, her body covered in shadows cast by light streaming through nearby trees.
Dave Sharpe fires uppercase black letters into colored narrative boxes and white dialogue balloons in this action-packed story. His sound effects enliven the brawl in the bar, the pummeling in the prison, and the fury filling the skies in the fraught finale.
Final Thoughts
Red Sonja: Empire Of The Damned #1 is a blood-splattered story filled with fighting and death. Fueled by an adventurer’s ambition and Red Sonja's lust for life, the fast-paced story leaves you breathless to discover the truth behind a haunting legend.
8.6/10
April 4, 2024
A bit of an acquired art style but entertaining nonetheless. Entertaining brawl turns to quest adventure setup story as well.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews