Red Sonja Fairy Tales

[stubbleupdate]

There's a lot of Red Sonja titles on the go just now, and I don't really care for any of them.

However, the Red Sonja Fairy Tales One Shot was tempting, and was actually an alright read.

This is largely because it's as much a Witcher story as it is a Red Sonja story.

Now, the Witcher doesn't appear in this. At all. But the tone is the same, and can be summarised thus

People: Hey, Witcher, will you help us with this fucked-up situation?

Geralt: That is a fucked-up situation indeed. Would you consider applying some ethics?

People: No.

Geralt: :(

People: Anyway, Witchers are emotionless monsters.


Our story begins with a woman running through the forest, pursued by wolves. She trips and Red Sonja swoops in to rescue her. Then a crowd of villagers arrive, relieved that the woman is safe and sound. They return together to the village. The village has a palisade to keep things out, little thatched cottages, and also a bloody great big beanstalk growing out of the middle of it.





And so, Sonja finds herself in a fucked up situation, and applies some ethics (at swordpoint). This proves to be an unpopular decision.

Written by Jordan Clark (you know, from Aquaman), with pencils from Andres Labrada

Comments

[jgraygaming]

Yep. This looks like an adventure right out of the tabletop RPG.

[rainspirit]

I think I enjoyed your description of the Witcher stories more than the Sonia scans!

[stubbleupdate]

Wow.

What did I do to deserve such a neg?

[rainspirit]

Hey, come on! It made me laugh out loud. Though the art is very pretty--I like this depiction of Sonja!

[mastermahan]

SONJA: So on the basis of a one-word note, you decided on human sacrifices?

TOWNSFOLK: Most of us are illiterate, but yeah.

SONJA: And you couldn't find anyone *willing* to take care of a orphan boy in a fabulously rich magical cloud kingdom?

TOWNSFOLK: Eww, sounds horrible.

SONJA: *sigh* Yep, it's sword time.

[cainofdreaming]

"So, you send women up there in cages and receive monetary compensation afterwards? I think there's a word for that. It's almost on top of my tongue... Oh yeah. Human trafficking."

"Noo... What? Human trafficking. No... You don't understand, this is just our tradition."

"Tradition of human trafficking?"

"Yes. ... I mean no!"

[justsotired]

Reminds me a little of the WH40K Sisters of Battle novel Faith & Fire.

"We honor the Emperor by holding The Purge in his holy name!"

"...I honor the Emperor by lighting heretics on fire." *Revs up flamethrower*

[werehawk]

Yeah, Red Sonja has been shite lately. The Universal stuff is… not good. Unlike variant stuff like Gwen Stacey even, the Sonja’s are unrecognizable as Sonjas. And I stopped reading Red Sonja during the Mark Russell run. For political/satirical commentary it was good. For Red Sonja characterization not so much. Last good newish Sonja stuff I read was the Super Powers crossover and the Betty Veronica Sonja Vampirella which was just fun.

[stubbleupdate]

I was prepared to like the Andolfo stuff, but with our travelling hero becoming an unlikely parental figure to a girl who survives a massacre and has incredible powers...that's The Witcher. not just in tone, but that's the story.

Palmiotti has never pleased me and the Arthurian stuff was mildly interesting, but not for full price. I miss the Red, White and Black stuff.