Army Of Darkness Forever #10 Review

 

Writer: Tony Fleecs

Artist: Pop Mhan

Colorist: Brad Simpson

Letterer: Troy Peteri

Cover Artists: Bjorn Barends, Arthur Suydam, Tony Fleecs & Chris Burnham

Publisher: Dynamite Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 24, 2024

 

Ash’s adventures in 2093 have ended. The copy of the Necronomicon he calls "Sucky" hurled him back to his own time to see his evil twin arrive, and the Deadite army devastates England's Capitol. As Big Ben topples, Ash fights his evil self. Will Ash survive this chainsaw duel at the dawn of the apocalypse? And does bringing a Necronomicon baby into a warzone make him a bad parent? Let's grab our shotguns and chainsaws, leap into Army Of Darkness Forever #10, and find out!

 

Story

Ash has stood single-handed against hordes of Deadites. But no one can win every battle. Ash loses his chainsaw and wrist while battling his evil self. Evil Ash walks away, clutching Sucky while Bitey hovers in his villainous orbit. With two copies of the Necronomicon and his army of darkness, Evil Ash envisions world conquest. Like a metastasizing cancer, nothing can stop him. Still, Ash straps on his metal hand and smiles. Ash knows which book his evil buddy clutches and what that book will do. 

 

In 1300 AD, Lady Shiela faltered as she battled Deadites in the dark forest. Evil Ash and Lord Arthur's evil wizard raised her brother as a Deadite. She extended her hand toward Michael, and he greeted it with his sword. In Army Of Darkness Forever #10, Evil Ash cradles Lady Shiela. As they kiss, her anguish invigorates him. Skin spreads across his bare skull. Her beloved is a sleeping beauty in a cave. She can’t have him. But she can have Evil Ash.

 

Does Sucky have a conscience? The time-hopping evil book chose to bring Ash, Bitey, and Nikto back to meet Evil Ash in 1993. As Evil Ash looks down at his copy of the Necronomicon, it transports Evil Ash back to 1300 AD. He can no longer infect the glorious future of 1993. Aerosmith, Nirvana, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers can resume touring to support their latest albums.

 

In Tony Fleecs's story, Ash gets caught in Sucky’s vortex and lands in Lord Arthur's castle. This time, he won't rally the living to fight the dead. Deadites inhabit the castle walls. Ash no longer has a chainsaw, a shotgun, or a blaster. But he’s got a demon baby for an ally. He can use the weapons available. More importantly, he has the resolve to see this through. No matter what trials he endures, the Necronomicon worsens Ash’s situation. He knows how to channel his anger at the book to kill Deadites.

 

Art

In Army Of Darkness Forever #10, Ash kneels before Evil Ash. Clutching his bloody stump, he sees the demon baby and the miniature minions near his evil twin. Evil Ash forms the epicenter of activity as he opens Sucky amid the fires and smoke devouring the historic buildings of Westminster. A vortex flings people, Deadites, and droids into a time tunnel.

 

Torches burn yellow as Lady Shiela’s scarlet stump matches her evil lover’s cape. He kisses her gray face against a green sky. A light-blue streak in her dark hair evokes the mate of a monster that a brilliant but unwise scientist brought to life. Yet Lady Shiela’s flesh regains color when he burns her, and the lovers turn scarlet against a purple background. Yellow fires dotted with orange rage in Lord Arthur's castle. Ash carries an axe as red-splattered as his clothes. Amid the green night, a blue pixelated hologram appears. Elsewhere, a blue vortex sends bodies and droids crashing to the ground. Beyond the purple ground, yellow dots an inked forest, while a green mist hovers above the black trees beneath star-filled darkness.

 

Large black uppercase letters in white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes invade Pop Mhan’s art and Brad Simpson’s coloring in Army Of Darkness Forever #10. Words grow bold for inflection. They enlarge to convey volume, shock, and surprise. Stylish banners introduce eras, and colored shouts escape dialogue balloons as the battle for 1300 AD burns hotter. Troy Peteri’s abundant sound effects help us hear the ground tremble, the air rent and spin, and Lady Shiela summon the outrage that threatens to consume her. Thanks to Dynamite Comics & MGM for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Giving into grief and despair fuels our enemies. Accepting what is rather than what we want strengthens us. As Ash and Lady Shiela face their foes, resilience proves the crucible that forges people into heroes in Army Of Darkness Forever #10.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.