Writer: Tony Fleecs
Artists: Eamon Winkle, Kewber Baal & Pop Mhan
Colorist: Jorge Sutil
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Editors: Joe Rybandt & Marshall Hoyt
Cover Artists: Arthur Suydam, Bjorn Barends, Chris Burnham & Tony Fleecs
Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Price: $5.99
Release Date: October 23, 2024
The Necronomicon Ex Mortis gave Ash a demon baby and a chainsaw-swinging new lifestyle. Still, it cost Ash his hand, car, home, and girlfriend. Still, at least it didn’t give him a light beer! What chaos will the evil book force Ash to confront in this final issue? Let's snap on our mechanical hands, leap into Army Of Darkness Forever #13, and find out!
First Story
When Ash assembled the scattered pages of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis in 2093, the hologram wiseman disappeared, and the evil book became a baby. After the droids reconstructed the Wiseman from data packets, Ash found a second Necronomicon in a witch-filled cemetery. Now he has arrived in London, England. Ash descended into the sewers for the third copy. But first, he must battle Droidites. In this first story in Army Of Darkness Forever #13, Ash and his droids wage a battle against droids possessed by evil spirits. Tony Fleecs’ story fills in the fight he skipped over in issue #8, reminding us of Ash’s fierce determination. Nikto, the demon baby, backs Ash up. Ash wields Bitey like a weapon. The third book, Sucky, also makes decisions in its best interests while Ash slaughters Droidites.
Second Story
Sucky transports Ash to 1993. He arrives in London as Evil Ash leads an Army Of Darkness through the cobbled streets. Bombs explode, and soldiers fire rifles as Ash gets a rematch with the evil twin that grew out of him in 1300 AD. As Ash battles the evil warlord, the ground collapses, and he falls back into the historic sewers. Despite his worries over getting Pink Eye from Deadite fingers, Ash battles squads of military-grade Deadite soldiers. When a Deadite tangles his entrails in Ash’s chainsaw, Ash drops the weapon and beats the evil dead with his left fist and his right stump. This interlude from issue #9 stresses his teamwork with baby Nikto. Ash maintains his optimism by detaching himself from overwhelming circumstances. Sadly, Sucky returns Ash to his time after Evil Ash destroyed civilization. After all his adventures in 2093, the Wiseman's promise may be ashes in Ash’s mouth. Still, Ash battles on.
Third Story
After crawling out of the hole, Ash battled his evil twin again. Evil Ash accuses Ash of not using his power wisely, yet the villain makes a mistake that transports them to 1300 AD. While Evil Ash lands elsewhere, Ash returns to Lord Arthur's castle. The Wiseman's copy of the Necronomicon defiled his king and everyone in the castle, forcing Lady Shiela to flee and forge a truce with her brother's killer. Now Ash and Nikto battle the soldiers who once rallied under his banner to battle the Deadites they have become. Tony Fleecs’ third story in Army Of Darkness Forever #13 reminds us that poor decisions can corrupt us, there are always ways to succeed, and we should never lose hope.
Art
Eamon Winkle’s three-dimensional art shows the toll fighting the evil dead has taken on Ash. The Droidites resemble the ultimate killing machines, and Ash’s good droids have never looked like better fighters. Bitey evokes Harry Potter’s Monster Book Of Monsters, baby Nikto looks cute yet sinister, and a final frame evokes Skynet’s indomitable creations. Kewber Baal brings cinematic appeal to the second story in Army Of Darkness Forever #13. The photorealistic imagery evokes cinema posters and key art, while inset panels cluster around the edges of double-page spreads as Ash kills hundreds amid a cast of thousands. Pop Mhan delivers a seamless transition to his art in issue #10. Ash grabs whatever comes to hand as he charges, fights, falls, picks himself up, and resumes the battle. After fighting across horizontal strips of panels that stretch diagonally across pages, blood-splattered Nikto hovers beside Ash, evoking Grogu and the Mandalorian and reminding us that size matters less than spirit.
Jorge Sutil lavishes bold greens, blues, reds, browns, and maroons on Ash's underground fight in 2093. Ash's blue shirt and brown slacks lighten amid the sepia background beneath a yellow sky. Yellow fire burns amid orange air in 1993. Ash battles gray skeletal soldiers beneath a purple, moonlit sky in 1300 AD. His skin tones shine while yellow and orange fires burn before nuanced purple and green castle backgrounds.
Troy Peteri conjures large uppercase letters into white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Army Of Darkness Forever #13. Words grow bold for inflection, enlarge and change color to convey volume, and rarely shrink. Sound effects help us hear gun and blaster fire, chainsaw aggression, Bitey’s chomping, Sucky’s storms, and baby Nikto’s burning barf. Red numbers update a kill counter that lends a consistency of carnage to Ash's adventures through time. Thanks to Dynamite Comics & MGM for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Army Of Darkness Forever #13’s series of linked deleted scenes portray baby Nikto as a stalwart friend and remind us that our circumstances don't define us. Ash may have little in common with Damien Thorn. Still, his adventures in 2093, 1993, and 1300 AD suggest that the one-handed chainsaw fighter and retail store hero embodies the ultimate man.
Rating: 9.6/10
For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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