Dark Souls: Mother of Mourning #1 Preview

 

COVER A: BJORN BARENDS

 

George Mann has spun timey-wimey novels for Doctor Who. The British author has charted the history, myths, and legends of the Star Wars universe. The talented science fiction writer also has a long legacy in comics. What tragic tale will his latest installment in Titan's Dark Souls comic series illuminate?

Here's all the info:

 

DARK SOULS: MOTHER OF MOURNING #1 (OF 4)

(W) George Mann

(A) Maan House

Publisher: Titan Comics

FC, 32pp, $4.99, On Sale December 3, 2025

 

NEW SERIES BUILDING ON THE ACCLAIMED HIT VIDEO GAME DARK SOULS!

 

AN ALL-NEW GRIMDARK TALE WITH THE LEGENDARY DARK SOULS AESTHETIC!

 

Hope is a fleeting feeling for the Knights of Mourning. But the knightly order are willing to bet everything on their last chance of salvation.

 

In search of a hero to rekindle the flame, these knights turn to the Mother of Lillies, a soulless mummified saint with legends about her ability to restore balance to the world.

 

The knights believe that her lost soul will resurrect her and bring them their sought after champion to guide them to solace. But madness looms in every knight’s mind and this long-awaited goal might not be what it once seemed…

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

COVER B: WARRICK WONG

 

COVER C: THE KNOTT

COVER D: MAAN HOUSE

COVER E: COLOR BLANK SKETCH ($5.99)

Not pictured:

COVER F: BJORN BARENDS FOIL TRADE ($14.99)

 

 

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

 

 

 

 

Red Sonja Vs The Army Of Darkness #4 Review

 

Writer: Tim Seeley

Artist: Jim Terry

Colorist: Carlos Badilla

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Editor: Joe Rybandt

Cover Artists: Bjorn Barends, Tim Seeley, Tom Raney & Nikkol Jelenic,

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

Ash Williams traveled back in time to reunite with his beloved Sheila. Instead, he awakened in the Hyborian Age. Once again, the Necronomicon Ex Mortis created an Army Of Darkness. General Lanses hired Red Sonja to slay the Deadites infesting the land. Can Ash and Sonja reclaim the Necronomicon before Kulan Gath leads the Nemedian Deadite army in a recruitment drive across the Hyborian world? Let’s grab our swords and chainsaws, leap into Red Sonja Vs The Army Of Darkness #4, and see!

 

Story

Ash Williams is a haunted man. He lost his girlfriend Linda to the Necronomicon. Ash failed to return to Shiela in 1300 AD. But despite his confidence and swagger, he has slept through too many centuries in confined spaces. So, as he fights to prevent anyone else from falling prey to the Deadite curse, Ash battles claustrophobia in Red Sonja Vs The Army Of Darkness #4.

 

Red Sonja is a haunted woman. She pledged her life to defending the innocent and weak after villains slew her family. Yet when Kulan Gath turned children into Deadites, she had to kill them instead of protecting them. In Tim Seeley’s story, Red Sonja hides her blackening arm beneath a long leather glove. Her bond with the goddess Scathach has helped her fight off the Deadite transformation up to now. But Red Sonja knows that eventually, the evil flowing through her veins will transform her into what she abhors.

 

After completing his Army Of Darkness Forever run, Tony Fleecs hands his Kandarian quill to his former Local Man cowriter. Tim Seeley divides the point of view between Ash, Red Sonja, and Kulan Gath. Along with all the action, Tim Seeley increases the drama with a deeply flawed villain. By hinting at Kulan Gath's earlier trauma, readers understand the sorcerer’s desperation for omnipotence, even if they cannot condone Gath’s actions.

 

Art

Carlos Badilla shows Ash holding his beloved Sheila surrounded by yellow and orange. He marries memories of Ash attacking Deadites against a blue background with Red Sonja leaping into the fray beneath a blue night sky. Greenery surrounds the heroes as they journey toward Kulan Gath’s castle. But like Saruman, brown land without a trace of green foliage surrounds his fortress. Clutching the Necronomicon, Kulan Gath his forces from his throne in a high tower in Red Sonja Vs The Army Of Darkness #4.

 

Jim Terry delivers a folksy art style that, like Ash’s humor, softens the tone of Red Sonja Vs The Army Of Darkness #4. Scenes evoke the 1992 movie as Kulan Gath clutches the Necronomicon surrounded by burning torches. Red Sonja’s strategy draws on another fantasy icon while showing her concern for her unwilling helper. Another nod to Sam Raimi’s classic shows Ash using his superior knowledge to aid their cause. Yet when Red Sonja’s resistance to the Deadite infection weakens, Jim Terry switches to a glamorous, pinup style to peek inside the She-Devil’s mind.

 

Jeff Eckleberry casts uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. The letters swell for volume, grow bold for intonation, and shrink for lowered voices. Each letter O carries a period at its center among elegant words intended for Red Sonja’s ears alone. Sound effects help us hear slashing swords, death cries, roaring chainsaws, and explosions that rock the Hyborian Age. Thanks to Dynamite Entertainment for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As Ash strives to put his past behind him, he wonders if he can trust his bikini-clad Hyrkanian teammate. Red Sonja must bear the weight of the world to save the weak and defenseless in Red Sonja Vs The Army Of Darkness #4. And Kulan Gath admits to a character flaw that makes him a powerful man with a weak soul.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

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

Army Of Darkness Forever #13 Review

 

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.

 

Army Of Darkness Forever #11 Review

 

Writer: Tony Fleecs

Artist: Pop Mhan

Colorist: Brad Simpson

Letterer: Troy Peteri

Editors: Joe Rybandt & Marshall Hoyt

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

Publisher: Dynamite Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 4, 2024

 

The copy of the Necronomicon Ash calls "Sucky" carries him from 2093 to 1993 to fight Evil Ash. Then, it transports him and Evil Ash to meet Lady Shiela and the Evil Lord Ash in 1300. Ash finds Lady Shiela in the Dark Forest, but Evil Ash impales him with a sword. Is this the end for Ash and Lady Shiela? Let's grab our shotguns and chainsaws, leap into Army Of Darkness Forever #11, and find out!

 

Story

Lady Shiela has many reasons to mourn. Duke Henry killed her brother. Lord Arthur, his wiseman, and everyone she knows in her castle home became a Deadite. Her lover abandoned her to play Sleeping Beauty in a cave, but true love's kiss won't wake him. Now, Lady Shiela watches him die in the dark forest.

 

Ash reassembled the scattered pages of the Necronomicon in 2093, only for it to reform into two books and a baby. Nikto may be as endearing as Mary in Three Men and a Baby, but the Necronomicon-Baby likes carnage. Lady Shiela might not cry for Ash if she knew he killed all 244 Deadites in her castle, but Baby Nikto laughs. Ash wasn't sure if the baby was on his side or just stuck by him because Ash killed so many Deadites and Droidites. But Baby Nikto declares what side it is on when it heals Ash’s ouchie in Army Of Darkness Forever #11.

 

Tony Fleecs packs his story with combatants and confrontations. Lord Arthur's wiseman serves Evil Lord Ash, and his devotion to the Necronomicon Ex Mortis hasn't lessened his wizardly ways. Evil Ash grew out of Ash like a zit and spread like cancer across the world in 1993. There are three copies of the Necronomicon in 1300 in addition to Baby Nikto and the two Ash nicknamed Sucky and Bitey. Fleecs services all his characters, reminds us of the power of the Necronomicon, and makes an interesting comment on the power of evil when the wizard's magic turns against him. The central theme of Army Of Darkness Forever #11 is that grief is a parasite that robs people of their humanity. Lady Shiela’s shield is her refusal to give into grief. She may feel it. She may endure it. But she will never let grief consume her.

 

As for Ash, he is too stubborn to give into grief. The Necronomicon may have ruined his life, but he'll keep fighting for the life he wants. Ash and Lady Shiela seem destined to keep on fighting forever. If only Ash wanted Lady Shiela!

 

Art

Lady Shiela cradles Ash’s head on her lap. With a mace attached to the stump where her hand used to be, she now shares another similarity with her true love. Yet blood fountains from Ash’s beautiful abs as life flees. As the wizard joins Evil Ash to observe Ash's demise, Baby Nikto touches Ash’s stomach. Ash floats above the ground like Sigourney Weaver in Ghostbusters, while inset panels show characters shielding their faces from radiant Ash.

 

Brad Simpson lavishes a limited palette on Pop Mhan’s fanciful art in Army Of Darkness Forever #11. Bold, contrasting colors highlight standoffs and fighting. Ash and Evil Ash wear blue shirts on a blue battlefield, while Evil Lord Ash and the wizard wear red. Turquoise and magenta often fill the backgrounds of panels on gray pages, but both change as the fighting intensifies until pink seeps into the sky as the wizard declares his allegiance.  

 

Troy Peteri conjures large uppercase letters into white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Army Of Darkness Forever #11. Words grow bold for inflection, enlarge and change color to convey volume, and rarely shrink. Sound effects help us hear laughter fill the battlefield, Ash’s axe clang against Evil Ash’s sword, and Baby Nikto becomes a flamethrower that another Ash could have used to protect Sigourney Weaver in Alien. Thanks to Dynamite Comics & MGM for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Ash thought his travels through time were over when he and his three Necronomicons arrived in 1300. Lady Shiela thought Ash’s life was over when Evil Ash from 1993 killed Ash. But with six copies of the Necronomicon, four versions of Ash in one time and place, and a handful of hand-sized Ashes, Lady Shiela and Ash’s headaches become migraines in Army Of Darkness Forever #11.

 

Rating 9/10

 

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

 

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.

 

Army Of Darkness Forever #9 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: June 26, 2024

 

Ash’s adventures in 2093 have taken him across the Atlantic and back again. The hologram of Lord Arthur's Wiseman has vanished, and the scattered pages of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis have turned into two copies of the book and a cute demon baby. Can Ash prevent the apocalypse when he travels back to 1993? Let's grab our shotguns and chainsaws, leap into Army Of Darkness Forever #9, and find out!

 

Story

Ash didn't realize that the magic words were the names of the three copies of the Necronomicon. He nicknames Klaatu “Sucky” as it sucks people into portals. He nicknames Barada “Bitey” as the book bound in Human skin bites people with its blood-stained incisors. Ash still isn’t sure why the baby chants “Nikto." Nor does he know why the final Necronomicon has taken demonic infant form. Still, it seems to regard him as its chainsaw-wielding daddy, so Ash cradles it against his chest like a proud father.

 

In Army Of Darkness Forever #9, Sucky transports Ash to London in 1993. But before Ash can grab a pint in a pub and a bartender can order him to leave the droids outside, explosions rock London, and the Deadite army rolls in. Ash wields his laser rifle, the robots start blasting the Deadites, and Nikto cleans up with Sucky. If Ash wonders what he has to fight for, his lady love in 1993 faces a similar predicament. Henry The Red killed her brother, Michael. Ash didn't eat a cursed apple or step into a carbon freezer. Still, thanks to Lord Arthur's Wiseman, he won't awaken until 2093. The Necronomicon has pulled Lord Arthur, his Wiseman, and her people under its spell. But her brother still lives as a Deadite. And Ash also walks the land in Deadite form. Perhaps she can beat the Deadites by continuing to fight alongside her sworn enemy. But would she have more to gain by joining the Deadite side?

 

In Army Of Darkness Forever #9, Ash confronts his evil self in 1993. Aliens often pitted Captain Kirk against an enemy to see if good would overcome evil or assess the worthiness of the combatants’ claims. At his best, Ash might talk his way into Starfleet Academy. But in Tony Fleecs' story, Ash is tired, frustrated, and disillusioned. Can Ash triumph over his evil self? Like Lady Shiela, what does he have to fight for?

 

Art

In Army Of Darkness Forever #9, Pop Mhan transforms Ash into Action Man as he fires his laser rifle while punching and kicking Deadites. Ash’s robots fight alongside him, while Nikto laughs as Klaatu sucks skeletons into its pages and Barada chomps on Ash’s shoulder. Big Ben topples onto the Palace Of Westminster as tanks roll alongside the Thames. Deadite soldiers report to Evil Ash while an explosion rocks the streets, returning Ash to the vast labyrinth of sewers, train tunnels, and churches.

 

Brad Simpson paints the evening sky mauve and purple and stipples orange atop the yellow explosions that topple Big Ben. A green haze rises as Deadites fill the brown streets. Ambient light reflects off the blue robots, while shadows turn the green baby brown. Lady Shiela stands on blue ground beneath a turquoise sky. The surrounding green suggests the forest as the stub of her arm drips vivid red.

 

Large black uppercase letters inhabit white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Army Of Darkness Forever #9. Words grow bold for inflection and enlarge to convey volume. Stylish banners introduce eras, and colored shouts escape dialogue balloons as Ash Vs Evil Ash Season One begins. Troy Peteri’s abundant sound effects help us hear screaming demons, gunfire, explosions, chainsaws, and the ground gives way beneath Ash's feet. Thanks to Dynamite Comics & MGM for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

The Deadites Strike Back as Evil Ash rubs Lady Shiela's dirty (and bloody) arm in the woods and duels with Ash amid the destruction of London in Army Of Darkness Forever #9.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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

 

Army Of Darkness Forever #8 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: May 22, 2024

 

Ash traveled from England to America. He found the scattered pages of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis. (Also, he may have gotten VD from an amorous Morlock). Ash even said the magic words correctly. Then, a demon baby appeared. Lord Arthur's wizard vanished. The robots detected two more copies of the evil book in other places. Can Ash ever return home? Let's grab our shotguns and chainsaws, leap into Army Of Darkness Forever #8, and see what happens!

 

Story

Ash no longer has Lord Arthur’s Wiseman to guide him. But he remembers the three copies of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis he found in the forest. He remembers the magic words, "Klaatu Barada Nikto." Now he's got a demon baby that eats rats for breakfast and chants the word Nikto. Could the other words be the names of the other two books?

 

Ash isn’t like his evil twin in 1993. He never learned computers. He doesn’t understand what the robots tell him about the hologram of the Wiseman. One robot summons a facsimile of the Wiseman. But the spirit in the machine has vanished.

 

Or has it? At the very least, the Wiseman has changed his tune in Army Of Darkness Forever #8. The reconstituted wiseman evokes Siri or Alexa. But he makes one suggestion that offers Ash hope.  

 

 

 

So, Ash retraces his steps. His journey will take him back across the pond. As he returns to where he awakened from his Rumpelstiltskin rest, Ash realizes that a copy of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis resides in London. Why did the Wiseman tell him to travel across the globe, gathering scattered pages of one copy, when another was here all along?

 

In Army Of Darkness Forever #8, Tony Fleecs returns us to the series’ beginning. Is Ash any wiser? Ash left a woman who loved him back in the Dark Ages. He cut off his infected hand but made an articulated metal replacement. Ash could have lived in a castle and bathed in the awe of the locals. Yet, even as he flies in a shuttle with robot companions, Ash bemoans losing his hand, car, home, and every woman he ever loved. Was his life in 1993 and his job at S-Mart better than the one Ash has now? And will Ash ever learn to appreciate what he has?

 

The reconstituted wizard suggests that reuniting the three copies will cure all this madness. Might the triad of evil books transport him to 1993 or Lady Shiela's time? Neither seems an appealing option right now. But Lord Arthur's Wiseman gave into the Necronomicon's influence, which suggests the books are running the show. Whatever they intend for his future, let’s hope Ash enjoys the ride.  

 

 

 

Art

In Army Of Darkness Forever #8, Pop Mhan portrays Ash’s increasing frustration with Future Shock. He gestures at the robot holding the demon baby. As the baby crawls over the robot’s head, leaps to the ground, and plays with an insect droid, the robot projects a headshot of the wizard. The hologram resembles a computer image from the early days of computing, likely earlier than 1993. Ash hides his face in his flesh and metal hands.

 

Brad Simpson paints Ash's meltdown against a red and purple sky. Red dirt and a few green trees surround Ash as he rages at the robot. A dark blue sky hangs over a blue-tinged White House. Deadites surround the barbed wire and wrought-iron fencing. In Salem, Massachusetts, magic sparkles bright green under a lavender sky. Orange and browns dominate the former capital of England. Ash gazes at Big Ben, leaning toward him like a famous Italian landmark under a tomato-red sky.

 

Troy Peteri projects large black uppercase letters into white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes in Army Of Darkness Forever #8. Words grow bold for inflection and enlarge or shrink to convey volume. Stylish banners introduce eras. Sound effects help us hear an insurrection, a Massachusetts Chain Saw Massacre, and the mayhem of a medieval melee. But the giant words that overlay the opening page, when Ash realizes what the incantation stands for, remain Peteri’s deadliest achievement.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics & MGM for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Ash begins a grand new adventure. The evil wizard makes Lady Shiela an offer she can't refuse. But can Betty Currie save Bill Clinton's presidency in Army Of Darkness Forever #8?

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

Red Sonja #7 Review

 

Writer: Torunn Gronbekk

Artist: Walter Geovani

Colorist: Omi Remalante Jr.

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo, Bjorn Barends, Joseph Michael Linsner, Francesco Francavilla, Jenny Frison, Frank Thorne & Cosplay

Publisher: Dynamite Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 24, 2023

 

Red Sonja opened an interdimensional portal and freed the god trapped in Lady Alaberta’s black diamond. Kulan Gath used the portal to defy death and return to the mortal plane. Now, Gath marches through the border kingdoms, leading a band of ravagers. More trouble afflicts nearby Brythunia. What terrors did Red Sonja unleash on the Hyborian World? Let’s leap into Red Sonja #7 and find out!

 

Story

Kulan Gath defied the gods and returned to Earth. Now, he feels aches and pains, and his aging muscles tire from exertion. Gath had planned to take over Thord Varg’s army, but the She-Devil defied him and freed the soldiers from their oath. So Gath gathers a band of sword and axe-wielding traitors. They storm a castle and celebrate their victory in a tavern.

 

The god brought Red Sonja to a convent in Brythunia. While the She-Devil healed from her ordeal, more injured people arrived. They filled the beds of the infirmary where the sisters attended their wounds. The Sister Superior summons Red Sonja to her office in Red Sonja #7. She explains that the injured began arriving shortly after Red Sonja. The victims describe strange, otherworldly attackers. Sister Superior wonders if Red Sonja opened the Gates Of Hell. She disapproves of the She-Devil’s violent life but hopes Red Sonja can close the gates and end the Witching Hour.

 

A sister gives Red Sonja herbs to ward off evil spirits. Red Sonja accepts the nun's kindness but knows it will take more to banish the demons. She mounts her horse, and rides to the nearby village of Ludlow. Red Sonja finds the streets abandoned. Frightened villagers peer out the windows of their homes. A scream fills the air. Red Sonja spurs her horse into a gallop.

 

In Red Sonja #7, Torunn Gronbekk shows how the She-Devil empathizes with others. Although she wields great power, Red Sonja risks her life to protect the weak and helpless. This time, she'll face more than Kulan Gath's band of sword and axe-wielding traitors. Gods walk the Earth. Legendary creatures called Tsjoko seek out human prey. Fear of these ancient Earth Spirits drives the Brythunians to abandon civilized gods like Mitra or the goddess mentioned by Sister Superior. Instead, locals appeal to ancient gods and follow a less humane worship.

 

Still, Kulan Gath remains a threat. Through his knowledge of human nature and the force of his personality, the sorcerer mobilizes an army capable of storming a castle. Only after securing victory does Gath summon magic. He's on a mission. Gath searches for something or perhaps someone. Whatever he seeks, rest assured it won’t bring peace to the Hyborian world.

 

 

 

Art

Kulan Gath digs a cane into the snow as he climbs a hill in Red Sonja #7. He grits his teeth, and his exhalation is visible amid the storm. While a castle rises in the distance, a barren tree frames our view as he turns and urges his followers to keep up. Their features look soft compared with Gath’s crows-feet, wrinkles, and prominent cheekbones. Yet they raise their weapons above their heads as they shout and charge the wooden castle doors.

 

Garbed in black & white cloth from head to toe, a sister covers her mouth when she sees Red Sonja has pulled up her dress and tied it beneath her breasts. The sister fumbles to loosen the knot. Leaving her axe and wood pile behind, Red Sonja smiles as she dashes off. Sister Superior wears a frown as she talks with the She-Devil. Her frown deepens as she grasps Red Sonja’s weapon and lifts it with two hands.

 

In Red Sonja #7, Omi Remalante Jr. enhances Walter Geovani’s storybook art with vibrant color. The traitorous rabble rejoice in the gray stone tavern illuminated by flaming torches. Yet Kulan Gath’s electric green magic makes the interior seem dim. The blood of injured locals matches Red Sonja's hair and cape, although the latter two show more highlighting and shading. Her armor and weapons shimmer like silver and gold, contrasting with her lightly tanned skin. While brown, gray, and beige dominate the town of Ludlow, verdant green fills panels as Red Sonja rides into the surrounding forest.

 

Jeff Eckleberry shares Torunn Gronbekk’s narration on beige parchment and dialogue in white balloons. Wavy rows fill yellow balloons as the drunken traitors celebrate their victory. Stressed words grow bold, and raised voices swell the large-size uppercase words. While enormous black letters threaten to burst their balloons, the green clicking that fills panels hints at the danger threatening Red Sonja, if not all humankind.

 

Thanks to Dynamite Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

A sorcerer who returned from the dead seeks supernatural power, and ancient gods judge Humans guilty of crimes against nature in Red Sonja #7.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

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