Broken Frontier

The second issue of the story about how Sonja becomes Queen, this time actually has no hints whatsoever as to the future of our red-haired heroine. This issue is totally dedicated to giving more insight into the revelation of female raiders at the end of Queen Sonja #1 and writer Joshua Ortega lets the story carry on with the same momentum, ease and dynamic as with the flashback in #1. This gives the readers a solid story with little surprises but more so satisfaction as the course of the events comes closer and closer to a climax in which Sonja is sure to be the wiser. With her mind as sharp as her sword, she still manages to control her own fate yet again.

Sonja learns about the warring parties and the origin of all the hatred and the politics behind it, she gets an understanding for the female raiders and she uncovers the source of the kidnapped people and starts to make a stand against the Emoran empire. Whereas Sonja over the course of the last issues of the first Dynamite run has been on a search for herself and the origin of her mythical presence, these issues up till now deliver the righteous yet barbarian, the savage yet superior Sonja from old.

I am intrigued however, more then just slightly. The solid ease of this story set against the older issues, make me wonder and anticipate to witness a new move, a twist in the story...maybe it will come, maybe it will pass but as a reader and as a fan I can be sure to get an interesting story no matter what.

And the art...well. The art never has been bad with Red Sonja, but the art of Mel Rubi combined with the soft coloring of Andrade makes the reading of this chronicle one that flows with as much ease as the story sets its pace. The only thing I can think of at this moment to be not too fond off is the lack of beads on the bikini and the lack of muscles on Sonja. Somehow she comes across as an attractive women who wears too little to be practical and is not muscular enough to even draw a sword let alone swing it.

But then again, this IS a comic and not real-life so why not just be entertained about Mel's capacity to draw the soft side of Sonja's breasts to be viewed openly and for fond fan-eyes?