THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #4, from Dynamite Comics on December 22nd, 2021, sets the roof… the roof… the roof on fire as Ash Williams and the Half Deads take a trip to Studio 54 while Lilith works to infiltrate the Warlocks.
The Details
- Written By: Rodney Barnes
- Art By: Tom Garcia, Edu Menna
- Colors By: Dinei Ribero
- Letters By: Troy Peteri
- Cover Art By: Francesco Mattina (cover A)
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: December 22, 2021
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Was It Good?
The blurb sounds cool, the setting is tailor made for disco puns a’plenty, but THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #4 comes off as the most sedate issue in the series so far. That doesn’t make this issue flawed or wrong, but there’s a mild tonal shift that makes the plot progression in this issue less about the fish-out-of-water amusement of Ash’s predicament and more matter-of-fact. In short, it’s less fun.
That said, the story is engaging enough. Readers are treated to a memory montage walk down memory lane with Ash’s previous exploits under Dynamite. Everything from a confrontation against Dracula to a Deadite invasion of the International Space Station. It’s a nice little primer to show how much Dynamite has done with the character and possibly to act as a sly ad to encourage readers to go back for those trades.
After the montage, which is a little longer than expected for a story already in progress, Ash and the Half Deads get into some hot water when they visit Studio 54 while they kill some time waiting for Lilith to complete her recon mission. Again, the visit to the famous disco is engaging enough, but it lacks substance, comedic or otherwise.
It may sound like we’re down on the issue, but we’re not. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #4 is just okay.
One word on the art. As you can see from the credits above the artists switch almost half way through. Normally, an artist switch is a down point, and in truth, you can notice the art style change here, but the change is subtle enough that it makes little difference. That lack of obvious shift in style is a testament to how well the art team synced up and a point of praise for the art in this issue.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
If you’re wondering how or why Lilith is shacked up with the enemy, first read our THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #3 review.
We begin with a 3-page montage flashback, narrated by Ash Williams, about the origins of the Necronomicon and his multiple (comics-based) exploits. We see he’s faced off against demons and monsters of all sorts, and he laments how his life could do with a day or two of normalcy.
Back to now. Ash worries Lilith’s solo mission to infiltrate the Warlocks is too dangerous, so he and the Half Deads decide to patrol the town to stay near her location and kill some time. Quickly getting bored of strutting down the sidewalks looking cool, Ash and the gang decide to check out a local crowd, and Ash finds out it’s the wait line to get into a disco club. The Half Deads warn him against entering the club because “DISCO SUCKS!”, but Ash is no stranger to getting down, so he uses the opportunity to shake his groove thang.
Meanwhile, Lilith puts on a brave act to convince the Warlocks she wants to join their gang. Bishop uses the Necronomicon to discern if her intentions are true, but he looks only far enough to see if parts of her story about why she wants to join are true. It’s enough to get Lilith into the gang.
We conclude the issue with Ash stepping on the wrong toes on the dance floor, a uniform fitting, and the Warlocks scratching rival gangs off their list.
Final Thoughts
THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #4 gives readers plenty of backstory on the Necronomicon, a walk down memory lane of Ash’s adventures, and a mildly amusing dance off gone wrong in the legendary Studio 54. The art team did a bang up job keeping the style consistent despite an artist change midway through, and the issue is okay overall, despite a lack of major story progress.
Score: 8/10
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