The world of Archie has been home to some of the most insane crossovers in comic book history. Archie and friends have crossed paths with the Predator (twice), Jay and Silent Bob, and, more recently, the emotionally damaged supervillains from Minor Threats. None of these stories should work at all, yet they remain entertaining while staying true to all parties involved. Archie x Army of Darkness #1 is the latest entry in this crazy comics casserole, and once again the creators involved have worked some form of magic to fit two seemingly incompatible worlds together.
In the case of Archie x Army of Darkness, it’s actually quite easy to fit Archie and friends into the world of the Evil Dead films. Rich kid Reggie Mantle ends up inheriting the cabin where the first Evil Dead took place, and it isn’t long before Archie stumbles upon the Necronomicon and reads from its cursed pages. Prior to that the redhead once again runs into a romantic roadblock when he promises to get Veronica and Betty a very popular toy. To get said toy, he ends up taking a job at the S-Mart and his training manager is none other than Ash Williams!
Those fans hoping to see Ash utilize his signature chainsaw hand and cut through the Deadites infesting Riverdale will probably be disappointed, since Ash only appears toward the end of the book. Erik Burnham makes up for it by scripting some killer interactions between Archie and Ash, with Ash affectionately calling Archie “Red” and even giving him the toys he’s looking for free of charge. I also love that Burnham manages to get Ash’s sarcastic, world-weary tone right; it’s as if Bruce Campbell himself was speaking the words. Considering Army of Darkness is one of my all time favorite horror films, that’s high praise.
Dynamite
The blending of both worlds also works very well because of Bill and Ben Galvan’s artwork. Archie fans will love that the Galvans manage to capture each character’s likeness, whether it’s Jughead’s signature hat or the clash between Betty’s “girl next door” look and Veronica’s haute couture ensemble. When Ash enters the scene, it’s a sharp contrast: his face is more defined, and his figure more detailed, from the wrinkles in his shirt to the rivets in his metal hand. The same goes for the Deadites, who look every bit as horrifying as they did in the Evil Dead films.
The Deadites’ appearance also leads to some pretty gory deaths, which stick out for two reasons. The first is the bright, vibrant colors by Ellie Wright, which make the Archie characters stand out like a sore thumb – and the violence pops even more. The second is that Archie fans will have to see some of their favorite characters die in particularly gruesome ways, complete with some chilling puns. In fact, Archie x Army of Darkness #1 might be one of the funniest debut issues I’ve read. Jughead is the standout, as he seemingly has a witty retort for everything.
Archie x Army of Darkness #1 is more proof that Archie can seemingly crossover with anything, and it keeps the dark humor and gore that permeated the Evil Dead films. Simply put, it’s off to a groovy start.
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