Posted in: Comics, Dynamite | Tagged: dynamite, red sonja, samurai sonja

Jordan Clark & Pasquale Qualano on Samurai Sonja From Dynamite Comics

Published Mon, 14 Mar 2022 08:59:12 -0500

The newest Red Sonja comic book series from Dynamite Entertainment is Samurai Sonja written by Aquaman and Star Wars writer Jordan Clark and drawn by Pasquale Qualano on art. And spinning out of the recent multiversal crossover event of Sonjaversal, showing that infinite variations on the concept of Red Sonja exist across time and space. The next take on that introduces the Sengoku period of Japanese history.

In a time of near-constant war, a new Sonja rises. The daughter of a slain samurai, she will take on his sword and eagerly set out to prove herself worthy of her family's legacy. Yet her journey goes awry when she makes a deal for her life with the goddess Amaterasu in a desperate moment. Sonja will be gifted a set of magical armor and powerful weapons capable of slaying mythical beasts. However, if she falls in battle, her entire bloodline will be erased from history, and her family's name will be no more.

Samurai Sonja is intended to combine elements of real world Japanese history with the mythology of that culture. The Sengoku period lasted circa 1467 to 1615 and was marked by endless civil war and tension following the collapse of the last major government. Prominent figures such as Oda Nobunaga are known for this period, and many of the most famous historical dramas in film, television, anime, manga, and video games are set in this time. This new version of Red Sonja will be encountering legendary creatures from Japanese folklore, including the Demon King, Shuten-Dōji. While also pulling inspiration from other major samurai classics like Samurai Jack, the Vagabond manga, and of course the masterpieces of filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

"I'm so excited to introduce readers to the world of Samurai Sonja!," said Jordan Clark. "As a long time fan of samurai culture and folklore, getting a chance to merge those sensibilities with a timeless character like Sonja has been a blast. She embodies so much of the Bushido Code as a fierce warrior with a strong sense of justice as well as compassion. This is my love letter to works like Seven Samurai and Vagabond and if you've enjoyed Pasquale's work in the Sonjaverse so far, just wait until you see what he's doing on this series!"

Samurai Sonja #1 will be published by Dynamite Entertainment in June. Cover artists include Lucio Parrillo, Lesley "Leirix" Li, Clayton Henry, and Paulina Ganucheau.

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