Altered States: Warlords #1 Review: Dynamite Entertainment Sends Red Sonja to Barsoom for a Wild Sword-and-Planet Mashup
Altered States: Warlords #1 from Dynamite Entertainment is the kind of comic that looks at fantasy, sci-fi, swordplay, cosmic weirdness, and pulp adventure and says, “Why not throw all of it into the same arena?”
That is exactly what makes it fun.
Written by David Avallone, with art by Mariano Benitez Chapo, colors by Jorge Sutil, and letters by Jeff Eckleberry, this June 10, 2026 release gives readers a wild alternate-reality take on Red Sonja, Barsoom, and the larger Warlords-style adventure tradition. It is fast, strange, pulpy, dramatic, and packed with enough sword-and-planet energy to make fans of old-school fantasy comics grin.
This is not a quiet book. It is a “grab your blade and jump through the cosmic doorway” kind of book.
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Welcome to Altered States
The fun of Altered States: Warlords #1 starts with the concept.
This is an alternate-world adventure that takes familiar Dynamite icons and throws them into a reshaped cosmic fantasy setting. The result feels like classic pulp fiction filtered through modern comic pacing. Ancient kingdoms, strange portals, alien planets, rival rulers, mystic forces, and sword-swinging heroes all collide in one oversized “what if?” scenario.
The issue opens in a world of branching paths and impossible choices. From there, Red Sonja is pulled into a much bigger conflict that reaches beyond her familiar Hyborian-style battlefield and into the legendary landscapes of Barsoom.
That is the hook.
What if Red Sonja’s path led not just across kingdoms, but across worlds?
Red Sonja Fits This World Perfectly
Red Sonja is the engine of the issue.
She is fierce, stubborn, direct, and instantly compelling in this setting. The story understands that Sonja works best when she is thrown into impossible circumstances and refuses to be intimidated by them. Whether she is facing sorcery, alien powers, political manipulation, or strange warriors from another world, she responds with the same basic philosophy: draw steel, keep moving, and do not let anyone decide your fate for you.
That makes her a natural fit for a sword-and-planet adventure.
Barsoom is not just another fantasy backdrop. It is a world of warriors, rulers, ancient traditions, strange species, dangerous beliefs, and high-stakes conflict. Sonja feels like she belongs there immediately, not because she understands everything, but because she understands danger.
She may not know every custom. She may not know every title. She may not know every political trap.
But she knows when someone is trying to control her.
And that is enough.
The Book Has Big Pulp Energy
The best way to describe Altered States: Warlords #1 is “big pulp energy.”
This comic has the feeling of classic adventure serials, fantasy magazines, and Bronze Age sword-and-sorcery comics. It is not embarrassed by its genre roots. It embraces them. The issue gives readers dramatic kingdoms, cosmic mystery, sharp blades, strange creatures, royal tension, and heroic defiance.
That tone is important because this kind of story needs confidence.
If a sword-and-planet comic plays things too small, it loses the fun. Altered States: Warlords #1 does not have that problem. It goes for scale. It wants readers to feel like the world is bigger than the page and that every location has some strange history lurking behind it.
That gives the issue a strong sense of adventure.
It feels like the beginning of a wild alternate-history fantasy epic, not just a one-off gimmick.
David Avallone Keeps the Story Moving
Writer David Avallone keeps the issue moving at a brisk pace.
There is a lot to establish here: Red Sonja’s role, the altered setting, Barsoom’s political and spiritual conflict, the larger mystery, and the issue’s connection to classic Warlords-style adventure. Avallone manages to keep the exposition from slowing the book down by tying most of the worldbuilding directly to action or conflict.
That is the right choice.
This is not a story that should spend too long explaining itself. It should move. It should clash. It should throw characters into danger and let readers learn the rules as the sword fights unfold.
Avallone also gives Sonja the right voice. She feels impatient with nonsense, skeptical of authority, and very ready to solve problems the hard way. That makes her a strong contrast to the more ceremonial, political, and mystical forces around her.
Mariano Benitez Chapo Brings the Adventure to Life
Artist Mariano Benitez Chapo gives the issue a strong fantasy-adventure look.
The visual storytelling leans into the scale of the world, from shadowy paths and cosmic transitions to Barsoomian courts, warrior clashes, and alien landscapes. The book needs to sell the idea that Sonja has stepped into something bigger and stranger than expected, and the art helps make that jump feel immediate.
The action scenes are clean and energetic. Sonja looks powerful without feeling stiff. The alien court scenes have the right amount of theatricality. The cosmic elements give the story a more mythic edge.
That visual range matters because Altered States: Warlords #1 is juggling multiple genres at once. It needs fantasy grit, science-fiction wonder, and pulp drama.
Benitez Chapo delivers all three.
Jorge Sutil’s Colors Give the Book Its Cosmic Pop
Colorist Jorge Sutil helps separate the different worlds and moods of the issue.
The darker fantasy sequences feel moody and dangerous, while the Barsoom material brings in warmer tones, bold contrasts, and cosmic color shifts. The issue uses light, shadow, and energy effects to make the transitions between settings feel important.
That is especially useful in a book like this, where reality itself feels flexible.
The colors help tell readers when the story is shifting from grounded swordplay to something stranger and more mythic. They also give the action scenes extra snap, especially when Sonja is caught between blade fights, cosmic forces, and alien power structures.
Jeff Eckleberry Keeps the Pulp Flow Readable
Letterer Jeff Eckleberry keeps the issue readable through narration, dialogue, action beats, and worldbuilding.
That is important because this kind of comic can get dense quickly. There are big names, strange places, shifting settings, and enough fantasy-sci-fi terminology to fill a war council. The lettering keeps the rhythm moving and helps the issue maintain its adventure pace.
A good sword-and-planet comic should feel dramatic without becoming cluttered.
This one does.
What Makes This Issue Fun
The biggest strength of Altered States: Warlords #1 is that it understands the joy of a big comic book crossover-style premise.
This is not just about putting familiar characters on a cover. The issue actually plays with what happens when fantasy icons and pulp sci-fi mythology collide. Red Sonja brings a different kind of energy to Barsoom. She is not a courtly hero. She is not a chosen savior waiting for permission. She is a survivor with a sword and no patience for manipulation.
That creates immediate tension.
The world around her has rules, traditions, rulers, and ancient conflicts. Sonja has instinct, rage, skill, and a talent for making powerful people nervous.
That is a fun dynamic.
The issue also teases a larger mystery about Barsoom’s history and what Sonja’s presence may have changed. That gives the story momentum beyond the first chapter.
A Strong Pick for Red Sonja and Barsoom Fans
Fans of Red Sonja should have a good time with this issue because it gives her a fresh playground without losing what makes her work.
Fans of Barsoom, John Carter-style adventure, and old-school sword-and-planet fiction should also find plenty to enjoy. The issue leans into the genre’s big emotions, strange societies, dangerous cults, alien grandeur, and heroic defiance.
This is not a grounded modern thriller.
It is a full-on pulp adventure with blades, portals, destiny, and danger.
That is exactly what it should be.
For official publisher updates, visit Dynamite Entertainment.
Final Verdict: Altered States: Warlords #1 Is a Fun, Pulpy Blast
Altered States: Warlords #1 is a fun, energetic, and ambitious alternate-reality adventure that gives Red Sonja a wild new battlefield.
David Avallone writes the issue with strong momentum and a clear love for pulp storytelling. Mariano Benitez Chapo brings the fantasy and cosmic adventure to life with style. Jorge Sutil’s colors give the book a bold visual identity, and Jeff Eckleberry keeps the whole thing moving cleanly.
This is the kind of comic that knows exactly who it is for.
If you like Red Sonja, Barsoom, sword-and-sorcery, sword-and-planet adventure, alternate timelines, pulp fiction, or Dynamite’s bigger character mashups, Altered States: Warlords #1 is worth grabbing.
It is weird. It is dramatic. It is colorful. It is fun.
And sometimes that is exactly what a comic should be.
Review Score: 8/10
Comic Book Details
Title: Altered States: Warlords #1
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: David Avallone
Artist: Mariano Benitez Chapo
Colorist: Jorge Sutil
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Main Cover Artist: Joseph Michael Linsner
Editor: Joseph P. Rybandt
Release Date: June 10, 2026
Rating: Teen+
Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Sword and Planet, Fantasy Adventure, Pulp Adventure
Cover and Collector Information
Altered States: Warlords #1 features a main cover by Joseph Michael Linsner.
The cover immediately sells the crossover-style energy of the issue, presenting multiple iconic Dynamite fantasy and adventure figures in a bold, classic pin-up style. It has the feel of a collector-facing fantasy cover designed to stand out on the shelf.
For readers who collect Red Sonja, Vampirella, Barsoom-related comics, or Dynamite’s alternate-universe projects, this issue has strong curiosity value.
It is also a solid pickup for fans who enjoy one-shots and first issues that experiment with familiar characters in unusual settings.
Why New Readers Should Check It Out
New readers should check out Altered States: Warlords #1 because it is built around a simple, exciting question:
What happens when Red Sonja enters a world of alien kingdoms, cosmic destiny, and sword-and-planet warfare?
That premise is easy to understand, even if you are not caught up on every Dynamite title. The issue gives readers action, attitude, fantasy spectacle, and enough mystery to make the next chapter feel worth following.
This is a good pick for readers who want something fun, fast, and pulpy without needing a massive continuity map.
Join the Conversation
Are you picking up Altered States: Warlords #1 from Dynamite Entertainment?
Are you reading for Red Sonja, the Barsoom connection, the Joseph Michael Linsner cover, or the wild alternate-reality concept?
Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know which Dynamite character should get the next big Altered States adventure.
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