Red Sonja: Noir #1
Calling this one-shot Noir is a bit of a stretch, although Red Sonja: Noir #1 does include a couple elements of the genre (although it's sadly not in black-and-white). Introduced as a one-off story in which Red Sonja's short-term partnership with the brigand Tasmin comes to a close when he's felled while accepting a job from a femme fatale named Shauna who gives Sonja a sob story, none of which is true.
The other aspect notable here is a MacGuffin that gives this story its title of "The Crimson Calypso" in a statue created out of the blood of a fallen demon Shauna is willing to lie and kill for and even double-cross the old crone who hired her to deliver the statue. While getting to the truth, which has an additional twist that neither the crone nor Shauna see coming, Red Sonja will discover what happened to her friend and get a measure of revenge. And although alluring, the femme fatale's attempt to use her wiles to bend Sonja may lead to a lusty night (only alluded to in the comic) but doesn't ultimately play out for her in the long run. All-in-all, a fine one-shot, but not a must-read.
[Dynamite Entertainment, $5.99]
- Title: Red Sonja: Noir #1 (of 1)
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: David Avallone
- Artist: Edu Menna
