Speak softly and carry a big boomstick.
Ash and the Army of Darkness is the continuation of the Army of Darkness film. What that means is if you’ve never seen the movie then this will be one weird book
to you. But despite that; the book is still fun for everyone who reads it.
Writer, Steve Niles writes a fun, campy, and heroic Ashley Williams that fits perfectly with the spirit of the Army of Darkness universe. It would have been awesome to have a narrated track of this book by Bruce Campbell. The plot is simple to follow but the films were never known for their complexities. That means if you’re new to this world or curious about it; the book’s story is easy to follow along and get an idea for the main points of the world. Basically, this series will be about Ash tying up loose ends from the film by battling through yet another demon apocalypse.
Dennis Calero’s art is one of the few stumbles in the issue. While it’s decent in the majority of the book; there’s a few spots in the battling of demons sequence that feel a bit too empty. It’s a trick balancing frantic layouts like that, which can often lead to those unwanted negative spaces. Where the art does shine is in the tone it creates. Calero’s character expressions are so strong they add wacky to already spot on dialogue Niles writes.
If you’re a fan of the film this is definitely a must have. Issue one shows the makings of a great addition to the Army of Darkness universe. If you’re new to the series, the book is still worth taking a chance on just to see what Sam Rami’s B-movie goodness was all about.