Dark Fantasy

Review – Red Sonja Noir: The Plunder & The Princess #1

Red Sonja takes on a brand new adventure in this very special Red Sonja Noir featuring a Princess, some Plunder and a very angry dragon!

Red Sonja Noir: The Plunder & The Princess #1

Writer: David Avallone
Artist: Edson Enn
Colorist: Adriano Augusto
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Editor: Joseph Rybandt

Publisher: Dynamite
Release date: July, 2026

Red Sonja Noir: The Plunder & The Princess #1 Review

Red Sonja Noir: The Plunder & The Princess #1 by David Avallone (W) and Edson Enn (A), is a dark fantasy/mystery comic book that’ll make you long for Roy Thomas and John Buscema’s Conan the Barbarian arc. It’s a comic book that takes that world, zooms in on Red Sonja and tells her the latest adventure through the lense of a 99c crime noir novel.

Arriving at the island of Zaralina, Red Sonja has been tasked by Elder Zaralin to guard the gifts at Princess Lisitsyn’s wedding. With celebrations underway, Red Sonja (dressed as a servant), manages to foil a robbery of the gifts. Before realising there’s an even larger threat outside the castle walls which she’s tasked to handle. As it turns out, most of the Elder’s riches are hidden within the village.

Red Sonja arrives at Zaralina to meet with her Employer

Riding back into town, she discovers a dragon burning the village, in a display which makes Adriano Augusto’s coloring jump right off the page. She begins helping General Lisitsyn and his militia fight off the dragon before realising mysterious figures making off with Elder Zaralin’s gold. As she catches up with them Red Sonja looks to be in for the fight of her life but she easily dispatches them before taking out the final cloaked figure who is wearing a green ring. A ring inexorably linked to the dragon as it stops attacking the village when the last of the mysterious figures is felled by Red Sonja.

Returning to the village, she’s approached by a young one-legged boy named Mikal, who is enthusiastic about helping her. A tender moment turned useful when Mikal alerts Red Sonja about thieves returning for the gold later in the issue. What’s important is that as she’s summoned back to the castle, the guard assigned to escorting Red Sonja into a trap. She survives but not before taking a crossbow arrow to the leg. Realising there’s a conspiracy at play, Red Sonja returns to Mikal and they begin to plan a little trap of their own. While it’s obvious the General is behind the dragon and the traps, it’s the ending that gives off a real “ah-hah” moment.

Red Sonja hoping her adventure is going to get a bit more exciting and trust me when I say - It does. — Red Sonja hoping her adventure is going to get a bit more exciting and trust me when I say – It does.

David Avallone has mapped out this comic book one-shot into a fun and enjoyable tale which makes you long for magazine-sized 80s Conan. It’s a comic book special which never loses its edge. It’s a noir mystery dressed up in the world that Robert E. Howard invented almost a century ago. It’s everything you want from a Red Sonja comic book – filled with action, adventure, sword-play, sorcery and just enough heart to break up the blood and guts.

Edson Enn is the perfect match for this comic book. With Enn’s artwork ripping Avallone’s imagination straight out of his head and realising it on the page. It feels like a more contemporary Buscema, complete with a modern tone. It’s not completely dark fantasy because it doesn’t need to be. The story carries that weight while Enn’s artwork elevates this one-shot into an adventure saga in only 40 pages. While the ending is teasing a return to the Red Sonja schtick, I certainly want more of this Avallone/Enn partnership in a future mini-series.

Well done, fellas.

Score: 8/10