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Published by: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Walter Geovani
Cover artist: Jenny Frison
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Red Sonja is on a mission to enlist the aid of Princess Avena, a strikingly beautiful woman whose services are needed to assist with the king's war. She resides in a whore house that she runs and Sonja's first attempt at entry is thwarted by the mere fact that she has no gold. Thrown out on her shapely butt, she pulls a Conan and scales the walls of the keep and sneaks into the princess' chamber.
Avena reveals she has an interest in assisting, but not with girls and their talents. She wants to build a garrison for Courtesan, her home, and rid the place of the slimy and violent Captain Ferox, who runs an extortion racket. Sonja's initial reaction to the Avena is one of shame, as she seemed smitten by the princess' beauty. Seeing a diamond in the rough, Avena helps Red feel more sexy and beautiful with a makeover, just in time for Ferox to come a-callin'. He and his men had best be prepared to get their asses handed to them by a girl in a purple dress.
The dialogue and artwork both flow well, and the colors in this book are really striking, bringing out all the fine lines in Walter Geovani's illustrations. That cover by Jenny Frison is ultra sexy too, so don't forget that. Gail Simone's depiction of Red Sonja gives more depth to the character than previous writers have been able to do, at least from what this reader has absorbed. She paints Red with some more feminine qualities, aside from just being smoking hot (which she is, for a comic book character).
This issue certainly touches on Red Sonja's more delicate side, something that seems to be causing her some inner turmoil. She's lonely and her profession leaves her little time to chase men (or women for that matter), other than being a cock tease to Conan every so often. Avena's quick acceptance of Red as an ally, friend, and fellow Women's Libber, paints a road for a sword and sandal story of another nature. It's certainly different than the Red Sonja of the 70s and 80s, but it's a difference that is so far kind of interesting.
