Comics

[Interview] Steve Niles Talks Relaunching ‘Army Of Darkness’

Published

11 years ago

July 29, 2013

Dynamite Entertainment has big plans for their “Army of Darkness” comic series this fall as it undergoes a complete makeover at the hands of horror veteran Steve Niles with Dennis Calero on art. The new series is set to take place right after the final frame of the original film as Ash remains in the Dark Ages to fight off a new Deadite ruler.

With his extensive experience with horror and his love for the original films, Niles is the perfect candidate to relaunch the series. Niles spoke with BD about rebooting “Army of Darkness”, the appeal of the original films, and more.

BD: How did this project come about?

Steve Niles: I was asked. I said yes.

BD: What direction you plan on taking the series? Will it tie into the new film universe at all?

SN: No connection to any sequel.

BD: What led to the decision to reboot the series as opposed to continuing from the previous comics? Did Dynamite back the idea of a reboot from the beginning?

SN: Starting fresh was Dynamite’s idea. I liked the idea because I knew I wanted to set the story in the dark ages and the best way to do that was lead off straight from the film.

BD: I imagine every horror fan dreams of writing more of the Evil Dead universe. Is it intimidating to be working on such a beloved franchise?

SN: Intimidating? Not at all. I love the film so being able to play in the universe is an honor and a lot of fun.

BD: Will Ash be staying in the Dark Ages, or will he be jumping around in time and space as the series goes on?

SN: The story I’m telling picks up right when the film left off. Ash will find that he is stuck once again in the dark ages and things have gotten much, much worse. No plans to jump to any other times in history but that door is always open.

BD: In terms of the tone, are you staying in line with the largely comedic tone of Army of Darkness, or do you plan on reverting to the more horror-oriented feel of the first two films?

SN: I want to amp up both. There’s no avoiding comedy with Ash. The horror will be extreme at times and way over the top but the comedy always comes out of how Ash reacts to the horror. Ash is a great character and part of what makes him great is his

BD: In an interview with CBR you mentioned that Evil Dead was one of the first films from the ’80s that you thought stood apart and was actually scary. What made it so different at the time? Does it still have that appeal now?

SN: I love anything where people go out and do it themselves. They captured something spontaneous and emotional, something raw a scary. That is a very hard thing to do. I despised the remake so you can see, it’s hard for even the originators to recreated. You can’t recreated raw hunger and thirst to scare. Just can’t be done. Those first three films are very special to me. I can only hope to deliver as much fun and scares.

BD: Anything else you want our readers to know about your take on Army of Darkness?

SN: I’m on for the along haul. I have 12 issues planned now and who knows after that. I just hope people check out Ash and the Army of Darkness.

Related Topics:Army of Darkness Ash Williams Deadites Dynamite Entertainment Evil Dead Steve Niles

Lonnie Nadler

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.