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Army of Darkness #12

By Al Kratina
December 26, 2006 - 22:53

Army of Darkness #12

 
As its cover proudly proclaims, Dynamite Entertainment's Army of Darkness series has recently won Spike TV's revered Scream award for Best Screen-To-Comics Adaptation. It must be a true honor to receive such a prestigious award from a television station dedicated solely to running episodes of CSI and year-old Ultimate Fighting Championship undercards, especially since I can't think of any other horror screen-to-comic adaptation released in the last year. Dynamite Entertainment has carved itself quite a niche selling brands as opposed to comics, relying on numerous TV and film licenses, such as Battlestar Galactica, The Lone Ranger, and Highlander to move product, irrespective of the content. That's not to say that all the comics are bad, it's just that the quality seems secondary to the title, and the fact that the cover of Army of Darkness #12, the first issue of the "Death of Ash" story arc, doesn't even feature the names of its creative team doesn’t help.

 
The creative team, incidentally, is comprised of writer James Kuhoric, penciler Fernando Blanco, and colorist Ivan Nunes. It's no wonder that Army of Darkness is a popular title at Dynamite, regardless of who's working on it. Despite that fact that by all accounts the film made approximately $45 at the box office when released in 1992, a plethora of special edition DVDs, action figures and, my favorite, earrings have been released in its wake. The Evil Dead series is godhead among horror fanboys, so I'm sure this title would succeed whether it was good or not, which is fortunate because the comic book isn't particularly strong. In terms of the writing, the title has been slow to improve. Stuck in a sort of monster-of-the-month format, there's been little progression for Ash's character. It's not like I expect him to go from wise-cracking monster hunter to taciturn farmer's wife in 22 pages, but it would be nice to see something happen to make the character seem more organic, rather than a static series of jokes. Over the past few issues, Kuhoric has had a tendency to concentrate more on quips than on story or character development, and while his jokes have become funnier, it all becomes repetitive after a while. This new arc, however, promises to reveal more about Ash's past, so while it may not provide much progression, it's at least something new for the character. The first issue of the story has Ash and his occasionally southern girlfriend Sugarbaby transported by the Necronomicon to Weenieville, a Detroit area fast food restaurant that is apparently the seat of an evil cult responsible for all of Ash's misfortune since childhood. Determined to uncover the mystery of why Ash has been targeted by evil forces since birth, the two attack the cult, and are confronted in the underground catacombs of the restaurant by the Dead Queen. The dialogue is funnier here than it's ever been in the series, and the stronger narrative thrust makes the book more exciting than it usually is, though that might be because I've never gotten to type “underground catacombs of the restaurant” before.

 
The art has shown improvement as well, over the last 12 issues, improving at a faster pace than the writing. The early issues, penciled by Nick Bradshaw, were muddled and confused, but current series artist Fernando Blanco has a greater sense of clarity. Blanco's style brings out the broader elements of the comedy, and in keeping with the film's visual style, it's all bright colors and exaggeration, like a Three Stooges short that's been filled in with Crayolas. So, while the series has been slow to go anywhere, now that it does, it seems like it might be getting interesting. Certainly, it's a better investment than the earrings.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12