Red Sonja: Blue is Here!

Tomorrow, June 15, 2011, is launch day! Whoohoo!

If thou lovest me, thou wilt hie to thine local comic shop and pick up a copy of Red Sonja: Blue. You can see both covers (50% by Walter Geovani and 50% by Mel Rubi) and preview the first five pages over at Comic Book Resources.

Even if you have never read a comic book in your life, I encourage you to give it a try. You don’t need to know anything about Red Sonja going in, and it’s a complete story in 30 pages. Plus, it’s full of gorgeous art!

My first comic book! I can’t tell you how inordinately happy I am to have this happen. Making comic books was my dream job when I was a kid. It’s like getting to be an astronaut, or an Old West sheriff. Just thinking about it fills me with glee.

Red Sonja: Blue is a nod to the Red Sonja *I* grew up with, the 80’s book by Louise Simonson and Mary Wilshire. In the 70’s, 00’s, and today, we know Sonja by her trademark chainmail bikini, but in my comic heyday, she wore a very different blue fur number (left). It is an homage to the Sonja I loved as a kid, but with the hard edge the book had in the 70’s and today.

And I love the result. Honestly I do. It was a team effort, and everyone came through, from the amazing Walter Geovani art to Ivan Nunes’ vivid and evocative colors, not to mention the fantastic lettering by Marshall Dillion, all overseen by Editor Joe Rybant. I pressed pretty hard to get artist Walter Geovani, and wrote the script with his art in mind. He didn’t disappoint, and nailed the look I wanted for Sonja right off.

I had so much fun writing this book. It’s full of jokes, but I think it also delivers an emotional punch.

Here’s the official blurb:

Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of the Demon Cycle, takes the reins for this special issue, teaming up with fan favorite artist Walter Geovani to take Red Sonja back to her barbarian roots-and the She-Devil isn’t going without a fight! When an unfortunate encounter with a demon deprives her of her trademark chainmail bikini, Sonja is forced to don a familiar blue fur tunic for the remainder of this adventure. Brett brings a mix of deft characterization, wry humor, and hard action to this one-shot homage to the Sonja legacy, honoring longtime fans while offering the perfect self-contained story for new readers.

In addition to the CBR preview, here are some samples of the fantastic colored Walter Geovani art showing off the new look. These have yet to have dialogue and narration boxes inserted by the letterer:

If you’re a New Yorker and not normally a comics reader, I recommend going to Midtown Comics. There are a lot of really great comics stores in NYC (I know, I’ve been to just about every one), but I’ve been going to the brick and mortar Midtown Comics flagship store on 40th St. and Seventh Avenue since the day it opened in 1997. I was immediately impressed with their efficiency, knowledge, and friendly, welcoming attitude towards customers. I recommended it to all my friends, and was there, usually with a group of friends on our lunch break, every Wednesday for new comics day for over ten years, and still go there about twice a month. Another great option is Jim Hanley’s Universe by the Empire State Building.

If you don’t have a local comics shop, or live outside the US, you can order online at www.midtowncomics.com. They have a great mail order business as well, and you can order books with domestic and international shipping. You can also try Comixology.

Posted on June 14, 2011 at 4:32 pm by PeatB
Filed under Events, Pimpage, Red Sonja, Sales, Writing
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