In Savage Tales: A Red Sonja Halloween Special, writer Mark Russell brings in artist Jacob Edgar (James Bond: Moneypenny) to tell an extra-length spooky story. Dearbhla Kelly and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou also jump over from the regular series for this essential tale for fans of the She-Devil with a Sword. All underneath a striking cover from Erica D’Urso (Xena, Captain Marvel), drawing inspiration from the original Savage Tales #1.
This one-shot perfectly complements issue 9 of the ongoing series, out the same month. While that issue has Sonja returning to the Sorcerers of Wigur-Nomadene, Savage Tales flashes back to their first encounter. At this point, Sonja is not yet a legend, but a brute full of anger and ambition. Savage. Everyone’s favourite fiery heroine tries to convince the sorcerers to bring her family and friends back to life.
“I saved the darkest chapter of the Red Sonja story for this Halloween Special,” said writer Mark Russell. “The main series refers to an earlier visit by Sonja to the Sorcerers of Wigur-Nomadene and this tells the story of that visit and the price she paid to try to bring her dead family back to life. Jacob’s style lends itself really well to this story of dark magic and loss and I think it will make a great entry into the canon as well as a self-contained story.”
“This new Sonja series has built a world that feels lived in, covered in dirt and sand and… probably some pretty bad smells. Approaching this issue, especially given that it’s a dark Halloween tale, I really want to capture that feeling but also turn up the boldness,” said artist Jacob Edgar. “Really push the energy, while maintaining the integrity of the world that’s been established. Mark is a heck of a writer and I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to draw one of his books!”
