Red Sonja #57
Written by Eric Trautmann
Art by Noah Salonga
Colors by Ranier Petter
Letters by Troy Peteri
Covers by Fabiano Neves, Walter Geovani
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: August 31, 2011
Cover Price: $3.99

Red Sonja #57 was so action packed it is ridiculous, and I mean that in a good way. Out on an assassination assignment in Koth, she stumbles into a huge plot between members of an elite family and a ruler that may not be all he seems…one of whom she saved, another who she contracted to kill. The beginnings of the cross and double cross are brought to light, but only after Sonja battles a huge stone golem and dozens of men-at-arms.

The combat scenes are epic and the action is expertly rendered on paper (or my Android tablet, whichever) by Noah Salonga. The primary battle is over a dozen pages long and that’s just the start of the comic! The story behind the art is more leading than informative, but it definitely makes me want to read more of this arc. Dynamite Entertainment has done a good job by having Eric Trautmann write this book…I enjoyed the action but I’m intrigued by the characters and the plot.

There isn’t a lot I can write regarding the plot as it would ruin it for the reader, but I can say that if you haven’t read this series yet, this is a great jumping on point. The normal hack and slash mentality is apparent in this issue, but there is a bit more to it than that. A bit of magic, a dash of alchemy, and lots of blood made this a fun read. I plan on repeating with the next issue. You should, too.