Steve Niles Takes Her to the Empire of the Damned!
January 25, Mt. Laurel, NJ: The She-Devil With a Sword is slicing into a brand new title this April, pairing with legendary writer Steve Niles for the first time ever for an epic tale overflowing with the undead!
After landing in jail following a night of drunken revelry, a frequent Sonja specialty, the Hyrkanian heroine hears a shocking story from a fellow inmate. This is the first she’s heard of the infamous “Empire of the Damned,” a dead city hidden deep in a valley amidst the mountains. Long abandoned and forgotten, the city’s haunting streets are littered with the bones of two armies, locked in battle but obliterated by a warlock’s curse. The evil spellcaster is long gone too, but he may have left around his vast treasure or the clues to find it.
Sonja’s new pal Morgo claims that not only is this legend true, but he’s got a map and the drive for adventure. He’s just met a willing and fearsome companion for his quest. They just need to prioritize breaking out of lockup first! Fans will get to hang out with even more fun new characters in the series, like a powerful young witch named Luna.
“Red Sonja is such a classic character,” said writer Steve Niles. “She was ahead of her time, an incredible warrior, pretty much unkillable and always ready to fight. When I was approached about writing her, I made sure it was okay to bring in some violence and great monsters for her to fight.”
Writer Steve Niles is heralded for his extensive work in comics, tackling characters like Batman and Spawn, his own creations Criminal Macabre, Simon Dark, and his multiple volume, Hollywood-adapted 30 Days of Night saga. Many of his stories focus on elements of horror and monsters. Now with the chance to write the She-Devil With a Sword, much of that DNA is set to play out in the new comic.
Through his works, Niles is also known for often collaborating with artists of a similar wavelength, such as superstars Bernie Wrightson, Ben Templesmith, and Kelley Jones. The next to join that legacy of artists will be Alessandro Amoruso, set for his breakout story.
The team is joined on their quest by a party of top talents contributing covers. Joshua Middleton’s gorgeous style mixes perfectly with the horror twist here. Joseph Michael Linsner, Philip Tan, cosplayer Rachel Hollon, and a signature color bleed/negative space cover from John Tyler Christopher round out the set on the first issue.
Red Sonja: Empire of the Damned delivers monsters, magic, and mayhem in equal measure. It’s a can’t-miss chapter in the chronicles of the Hyborian Age!
RED SONJA: EMPIRE OF THE DAMNED #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ February 2024 Previews catalog and slated for release in April 2024. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies of the book with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more!
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