*Review: Red Sonja (Vol. 5) #3*

By BOB FREEMAN – Paint Monk’s Library Writer

The time is right for a Red Sonja movie.

Of course, there is one in development, formerly helmed by Brian Singer until the hashtag-me-too movement caught up with him and he was systematically discharged from service, both rightly and thankfully so.

Now is the opportunity to make something special. Something strong, vibrant, visceral, savage, and yes, beautiful. Something sexy. Red Sonja is all those things, and so much more.

With Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel both generating feminist headlines, who better to pick up the mantle next than the She-Devil with a Sword?

I would love to see someone like Kathryn Bigelow get tapped to direct. Securing a great director and script are paramount. While good casting is cruscial, Jason Momoa as Conan the Barbarian proved that having the perfect actor in the role is meaningless without the right people behind the camera.

That said, someone like Charlize Theron has the starpower to pull this off, but at 43, is this the right move? Perhaps someone younger, lesser known, like Alexandra Daddario, who is 33, or someone even younger, say Barbara Palvin at 25.

Regardless, Red Sonja has the potential to be a major film that would put the Hyborian Age front and center, set to thrill audiences like never before. They just have to respect the source material and deliver a spectacle worthy of the name.

REVIEW: Red Sonja v5 #3:

Red Sonja negotiates with another “cousin” who has led his Woodland mercenaries to Sonja’s camp in hopes of getting a cut of the treasure horde the Hyrkanians had stolen from the invading army of Emperor Dragan of Zamora.

Sent away, Vorgon leads his troops to Dragan,offering to raid Sonja in exchange for getting to keep all the bounty. The Emperor readily agrees.

In the ensuing battle, Sonja’s “Barrens”, women warriors who are widowed or too old to bear children, have laid a trap for Vorgon’s men and they are cut down.

CAPSULE REVIEW:  This was the best issue so far. While there’s still too much humor in the writing, Mark Russell really stepped up his game, delivering a meaningful, message-driven story, that hit all the right notes.

While I wish it were played more straight, for one shining moment, Red Sonja was the best comic I read this week.

On a scale of 1-10, I’d rate this issue an 8.5. Mirko Colak’s artwork continues to be top shelf and the writing finally compliments Colak’s draftsmanship. The title sells for $3.99 US.

Alba Gu Brath – Bob Freeman (aka The Occult Detective)