ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #11, by Dynamite Comics on 9/4/24, approaches the end of the 30th Anniversary story when a whole lot of Ashes fight it out in the Past.
Credits:
- Writer: Tony Fleecs
- Artist: Pop Mhan
- Colorist: Brad Simpson
- Letterer: Troy Peteri
- Cover Artist: Bjorn Barends (cover A)
- Publisher: Dynamite Comics
- Release Date: September 4, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 22
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #11:
First Impressions:
Say what you will about Tony Fleecs’s time-warping concept, Army of Darkness Forever #11 goes all out with the action to make the approaching finale as gonzo as possible. The plot is still a confusing mess, but at least it’s not dull.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Ash Williams in Army of Darkness Forever #10, Future Ash’s fight against Evil Ash in the Present went sideways fast when Evil Ash grabbed the wrong Necronomicon and accidentally opened a portal to the past. Seizing the opportunity, Future Ash rushed to aid the now-one-handed Lady Sheila, but he was run through with a sword by Evil Ash.
In Army of Darkness #11, we find Lady Sheila weeping over the Future Ash as his life quickly slips away. Of course, this isn’t the end of our hero. Baby Necronomicon zaps Future Ash to restore his life, giving him an unsightly demon mouth in the middle of his abs in exchange.
Tony Fleecs starts the issue right by resolving the cliffhanger and creating a consequence for the resolution that could turn out to be a bit of trouble later. The resolution wasn’t a surprise, but the outcome is.
And then they fight. What follows is a wild melee involving Evil Present Ash, Evil Past Ash, the little Ashes, and now six Necronomicons because there were three in the past and three in the future (which three in the 1993 Present makes nine).
The melee gets better when the Wiseman calls forth lightning that inadvertently recharges Future Ash’s robots, and the melee gets worse when Evil Past Ash uses a Necronomicon portal to escape to 1993.
The issue concludes with Evil Present Ash getting a faceful of laser cannon and the Wiseman explaining that his true Master is the one who started Ash’s trouble all those many years ago in the cabin in the woods.
Overall, the collision of Ashes and Necronomicons from across Time and Space turned this (almost) penultimate issue into a convoluted collection of chaos. Again, it’s not boring, but good luck trying to keep track of it all.
Artwork and Presentation:
Pop Mhan does a fine job of letting the action fly with exploding demons, flashing swords, whizzing chainsaws, and kinetic energy from start to finish. The real-life look of the characters doesn’t really matter at this point because there’s too much chaos happening to focus for more than a panel or two, but Mhan does his level best to make chaos look good.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Since Dynamite bills this maxiseries as a 30th Anniversary celebratory continuation of the 1993 film, AoD fans may wonder where this series fits in with the franchise as a whole. This story takes place just after the end of the 1993 film (sort of) but years before the Ash vs The Evil Dead television series. Would the producers of the films and television shows consider this story canon? Probably not.
Final Thoughts:
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ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #11 draws closer to the end of the maxiseries with an all-out, nutso, gonzo melee battle in the fields of 1300 England. Tony Fleecs’s story concept abandons any sense of continuity or reason in favor of non-stop action, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and Pop Mhan’s art gets the job done.
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