Connect with us

Comics

Review: ‘Army of Darkness / Re-Animator’ One-shot

Published

11 years ago

on

A major treat for horror movie fans, the “Army of Darkness/Re-Animator” one-shot special is full of witty one-liners, slapstick visual gags, and crazy undead action. A fresh spin on both franchises, the crossover becomes a stylish and over-the-top romp of gore and comedy. With Ash picking up his boomstick and Herbert West carrying his glowing green syringe, this unlikely team-up gives a whole new meaning to oddball lunacy.

WRITTEN BY: Mark Rahner
ART BY: Randy Valiente
PUBLISHER: Dynamite Entertainment
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: October 23, 2013

After being sucked into a vortex, Ash Williams is spit out and thrown somewhere in the past. In 1922, Ash accidentally ends up in the medical hands of Dr. Herbert West. Because of his Hippocratic oath, Dr. West operates on Ash and gives him back his missing hand. In return, Ash becomes West’s new lab assistant and helps him in his underground research to extend life. Ash senses something is terribly wrong when he discovers Dr. West using the Necronomicon for his medical experiments. Dr. West will bring about something from the deadly incantation that even Ash cannot stop.

Writer Mark Rahner understands that this crossover entirely depends on the characterizations of his main protagonists. When Ash isn’t fighting the Deadites, Rahner portrays him as a dumb jock who is really out of his league. Rahner then depicts West as an intelligent doctor interested in saving lives, but willing to go to the extremes to do so. Rahner is having fun with the Dr. Frankenstein and Igor metaphor, especially when Ash finds himself hustled and outsmarted by Dr. West’s mind-games.

The chemistry between Ash and Dr. West works surprisingly very well because Rahner focuses on their dialogue. When Dr. West speaks, he is eloquent and technical, as if showing off his intelligence. Ash interrupts Dr. West’s monologues any chance he gets and throws in a witty comeback. Even though Dr. West is annoyed by the sarcastic remarks, he knows Ash can serve a better purpose in his experiments.

Artist Randy Valiente is able to capture Sam Raimi’s slapstick comedy and Stuart Gordon’s excessive use of gore in his panels. Valiente though does not replicate the looks of Bruce Campbell and Jeffrey Combs into his illustrations. Because the characters are supposed to be in their younger heyday, Valiente settles for a caricature style when illustrating Ash and Dr. West. In the opening pages, Valiente uses an extreme low angle when Ash meets Dr. West for the first time, making him seem larger than life.

One of my favorite illustrations is when Ash’s new hand takes a turn for the worst. Unable to control himself, Ash grabs Dr. West and begins to strangle him. Ash knows the only way to save Dr. West is by sawing off his own hand. In all its glory of blood and gore, Valiente shows Ash sawing off his new hand and makes Dr. West watch with his eyes wide open.

“Army of Darkness/Re-Animator” is an entertaining read that makes you wish the crossover was a little bit longer. After you finish this issue, you’ll end up watching the “Evil Dead” and “Re-Animator” DVDs all over again.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

Related Topics:
Advertisement
2 Comments

Comics

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

Published

2 weeks ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

Witchblade cover

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.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

Continue Reading