RED SONJA ATTACKS MARS #2 – Review

RED SONJA ATTACKS MARS #2, by Dynamite Comics on 5/7/25, finds Red Sonja and Kanawt escaping a pack of flying demons and arriving at Khalumbra to rescue Nelahnya, but the rescue doesn’t go as planned.

Credits:

• Writer: Jay Stephens
• Artist: Fran Strukan
• Colorist: Miroslav Mrva
• Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
• Cover Artist: Joseph Michael Linsner (cover A)
• Publisher: Dynamite Comics
• Release Date: May 7, 2025
• Comic Rating: Teen+
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 22
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of RED SONJA ATTACKS MARS #2:

Plot:

After Red Sonja partners with a low-level sorcerer and steals a hoverboard from an ancient temple in Red Sonja Attacks Mars #1, she finds herself chased by winged demons. During the chase, the hoverboard crashes, and her ray gun is lost in the desert. Red Sonja and Kanawt make their way to Khalumbra on foot. Fearing she may be recognized, Kanawt changes Red Sonja into a man so they can move through town unaccosted. That night, they break into the Vizier’s harem to find Nahalya, but they’re surprised and captured by the Vizier’s men. Nelahnya doesn’t want to leave since she accepted a role as Viziera. The issue ends with Red Sonja escaping and unmasking the Vizier and his guards as Martians.

Artwork and Presentation:

Fran Strukan delivers a perfectly serviceable set of visuals to convey the sense of urgency and energy you need for a Red Sonja battle. The script calls for a mild amount of humor, and Strukan uses visual jumps and foreground/background contrast to pull off the physical jokes well.

Art Samples:

Character Work:

It’s unclear where this story sits in the overall timeline of Red Sonja’s history, but Jay Stephens’s version of the character is a bit impetuous and slightly immature. That characterization may not sit well with longtime fans.

Structure:

Stephens’s plot setup and flow work well enough for a fairly standard Red Sonja adventure. The She-Devil with a sword often uses guile, trickery, and stealth to get the job done, so a magical disguise, a prison escape, and a harem invasion are right inside Red Sonja’s wheelhouse.

Strongest Point(s):

Putting aside the brief connections to Martians, Jay Stephens put together a reasonably engaging Red Sonja adventure. The quest is clear and the action is plentiful.

Weakest Point(s):

The two weakest points of Red Sonja Attacks Mars #2 are the terrible dialog/narration and the significant lack of Martians. First, there are several panels that are a chore to get through because every other word is a made-up language that you can’t read silently, much less out loud. Second, the Martians are little more than bystanders in this comic. If Red Sonja has an intention to attack Mars, as the title suggests, she’s taking her time getting around to it. It feels like the Martian element was tacked on to a Red Sonja story that never got published.

Final Thoughts:

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RED SONJA ATTACKS MARS #2 presents a fairly serviceable Red Sonja adventure with terrible dialog and almost no Mars. Jay Stephens’s script has all the hallmarks of sword & sorcery adventure, and Fran Strukan’s art is solid. That said, this issue was a chore to get through, completely lacking in edge or fun.

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