Review – Swords of Sorrow: Red Sonja/Jungle Girl #1 of 3 (Dynamite)

Publisher: Dynamite
Writer: Marguerite Bennett
Artist: Mirka Andolfo
Publication Date: 22 July 2015

An all-female character crossover series, driven by female writers and artists? What’s not to love? Answer: see the front cover of the latest tie-in comic in the Swords of Sorrow series featuring Red Sonja and Jungle Girl.

Forget for a second that it’s drawn by Jay Anacleto and focus instead on that first sentence; then consider why Dynamite decided to feature Sonja on the front cover sporting what can only be described as an almighty sex face? As a female reader, I doubted that the comic was intended for me. On delving into the issue, I’m not entirely convinced otherwise.

Sonja finds herself lost in the jungle after an errant portal leads her astray. Enter Jana, aka Jungle Girl. Together, they join forces to investigate the mysterious chill that has overcome the island. Naturally, the set up involves a lot of chit-chat between our two female leads, after a brief but enjoyable fight scene. The exposition is necessary, but I can’t help but feel Bennett missed the opportunity for some sassy interchanges. This is somewhat corrected towards the end of the issue, but fails to make up for a muddled ending that disrupts the overall flow of the story.

The saving grace of the comic is the artwork. The colouring is vibrant, suiting the light nature of the issue, and the last panel is pretty epic. Andolfo has captured the youthful looks of both characters superbly, though I would love to know what organs these women have sacrificed in order to have waists so tiny! Unfortunately, she appears to suffer from the same affliction as the cover artist and the comic also features repeated poses that can only be designed to show off the characters’ ‘assets’ at their best.

Notwithstanding the above, I believe there’s potential here for these two characters to play very well together. On the basis of this first issue, however, it remains to be seen whether Marguerite Bennett will achieve it and whether the result will appeal to both genders.

Rating: 2/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK
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