THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #5, from Dynamite Comics on January 26, 2022, concludes the arc with a showdown for the streets of NY between the united gangs and Bishop and the Warlocks.
The Details
- Written By: Rodney Barnes
- Art By: Edu Menna
- Colors By: Dinei Ribeiro
- Letters By: Troy Peteri
- Cover Art By: Francesco Mattina
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: January 26, 2022
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Was It Good?
THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #5 is a solid entry that wraps up a thoroughly entertaining mashup of two films in one fascinating package. Considering this is the last issue, Barnes wastes no opportunity to insert baseball team references, Elvis references, plenty of Deadite action, and a snatch-victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat moment ripped straight from Walter Hill’s The Warriors that’ll put a smile on your face.
There are so many clichés and nostalgia bites in this issue, you can’t help but feel like you’re taking a walk down memory lane (if you’re a little long in the tooth). That said, the nostalgia bites fill in what is a light issue in terms of playing out the story with big moments you’d expect to see in a finale. In other words, the conclusion of the story feels rushed and leans towards anti-climatic.
It’s not bad by any stretch, but you get the distinct impression the creators pumped this issue out in “Hurry Up and Just Finish It” mode. The conclusion ties up all the loose threads completely. Ash gets a sweet goodbye at the end. And Bishop is dealt with… sort of. But the story felt like it was assembled with obligatory scenes rather than crafted with meaningful moments. Again, not bad but lacking in the “wow” department.
The art by Menna and the rest of the team is fine. It gets the job done. To be fair, the art in this issue doesn’t have the same charm and pop as the first issue. That could be a result of a changeover in the art team toward the end of the series, but it’s serviceable enough to tell the story.
In all, this issue is a fitting end for a surprisingly good series.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
If you don’t recall how all the players came together for the final showdown in Central Park, first read our THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #4 review.
We begin with a prologue flashback to Ash as a young boy in Yankees Stadium during an exciting game. He remembered a time when a pop-up fly hurtled straight to him, fulfilling a boyhood dream of catching an official baseball hit during a major league game. Sadly, his dream was not meant to be.
Back to now… err, 1979. Ash and what’s left of the Half Deads are in a pitched battle against the Necronomicon-wielding Bishop. Ash is getting beat badly, and it seems all hope is lost. Suddenly, Bishop hears a crowd calling him out to “Play – ee – yay”. The remaining gangs of NY have formed a collaborative truce to expel Bishop and his gang from the city. Faced with overwhelming numbers, Bishop unleashes a gang of Deadites from the book while he escapes.
We conclude the issue with Bishop remembering how he got the book, a betrayal, and the most unlikely part crashing scene you’ll ever see.
Final Thoughts
THE ARMY OF DARKNESS 1979 #5 concludes the run with supernatural battles in Central Park, turning tides, Yankees games, and Elvis appreciation talk(?). The story ends as weirdly wonderful as it began, although the story felt like it was in “hurry up” mode to get to the finish.
Score: 7.5/10
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