Beginning in 2016, some of Dynamite Entertainment's most popular ladies are getting new looks and creative teams. Nicola Scott has given Red Sonja, Dejah Thoris, and Vampirella an updated look. Each will have a new monthly series in the first quarter of the new year.

Gail Simone, the writer on RED SONJA for the past two years, has created a road map for the three characters.

"We're doing a monster makeover with these characters, and it's a joy to be part of this. Make no mistake, these are characters we love, badasses all; the She-Devil with a Sword, the queen of all vampire hunters, and the warlord princess. Characters do not get any better than that," says Simone. "Our mission here is to spruce up their look and remind people that these were the original female ass-kickers that inspired Xena, Buffy, and Leia Organa. They are the map others followed, and we get to bring them each a hot, new look from brilliant artist/designer Nicola Scott, as well as thrilling new mission statements for each of them."

RED SONJA

Red Sonja #1, by the creative team of Marguerite Bennett (Bombshells, A-Force, Angela) and Aneke (Legenderry: Red Sonja, Damsels) and scheduled for release on January 13, 2016, will see its titular heroine return to her homeland of Hyrkania, only to find it changed into an almost unrecognizable landscape. As envisioned by Gail Simone, the new series sends Sonja on a mission of infiltration, sabotage, and assassination when she discovers that her native people have been conscripted into the service of a Nazi-like regime.

"It's an honor and a pleasure to be the new writer on a book as crazy and colorful as Red Sonja," says Bennett. "While I've never yet had the pleasure of working with Aneke, our phenomenal new artist, I cannot wait for us to make the big, bloody, sexy, sweeping splash in a universe this rich with story, history, and the contributions of the creators and creatives who came before us. I am particularly indebted to Gail Simone, who has always been one of my idols in comics, who first suggested that I follow her run on the title and was endlessly guiding and encouraging as I broke into this new level of the medium."

Bennett says, "This current arc allows me to explore elements of my favorite stories, which have always been those that are enormously morally gray. In this case, we're nearly to 'Red Sonja vs. The Iron Age Nazis', as she watches her own people united and then profaned by a charismatic leader with intimate connections to Sonja's own long-buried past. She is placed in an impossible crisis, on the run from the very people she has saved, torn between saving her homeland... or destroying it. I hope readers will enjoy something dark but fun, vicious but witty, balanced between battle, romance, intrigue, and good old-fashioned monster-slaying. I'm so grateful to have a chance to lead Sonja into this brave new world."

"I was thrilled to draw Red Sonja from the beginning. She is one of my favorite characters ever, so when I was told that I would be drawing this magnificent warrior, I just couldn't stand the excitement," says Aneke, the illustrator of the new series and a self-proclaimed devotee of Frank Thorne, artist of Red Sonja's first-ever series. "I was expecting some powerful stuff from Marguerite Bennett, and I haven't been disappointed! The strength and the misanthropic touch of the red-headed heroine have always spoken to me, so I feel really lucky to draw her."

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DEJAH THORIS

Dejah Thoris, a royal warrior who has served as a major supporting cast member of Dynamite's various Warlord of Mars series as well as the star of several solo Dejah Thoris series, will appear in a new #1 issue this coming February, courtesy of writer Frank J. Barbiere (Avengers World, Solar: Man of the Atom). As described by Gail Simone, Dejah Thoris would present a fall from grace for the Martian princess, as she embarks on a self-imposed exile, assuming a new identity and enlisting as a rookie soldier on the farthest, deadliest borders of her Barsoomian civilization.

Barbiere says, "I am truly honored to be writing Dejah Thoris, a character with such a robust history and celebrated pulp pedigree. I'm a big fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and to be able to contribute to the canon of one of his most celebrated characters is really exciting. This is a new start for Dejah Thoris, and I think our story is going to reignite the spark of what makes her great. It's a bold new take that really captures the spirit of Dejah as a dynamic, interesting, and capable character while exploring her past in a way that fans new and old won't expect."

"Dejah Thoris was about playing with themes and the Barsoom aesthetic," says costume designer Nicola Scott. "Plaited leathers, swooping, organic shaped armour, and gossamer fabrics seemed the right place to start. It was just a matter of playing around with shapes and proportions until it came together."

VAMPIRELLA

Vampirella #1, debuting in March 2016, will feature the writing talents of Kate Leth (Adventure Time, Bravest Warriors), and see a return to the character's roots as a horror hostess, as her costumed identity goes public... while privately, she uses her new celebrity status to uncover the links between silver screen killers and a real conspiracy of monsters.

Kate Leth, writer of the new Vampirella, says, "Vampirella takes Hollywood! In this new and twisted take on the classic horror queen, Vampi moves to the City of Angels to find more than a few demons in the mix. Along with her paramour/werewolf Tristan and trusty butler Coleridge, she begins to investigate mysterious disappearances in the shadowy world of B-movies and the monsters who make them. All the while, she finds herself a sudden sensation after a video of her monster-hunting in her classic ensemble goes viral. Can Vampirella be both a cult icon on the rise and take down an empire of ghouls and ghosts? Signs point to: Hell yes!"

Regarding the redesign of one of comics' most iconic costumes, Nicola Scott says, "Vampirella was a lot of fun. We could actually make her modern, with some retro influence. I liked the idea of keeping her in a one-piece but making it a leather jumpsuit with her logo embroidered on the back. Part biker, part roller-derby. I hope to see cosplayers in this one ASAP!"

Gail Simone also commented:

"You don't need to know their history, you just need to like awesome damn women doing awesome damn stuff. Come join us!"

If this were DC or Marvel, people would be complaining so hard about the new costumes. But it's Dynamite, so no one will care.

I like this. Huge fan of Dynamite altogether (especially Red Sonja, and to a lesser extent, Vampirella), and I'm actually into the outfit changes. The mail on Sonja isn't much of a change, but whatever.

Also, for some reason, Vampirella looks better this way. Not sure why; just appeals to me.

People care but these characters are slightly less iconic and not as old as others like Wonder Woman.

Plus, the outdated looks were due for a change one way or another, at least this way the characters still look cool and resemble they way they were originally designed or retain their characters personalities appropriately.

DC changed Harley so she took more of a step backwards from a coverall leotard to a corset top and short-shorts so she looks more like a Halloween stores idea of a Harley Quinn costume.

Wonder Woman needed some updates, the one piece was cool but never made sense for combat, much like capes we're seeing more heroes dropping the old looks for new, modern looks.

Also, Dynamite is probably doing this to try and draw in more female readers because lets be honest, Red Sonja and Vampirella were probably drawing in mostly male readers for two very big reasons. At least they aren't doing what Marvel is doing and taking existing characters and drastically changing the characters to suit the modern times and try to draw in readers.

I have to admit I don't read any of these.

But I am glad they covered the heroines up a little. I was always bugged about how some of the longest running female lead titles looked so sexualized. It made people not take them seriously.

I actually approve of all the new looks too, especially Dejah (have you seen her old costume?? literally consists of chains and nipple covers) and I get these aren't as well known as some bigger heroines, but what I meant was if this WAS DC or Marvel, even smaller characters, people would lose it. Like the Batgirl costume change, or Spider-Woman. I know people didn't like them cause they were more casual, but I like them more actually, ESPECIALLY Spider-Woman.

They aren't bad as outfits, there's just a part of me thats thinking they aren't on the right characters.

Can't really tell if there's any major difference to Sonja's since she's covered in that enormous cloak.

Thoris looks likes a design from the John Carter movie. It's not bad, but it's kinda like giving Starfire a jumpsuit. She's an alien, her culture isn't human and she is from a hot planet where most people walk around bare-chested because of the heat.

Vampirella... its... Lara Croft meets the Huntress and given the Phoenix Force... (Admittedly I think she had the worst outfit to begin with, but this seems to have lost the recognition factor in the redesign... like Powergirls New 52 suit.)

Odd, I was kinda thinking the only reason these characters were still seeing print was because they appealed to that niche of fans that still stick with classical noir type books... when they (as you say) didn't just appeal to male readers due to their lack of clothing.

You know, I've always wanted to check these titles out, but the lack of clothes was always a turn off (don't get me wrong, I'm into that sorta thing, just not in comic book form). I might pick these up now that they are less of a fanboy's wetdream

@outside_85: There's a cover gallery for RED SONJA. You can get a pretty clear shot at her. Just click the thumbnails.

Ah, I see.

Hmm, seems like they liked that blue mail thing she was wearing at some point in the recent past.

Let's the debate start: less sexualizated heroines or a neo-puritanism PC trend?

Is there no where I can go to escape liberal, PC madness? And people simply absorb this bs like sponges!

I am fully comvinced you could tell the majority of the world's modern population absolutely anything, and with enough repetition, appeal to authority, and general consensus people would eat it. That's all it takes to create "reality" nowadays.

this idea if Dejah sucks...

I like the new costumes except for Vampirella's. I am not one of those annoying guys complaining about bikini armor, but Sonja's usual costume was just meh to me.

Vampirella looks a Helsing wannabe from Zenescope comics.

@the_stegman: True, most people come to expect characters a certain way and often will complain if those characters are changed, whether it be in costume, personality or anything else. However, not all complaints are invalid, some hold truth. If a character is drastically changed then you run the risk of losing readers, it is why Batman has changed only ever so slightly over the years because any dramatic changes would push people away. The same can be said for Spider-man, people have come to expect Peter Parker in a certain way and if that is ever changed, it is rarely well received.

I do not read much DC or Marvel anymore because the stories became tedious because of this fear of change because it often led to what I refer to as an universal rewind, where after 6 months to a year, all major stories are reset and the characters start all over again, we're seeing this event nearing again with DC Convergence and Marvel Secret Wars, soon these universes will be reset, useless characters done away with and it will be as though it never was.

My preference is towards stories which continue and rarely reset or make too drastic of changes like Hellboy, Spawn or Invincible (despite the time travel, the story is still continuing, it is now with a different possible result rather than a reset)

@outside_85: If they didn't appeal to male readers for their design/sex appeal then the covers would be as they are with women in tiny outfits and large breasts threatening to spill from their tops. I never claimed it was exclusively male readers but also do not believe it to be largely female either.

Regardless, my opinion or the opinion of anyone else will not change these comics, only the sales will.

If sales plummet then we'll be back to chain-male bikinis in no time, if sales maintain themselves or rise, then these looks will stay.

This costumes are far from puritan. They are still sexy but not ridiculous like the previous ones.

The current WW costume, yes that is awful, especially when in JL Fabok draws one of the most beautiful yet strong WW out there. But these keep the balance nicely.

The previous over-sexualized costumes kept people off, admittedly some came for them, its a wait to see if the new audience will be bigger than the audience lost.

tldr:

"we got rid of the thongs and string bikinis, and we're putting them in one pieces!"

The changes make a ton of sense for Red and Dejah it seems to fit with the current story telling as for Vampirella her outfit was always way over the top and could of been covered up a bit but her new design is terrible and lazy its Batgirl's leather jacket and everything else Harley Quinn oh with Huntresses cross bow. It screams hey we want cosplayers and nothing more.

This is becoming the new trend for female character design is to make costumes that are easily made for cosplayers and that is not a bad thing per say but its a lazy way of drawing attention to your book.

They RUNINED it, I'll never by Dynamite again. Thanks Nick Barrucci

The new designs, and new storylines are stellar. I loved Simone's Red Sonja, I loved the recent Swords of Sorrow and based on the new writers coming in, I've got high hopes for all of this. Bennett and Leth? Just...wow.

I am especially digging Dejah's new direction. Having her stand alone and start from the bottom is going to be epic.

Dynamite is just making theirselves less interesting than they already were. Then again, it was already happening since Red Sonja started appearing less with chainmail bikini.

It's what happens most males in this world have white-knight mentalities and are raised by single mothers. Then some of them become the people in charge and allow this neo-liberalism to flourish like wildfire. Really, the last form of entertainment that's still mostly free of this "equality" BS is videogames but that won't last long.

Hmm, looks like I am out for Dejah Thoris, Vampirella, and Red Sonja next year.

I was on the fence after this year anyway, and this update has given me the push to tell my comic store to take them off my pull list (they would pull anything to do with these characters previously for me).

While Simone's Sonja started out real strong, to my dismay it got more and more uninteresting after the first arc.

Vampirella became sort of neat being in a Torchwood style occult investigation unit but that isn't Vampirella and got way to predictable in the end.

Dejah Thoris, she was the least interesting of all as a backup character to John Carter in John Carter: Warlord of Mars.

I like the fun, pulp old school feel of these characters, and now they have all be transitioned into Lara Croft styled crime fighting adventurers which to me is a complete bore. Normally a redesign wouldn't be a big deal for me but look at that Vampirella outfit. If that doesn't broadcast a 'I am a Vampire Lara Croft' then I dunno what does. So its reaffirmed what I disliked about where these series' were swaying.

Don't get me wrong, I may return, but this is a good place to break it off and if need be become a trade waiter for these series in the future.

@docholiday: Other than Vampirella all these characters are older than Wonder Woman.

Gail Simon has been fantastic on Red Sonja and I'm going to miss her writing but Marguerite Bennett is the boss and I'm very excited for her run.

Had you not hear about Anita Sarkkesian?

As a character Red Sonja is about 8 years older, but that is in written fiction, I was referring to comic books since that is when she became a character with a defined looked. She first appears in 1934, yes but only loosely based from Red Sonya of Rogatino, a short story by Robert E Howard, however, she didn't appear in comics until Conan from Marvel in 1973 where as Wonder Woman first appeared in 1941 in All Star Comics #8.

Which is why I said,"......but that won't last long". That lying scammer and Zoe Quinn even brought this so-called "miss-soggy-knee" issues to the UN and making a bigger scene over something that was never a problem in the first place. I'm aware that some games like Mortal Kombat X have been hit with the P.C. stick but we still have plenty games with content that will trigger SJWs.

Anita Sarkeesian is a liar and a fake. She claims to be a games critic but doesn't play video games and has said in numerous videos that she doesn't have time to play them and yet takes the time to criticize them. Even on the Colbert Report she was asked to name just 3 games that exploit women and she barely squeaked out Grand Theft Auto, she kept side-stepping any questions Colbert asked

You know, as someone who generally frowns on redesigning female characters in the name of making them less sexy, I must say that there is little here that I find objectionable. In fact, almost nothing.

With Red Sonja, I see very little that is different beyond the hooded cloak. The variant cover where she doesn't have it shows me a look that near as I can tell has many of the same features as her classic get-up: bare legs, brown boots and gloves, armored chest, etc. A bit less scantily clad yes, but frankly not thatdifferent. She still looks like Red Sonja to me.

Dejah's look is arguably my personal favorite of the three. I kind of like the armored bits and how they're designed, as well as the skirt and the color chosen for it. And for those who most identify Dejah Thoris with exposed skin below the neck, I'm still seeing quite a bit of it. For those wanting fan-service, I think this one's plenty fan-servicey and thus not that far a cry from her older look.

And finally, Vampirella. To be honest, I never liked her original costume. Not because it's sexy, but because there's so little there I feel like it can barely be accused of being an outfit. This on the other hand is sexy, but also feels like it has substance. Only thing I'd change about this one is the fingerless gloves, as I hate fingerless gloves. But other then that, this one's very nice. The bat on the back of her jacket is an especially nice touch.

So ultimately, I'm not seeing much of a problem here. Maybe it's because I'm not as into these characters as I am others, though to be fair, I wasn't exactly weeping over the notion of giving Wonder Woman a pair of pants to wear. Honestly I think these outfits are a nice compromise: more clothing so the ladies feel less like they're out for a day at the beach, but still plenty of exposed skin and sex appeal to appease those of us that are into that sort of thing. What's the issue?

Vampirella looks like Claire Redfield.

@the_stegman: Well, Dejah never had a costume to begin with. Big improvement here. :)

Sarkeesian knowing about video games is like Trump knowing about Mexican History.

That aside, these new looks on Sonja, Vampi, and Thoris...

@kritikalmassx said:

@docholiday said:

@thor_ul said:

@nukea6 said:

Dynamite is just making theirselves less interesting than they already were. Then again, it was already happening since Red Sonja started appearing less with chainmail bikini.

@mollydanger2210 said:

Is there no where I can go to escape liberal, PC madness? And people simply absorb this bs like sponges!

I am fully comvinced you could tell the majority of the world's modern population absolutely anything, and with enough repetition, appeal to authority, and general consensus people would eat it. That's all it takes to create "reality" nowadays.

It's what happens most males in this world have white-knight mentalities and are raised by single mothers. Then some of them become the people in charge and allow this neo-liberalism to flourish like wildfire. Really, the last form of entertainment that's still mostly free of this "equality" BS is videogames but that won't last long.

Had you not hear about Anita Sarkkesian?

Anita Sarkeesian is a liar and a fake. She claims to be a games critic but doesn't play video games and has said in numerous videos that she doesn't have time to play them and yet takes the time to criticize them. Even on the Colbert Report she was asked to name just 3 games that exploit women and she barely squeaked out Grand Theft Auto, she kept side-stepping any questions Colbert asked

Sarkeesian knowing about video games is like Trump knowing about Mexican History.

That aside, these new looks on Sonja, Vampi, and Thoris...

Well put, very well put.

Trump "Everyone but me is a loser, women, immigrants, POWs, yep...I am a winner and a self-made man...forget that I inherited my millions from my dad and have nothing in common with the common man or that I keep trading up my wives for younger more surgically enhanced models or that I've gone bankrupt 4 times...I am what this nation needs!"

What is Claire Redfield doing there?

Also, to be honest if this were realistic redesign those armors suck at combat.

They cover their bodies, but dont protect them actually.

I dont want to be mean, but they look even sillier that the past ones.

Also.

Red Sonja looks okay, but Vampirella and Dejah Thoris look bad.

@docholiday said:

@kritikalmassx said:

@docholiday said:

@thor_ul said:

@nukea6 said:

Dynamite is just making theirselves less interesting than they already were. Then again, it was already happening since Red Sonja started appearing less with chainmail bikini.

@mollydanger2210 said:

Is there no where I can go to escape liberal, PC madness? And people simply absorb this bs like sponges!

I am fully comvinced you could tell the majority of the world's modern population absolutely anything, and with enough repetition, appeal to authority, and general consensus people would eat it. That's all it takes to create "reality" nowadays.

It's what happens most males in this world have white-knight mentalities and are raised by single mothers. Then some of them become the people in charge and allow this neo-liberalism to flourish like wildfire. Really, the last form of entertainment that's still mostly free of this "equality" BS is videogames but that won't last long.

Had you not hear about Anita Sarkkesian?

Anita Sarkeesian is a liar and a fake. She claims to be a games critic but doesn't play video games and has said in numerous videos that she doesn't have time to play them and yet takes the time to criticize them. Even on the Colbert Report she was asked to name just 3 games that exploit women and she barely squeaked out Grand Theft Auto, she kept side-stepping any questions Colbert asked

Sarkeesian knowing about video games is like Trump knowing about Mexican History.

That aside, these new looks on Sonja, Vampi, and Thoris...

Well put, very well put.

Trump "Everyone but me is a loser, women, immigrants, POWs, yep...I am a winner and a self-made man...forget that I inherited my millions from my dad and have nothing in common with the common man or that I keep trading up my wives for younger more surgically enhanced models or that I've gone bankrupt 4 times...I am what this nation needs!"

Now that was well put as well.

Vampirella looks better, imo. Never did like her old outfit, despite how revealing it was...

Hope Red Sonja is as good as Gail's run. I don't read Dejah or Vampirella. But I like all the redesigns.

@rexwing: Give Gail Simone's run a try on Red Sonja. Yeah she's always in the chain mail on the covers but often has different outfits on which are more appropriate to the situation. Like being covered up while in the snow.

To be fair, Conan had pants in Brian Wood's run but that was a bad idea, IMO.

@deathpoolthet1000 said:

What is Claire Redfield doing there?

Also, to be honest if this were realistic redesign those armors suck at combat.

They cover their bodies, but dont protect them actually.

I dont want to be mean, but they look even sillier that the past ones.

Also.

A whole lot of really embarrassing comments under this post. I wonder what it's like to embody every negative stereotype about being a comic nerd...

Anyway, Vampirella is the only character here I've ever had any interest in, and I'd be lying if I said her old costume never got in the way of her stories being enjoyable. The problem with it was that, like someone else said, it was barely there. The way some artists drew it, it was just a flimsy red censor bar covering up her x-rated parts.

I remember, back when the character was being published by Harris Comics, Mike Carey wrote an absolutely brilliant mini-series called Vampirella Revelations. It was a completely serious epic story with a lot of high stakes and emotion, but the artist drew her costume like it was an inch-wide strip of cloth that was constantly flossing between her genitals. It kiiiiiiinda killed the mood.

And I got no problem with t&a in principle. There's a place for it. But if you're trying to tell a completely serious story with absolutely no sex or romance or even flirting in it, then the character should be dressed to match the situation. If Dynamite wanted to publish stories where Vampi gets chained up by a nest of vampires and she has to use her sex appeal to get out of the situation, then great, use the old costume. But it is quite apparent that those aren't the type of stories that Dynamite is trying to tell.

Its not the best costume design, but at least it actually makes sense for the stories they're telling.

They don't look sexy.

Good thing someone put some clothes on these women. They were so oppressed :(

@lagozzino:

"Anyway, Vampirella is the only character here I've ever had any interest in, and I'd be lying if I said her old costume never got in the way of her stories being enjoyable. The problem with it was that, like someone else said, it was barely there. The way some artists drew it, it was just a flimsy red censor bar covering up her x-rated parts."

That is so problematic :(

"I remember, back when the character was being published by Harris Comics, Mike Carey wrote an absolutely brilliant mini-series called Vampirella Revelations. It was a completely serious epic story with a lot of high stakes and emotion, but the artist drew her costume like it was an inch-wide strip of cloth that was constantly flossing between her genitals. It kiiiiiiinda killed the mood."

That is so problematic :(

"And I got no problem with t&a in principle."

I don't wanna sound like a queer or anything, but...

"There's a place for it. But if you're trying to tell a completely serious story with absolutely no sex or romance or even flirting in it, then the character should be dressed to match the situation. If Dynamite wanted to publish stories where Vampi gets chained up by a nest of vampires and she has to use her sex appeal to get out of the situation, then great, use the old costume. But it is quite apparent that those aren't the type of stories that Dynamite is trying to tell."

How dare she dresses the way she wants. "If you're not asking for it, don't dress that way."

Daaaaamn! That sounded pretty problematic.

@deathpoolthet1000 said:

What is Claire Redfield doing there?

Also, to be honest if this were realistic redesign those armors suck at combat.

They cover their bodies, but dont protect them actually.

I dont want to be mean, but they look even sillier that the past ones.

Also.

Conan and Red have been rocking different sets of armor for years, this is likely more or less for cover artiest from using the classic all the time.