Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos #6 - Dynamite Entertainment

RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS No.6, June 2020

Essentially consisting of one publication-length pitched battle between Red Sonja and Purgatori, this concluding instalment to Erik Burnham’s marvellous six-issue mini-series must surely have left its readers breathless on account of its sense-shattering shenanigans. Indeed, the “Dynamic Entertainment” pre-print press release for this particular comic declaring it to be a sensational confrontation between a “literal she-devil” and the “She-Devil with a Sword” is absolutely spot on, as the pair savagely batter one another with talons and blade for almost the entirety of the twenty-age periodical.

Enjoyably though, this flurry of supernatural-powered fisticuffs doesn’t lead to a senseless array of blood-soaked set pieces designed to pad out this book to its conclusion. But rather presents a nicely-paced number of opportunities for members of this title’s extensive cast to make one last impact upon the titanic tussle taking place over Kulan Gath's amulet; “Don’t seem to be healing, which means I’m about to go away for a while. But Smiley and I hold a grudge. So before we go, we have a present for you… Take the power and use it to shove that sword into whatever hole you feel like…”

These ‘cameos’ are admittedly somewhat restricted to simple depictions of Jade, Sakkara, Catherine Bell and Chasity relocating back to their proper place in the planet’s timeline. However, the likes of Evil Ernie and Lady Demon make a real contribution to the comic’s narrative, both reminding its audience as to precisely why the Hyrkanian warrior’s victory is so fundamental to the world’s survival, as well as Sonja’s motivation for disconcertingly wishing her sorcerous arch-nemesis to be resurrected from the dead into an already rotting cadaver.

Adding an astonishing amount of palpable energy and dynamism to these pulse-pounding proceedings are Jonathan Lau’s incredibly dramatically-drawn layouts. Barely a panel has been pencilled which doesn’t in some way contain a painful reminder to any perusing bibliophile that a mere mortal is facing off against an extremely powerful vampiric creature of evil, and so by the end of the pair’s fraught fight, all of its observers are probably almost as physically tired from scrutinising the intense action-packed conflict as Roy Thomas’ co-creation clearly is having fought throughout it.

The regular cover art of "RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS" No. 6 by Lucio Parrillo

Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos #5 - Dynamite Entertainment

RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS No. 5, July 2020

For those readers who enjoy an abundance of decapitations or grisly bodily dismemberments inside their comic books, Erik Burnham’s script to Issue Five of “Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos” must have entertained them enormously with its seemingly endless carousel of sword-hacking and arm-ripping shenanigans. In fact, many within this twenty-page periodical’s audience would probably struggle to recall another title the safe side of a Teen-rated publication which contains quite so many flying heads and severed limbs as the “Minnesotan writer” manages to weave throughout this mini-series’ particular instalment.

Happily however, such graphic violence isn’t simply gratuitous nonsense either, and actually helps progress a truly pulse-pounding plot which predominantly focuses upon the titular character’s headlong dash across the Great Desert of the East towards a long-hidden temple in order to “resurrect an infamous Necromancer.” True, Chasity’s shocking beheading doesn’t surprisingly keep the “half-breed” vampire out of the action for too long, but the gruesome demise of Red Sonja’s travelling companion certainly spurs the Hyrkanian warrior on to some truly breathtakingly brave moments whilst fighting “a newly powered Purgatori”.

In addition, the death of Brian Pulido’s mohawked co-creation, alongside that of Jade, provides the hilarious Evil Ernie with two ready-made puppets with which to claim Kulan Gath’s highly-sought after talisman. Indeed, the green-glowing drones’ attack upon Purgatori and Sonja produces some of this comic’s most memorable actions sequences, including a genuine laugh-out-loud moment when the “She-devil with a Sword” unflinchingly dispatches her resurrected friend with a merciless sword-swipe much to Chasity’s chagrin; “Just make it fast, huh? And then put that amulet on my corpse… Geez, didn’t take much convincing…”

Imbuing this book’s impressive “Chaos! library of characters” with plenty of animated life, even those which are noticeably Undead, is artist Jonathan Lau, whose pencilling goes a great way to depicting the sheer speed of the events which Burnham has penned. One moment Red is furiously fighting off a frenzied horde of blood-drinking thralls, and then in the next a revitalised Jade is making more martial art moves against Lucifer’s bride-to-be than the human eye can possibly follow before the four thousand year-old vampire-sorceress has her limbs vividly torn out from their sockets.

The regular cover art of "RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS" No. 5 by Alan Quah

Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos #4 - Dynamite Entertainment

RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS No. 4, April 2020

Packing his narrative’s twenty pages with plenty of pulse-pounding pugilism, Erik Burnham’s storyline for Issue Four of “Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos” must surely have catered for all the varied tastes of this mini-series’ audience, whether they be fans of the titular character, Chastity Marks, Evil Ernie, or Purgatori. For despite this particular instalment of the Minnesota-born writer’s epic collaboration between Roy Thomas’ co-creation and some of the more supernatural inhabitants of the “Chaos! Comics” universe arguably starting off a little slowly as the She-devil with a sword surveys the streets of Kor, the sheer slug-fest which quickly follows her meandering does a first-rate job of incorporating all of this publication’s leading cast in its senseless slaughter.

Indeed, from the moment Red Sonja and her “punk rock fan turned vampire” companion startle the sorcerer Barent within his somewhat secluded “place of business” and unleash the ghost of the long-dead seer Xoret upon the tiny viewing room’s occupants, this book’s delightfully fast-paced action-sequences simply won’t let its readers off of the hook until its excellently-penned cliff-hanger when the couple are depicted being hotly pursued by a horde of the ravenous undead across the narrowest of ravine crossings; “I can hold off a mob of vampires long enough for you to dump some blood on the thing. Wait? -- How much blood?”

Easily this comic’s highest highlight however, is Evil Ernie’s utterly fantastic dust-up with Purgatori “hundreds of miles to the west”. This truly is a no-holds barred brutalisation as the ghoulish psychotic killer tries his absolute best to go toe-to-toe with Sakkara, and eventually discovers that even being armed with an enormous zombie dragon is not going to give him the edge needed to overcome Lucifer’s one-time winged consort. Crammed with some genuinely funny banter, as well as plenty of back-chat from Smiley the Psychotic Button, Fairchild’s fight delivers some savage edge-of-the-seat moments, and provides the “Dynamite Entertainment” resident artist, Jonathan Lau, with the opportunity to pencil some stunningly dynamic panels, most notably that of Purgatori being swallowed whole by Ernie’s flying beast and then her tearing the putrefying creature asunder from the inside out in an attempt to be free of its unholy stomach.

The regular cover art of "RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS" No. 4 by Lucio Parillo

Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos #3 - Dynamite Entertainment

RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS No. 3, March 2020

Repositioning this comic’s numerous cast within the Hyborian Age like some sort of Chess Grandmaster, Erik Burnham’s script for Issue Three of “Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos” will surely have pleased both fans of the “Chaos! Comics” Characters and the She-Devil with a sword alike. Indeed, considering that the Bemidji-born writer somehow manages to provide some of Brian Pulido and Steven Hughes’ best-loved co-creations with plenty of intriguing ‘screen time’ inside a single twenty-page periodical, this particular publication proves just how well a ‘monster mash-up’ can be penned when its writer enjoys “an extensive back and forth” with the book’s editor over story ideas.

Foremost of these enthralling ‘hooks’ is that by bringing Evil Ernie, Jade and Purgatori back to Robert E. Howard’s well-developed fictional setting, none of the super-powered beings are actually as powerful as they would be in the modern age. This levelling of the playing field clearly helps Red Sonja hold her ground against the likes of the half-vampire Chasity, and even Lady Demon up to a point, but also provides the rest of this mini-series’ ensemble with some much needed vulnerability, especially when all they are faced with is a handful of sword-wielding Hyperboreans; “Perhaps this is too much to ask of you. After all, look at how much effort it took for you to slay these few who attacked.”

In addition, Burnham adds something of an extra twist to this comic’s narrative, by actually suggesting that some of its combatants might not necessarily want to return to the present day, having “taken a shine to the savage world as an easy place to indulge their dangerous natures.” Such an innovative, motivational sub-plot seems to prove particularly appealing to a certain four-thousand year-old blood-drinking sorceress, whose opportunity to lead the ancient empire of Khitai and mould “her people over the centuries [to] make them strong” rather than simply rule a Shanghai crime family, is as captivating as Mistress Hel’s subsequent manipulation of Jade is undoubtedly perilous.

Adding some extra pizzazz to this publication’s pulse-pounding proceedings are Jonathan Lau’s illustrations, which truly help depict the utter barbarity of some of this book’s participants. Whether it be Evil Ernie delightfully spying a dragon’s corpse amidst the grisly cadavers of so many dead Vikings, or Purgatori’s gratuitous, limb-scattering skirmish with a group of rough-looking Northmen, the American artist is clearly at the top of his pencilling game throughout this comic.

Writer: Erik Burnham, Artist: Jonathan Lau, and Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse

Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos #2 - Dynamite Entertainment

RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS No. 2, February 2020

Publicised as a comic book within which “Red Sonja is fully made to understand her victory over Kulan Gath not only led to the invasion of her world by a whole new kind of evil, but may cause time itself to end”, Erik Burnham’s script for Issue Two of “Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos” undoubtedly does it job. Yet having simply packed this twenty-page periodical with Lady Demon’s disinteresting explanatory dialogue as to how the end of the world happened and “Mankind is done”, it is hard to imagine that many perusing bibliophiles who encountered this word-heavy title upon their local spinner rack, subsequently took it to the counter as part of their ‘Pull List’.

For starters the comic opens with Chasity somewhat swiftly providing the Hyborian Age heroine with a recap as to the events in this mini-series’ previous instalment, and simultaneously touches upon the titular character’s own past adventures in modern day New York City; “A long story. Suffice it to say that magic has complicated my life more than once.” Unfortunately however, just as soon as this re-tread of old events has concluded, the “Minnesotan writer” then decides that Lucifer's red-skinned consort will simply deliver more of the same for the majority of the book, by subjecting the reader to an almost blow-by-blow account of Bad Kitty’s involvement in the build-up to the “punk rock fan turned vampire” getting “stuck in Fantasyland!”

To make matters worse though, the American author additionally blames this situation upon Red Sonja, because the warrior defeated Kulan early in the dark-hearted sorcerer’s career, rather than just repeatedly opposed him whilst the villainous magician “spread his evil for years to come.” This plot’s premise therefore debatably makes no sense whatsoever, as all Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor Smith’s co-creation did was logically decide to “dispose of Garth’s amulet where no mortal could reach it” by hurling it into the sea. There was no 'divine intervention' or prevailing sense of foreboding that this act “broke the cycle and changed all time.” It simply seemed like the best means to prevent Vammatar’s husband from returning to plague the planet once again.

Of course, all this elucidation on the part of Burnham’s penmanship doesn’t mean that Jonathan Lau lacks the opportunity to pencil some truly pulse-pounding panels packed full of ferocious fighting moves. Chasity tearing apart a couple of hapless vampires alone is debatably the highlight of this book. But even some superb ‘punch-ups’ between Lady Demon, the she-devil with a sword, and a Mohican-haired assassin can’t help maintain a continuous sense of momentum throughout essentially a publication long discourse.

The regular cover art of "RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS" No. 2 by Lucio Parrillo

Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos #1 - Dynamite Entertainment

RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS No. 1, January 2020

It’s abundantly clear from the sheer dynamic nature of this twenty-page periodical’s plot that Erik Burnham was “incredibly excited to get a return trip to the Hyborian Age to spend a little more time with Red Sonja”. For whilst Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor Smith’s co-creation doesn’t actually enjoy too much limelight in Issue One of “Red Sonja: Age Of Chaos”, the “Minnesotan writer” still manages to demonstrate just what “an incredibly fun character [she is] to write” for by having the sword-and-sorcery heroine brutally behead a handful of opponents.

Happily however, the scarcity of the female warrior’s presence is easily forgiven, courtesy of this comic’s audience being swiftly subjected to some of the New Jersey-based publisher’s most demonic personalities, including Evil Ernie, Jade, Sakkara, Catherine Bell and Chasity, in what can only be described as a marvellously manic parade of undead flesh, vampiric blood-drinking and winged transformations. Admittedly, this remorseless assault upon the senses could well have become utterly overpowering for those bibliophiles naïve to the “Dynamite Entertainment” universe. But mercifully each super-powered individual is accompanied by a brief synopsis as to their brutal background, and such is the simplicity of the American author’s tale, that all any onlooker really needs to know is that the combatants all seemingly hate one another.

Indeed, the vast majority of this magazine consists of the Godlike being Purgatori attempting to beat the life out of her opponents so as to secure Mistress Hel‘s “ultimate benefit”; an amulet containing the soul of the ancient sorcerer, Kulan Gath. So minimalistic a plot could easily have produced a rather tedious borefest, yet Burnham manages to avoid this ‘trap’ by introducing the reader to a fresh competitor every time the remorselessly savage action starts to get a little stale; “You will not stand in my way, half-breed… And neither will this deluded slave!”

Jonathan Lau also has much to answer for concerning the breath-taking ferocity of this book’s unrelenting entertainment. The Philippines-born illustrator appears to be well on his way to succeeding in his mission “to bring big action back into comics” with his packed panels consistently depicting well-pencilled bloody knife thrusts, sword blows, hand-chops and mighty magic. Little wonder therefore, that his creative collaborator would warn this title’s potential buyers that “Lau’s art is gonna blow the doors off (please, have all the doors reinforced before opening the book).”

The regular cover art of "RED SONJA: AGE OF CHAOS" No. 1 by Lucio Parrillo