RECOLORED RED SONJA

**MattBrady** · 11-29-2005, 05:03 PM

Dynamite Entertainment has provided Newsarama with a peek at the recolored pages from The Adventures of Red Sonja vol. I: She-Devil With a Sword, collecting Marvel Feature #1-#7. The pages in question were pecniled by Neal Adams, and recolored/remastered by Jose Villarrubia at the request of the colorist.

From Dynamite Entertainment:

Containing the Red Sonja tales from Marvel Feature #1-7, these tales are where it all begins, and help set the stage for the current Red Sonja series from Dynamite!

Colorist Jose Villarrubia will be specifically re-mastering the Neal Adams story for this collection.

This is a must-have collection of never-before reprinted material. Plus, this volume will feature two covers and legendary Red Sonja writer and form Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Roy Thomas, provides an introduction!

The volume is due in stores this week, and carries a $19.99 cover price.

Click here for the preview.

Vyper · 11-29-2005, 05:17 PM

This looks awesome recolored - one of the major porblems for me with reading re-printed material is that I've been severely spoiled by the coloring in comics these days, which makes it difficult to truly enjoy the 4-color system.

This shows that the artwork itself definitely stands the test of time.

adamcasey · 11-29-2005, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vyper
This looks awesome recolored - one of the major porblems for me with reading re-printed material is that I've been severely spoiled by the coloring in comics these days, which makes it difficult to truly enjoy the 4-color system.

This shows that the artwork itself definitely stands the test of time.

I'm quite the reverse. The oversaturated color (seems to be the most at Marvel) is really a drawback, especially combined with line-art inking.

Give me the old four color process or a modern version, a kin to Invincible's coloring.

KryptonSite · 11-29-2005, 05:40 PM

I just don't really like the old coloring on slick paper. Marvel's GI JOE trades looked awful, because those books really were intended for newsprint.

The Dark Horse CONAN recolorings were beautiful though, I wish that was done with more reprints.

The Deadman collection by Neal Adams, too, the first chapter looks so wonderful recolored, and then the rest mostly looks like crap, sadly.

Whiner · 11-29-2005, 05:48 PM

It looks INCREDIBLE! I wish Marvel would look at the benfits of recoloring. It would be the same benefit as releasing a DVD of an older movie with extras as opposed to having nothing new.

Fazhoul · 11-29-2005, 05:56 PM

Is that the final cover design? If so I'm glad they made it resemble the Conan trades from DH. That way they'll make a nice set.

Kolimar · 11-29-2005, 07:19 PM

Esteban Maroto and Neal Adams. My eyes are very happy.

Quote:

Originally posted by adamcasey
I'm quite the reverse. The oversaturated color (seems to be the most at Marvel) is really a drawback, especially combined with line-art inking.

Give me the old four color process or a modern version, a kin to Invincible's coloring.

Completely agree.

atomika · 11-29-2005, 07:34 PM

Great Looking book.!!!
Very, very nice piece of work all the way around.
Been picking this one up.

Keep it up.
We need more Indy books like this.

Sincerely

Sal Abbinanti

www.mercurycomics.com

Spaz_Monkey · 11-29-2005, 07:54 PM

Recoloring all depends on the artists, then and now. If you've got Neal Adams doing pencils, but Joe Slopartist doing the recoloring, you're gonna get a crappy book. If you've got Jim Lee doing pencils, and Leonardo DaVinci doing the recoloring, you're just gonna have crap, but that's because it's Jim Lee.
The Red Sonja, on the otherhand, looks damn near perfect. I also refer readers to the recolored Crisis & Watchmen as how to do it correctly.

adamcasey · 11-29-2005, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spaz_Monkey
I also refer readers to the recolored Crisis & Watchmen as how to do it correctly.

I read the Crisis paperback last week and was put off by some digital 'lens flare' put in that really looked out of place (notably for the cover with the Flash holding an unconcious Psycho Pirate, there's flare on his wings on his head.) There's some other photoshopping and what not.

I'm a little off put by some of the recolorings. I'm really interested in that Maximum Fantastic Four book, but if it's all just Photoshopped renders, I'll pass. I think, given it's concept, doing a four color blow up would be awesome.

Spaz_Monkey · 11-29-2005, 08:04 PM

The wrongest way of doing is is what Marvel did with Secret Wars - Just throw the old newsprint pages on a color copier and print onto gloss paper. My GOD, that book looked bad... You could see the yellowing of the pages where it had been printed onto the white gloss, for chrissakes!

[edited bekuz i kant spel]
[edited agin bekuz i stil kant spel]

Spaz_Monkey · 11-29-2005, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by adamcasey
I read the Crisis paperback last week and was put off by some digital 'lens flare' put in that really looked out of place (notably for the cover with the Flash holding an unconcious Psycho Pirate, there's flare on his wings on his head.) There's some other photoshopping and what not.

Lens Flare. I'll be the first to admit it's WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY over done. yike. That's one feature Adobe needs to remove from the next version of Photoshop.

mikey_danger · 11-29-2005, 08:07 PM

wow... this is the definition of inspiring... the layouts, storytelling, and subtle expressions in the poses are un-freekin-believable

comixcollctr · 11-29-2005, 08:49 PM

Weren't these pencilled by Moroto and inked by Adams?.

Rob Helmerichs · 11-29-2005, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by comixcollctr
Weren't these pencilled by Moroto and inked by Adams?.

Yes. There's even a credit on the splash page.

EmeraldGuy32 · 11-29-2005, 09:05 PM

If I can find the cash I'll be getting this.

Jeffbot · 11-29-2005, 09:13 PM

Looks like the pages were re-lettered, too. Very slick looking.

Duke Jupiter · 11-29-2005, 09:45 PM

Yep, this job was definitely relettered, probably on the insistence of Adams. My problem with the relettering is placement on some of the balloons - see the second balloon in panel one of the second page. The letterer probably didn't have a choice with text versus available space, but still...if you're going to redo it, don't do it half-assed.

I would've left the lettering as is. It was good enough for publication 30 years ago. Coloring's different; it wasn't done on the actual boards like the lettering.

And now, the good stuff...

Estaban Maroto and Neal Adams together on Red Sonja - it doesn't get much better than that. Add Frank Thorne and Dick Giordano to the party and you've got some great looking art to look at.

- DJ

kiddo · 11-29-2005, 09:59 PM

I do like the look of the colors on this. It is way better than the stuff that was done on his CONAN work. I would think his style might be hard to color anyway because his art looks so amazing by its self.

zombiejahmbie · 11-29-2005, 11:10 PM

I love the color, and the lettering isn't too offensive. But I agree they could have left it as it was.
There goes another $20 this week.

csGuy · 11-29-2005, 11:42 PM

might have to get this...

helloMuller · 11-30-2005, 12:45 PM

Oh Snap! I used to have that issue of Red Sonja when I was a kid (it was a Dutch trasnslated edition though). One of my favourites - I'll have to pick this one up!

rogue_tomato · 11-30-2005, 01:31 PM

Great colouring job!

Duke Jupiter · 11-30-2005, 08:53 PM

Okay, I just saw a copy of the book on the shelf at my LCS and I was underwhelmed. Yeah, the coloring is way better, but the line art reproduction is pretty shoddy on a number of the pages - THAT'S what needs remastering. Man, if I was Frank Thorne, I'd be ticked.

Saw a different cover on this book than what's being shown on this site. The inset illustration is the Gil Kane illustration from the cover of MARVEL FEATURE #1 (Vol. 2).

- DJ