ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #2, by Dynamite Comics on 11/8/23, takes readers on a trippy trip through time as Ash and his allies run into trouble in the past, present, and future.
The Details
- Written by: Tony Fleecs
- Art by: Justin Greenwood
- Colors by: Brad Simpson
- Letters by: Troy Peteri
- Cover art by: Francesco Mattina (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: November 8, 2023
Is ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #2 Good?
ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #2 is a little bit better than issue #1. Tony Fleeecs settles into each timeline to give readers something new, rather than recapping the story we already know, while giving each timeline a respectable amount of development. That said, this issue is more confusing than it should be.
When last we left Ash, he left the Middle Ages and returned to his S-Mart job in the present. But he also overshot the spell to take him home and wound up 70 years in the future(???), where the Earth is decimated. Now, Sheila in the Middle Ages crosses paths with a cult trying to revive Evil Ash, Present feels violent urges pulling at his mind, and Future Ash battles evil droids when a familiar face offers help.
The Past timeline makes sense. The Present timeline makes sense. The Future timeline? Not so much. In fairness, it’s only issue two, so Fleecs has time to make it all make sense, but when the prevalent feeling you get from a comic is frustrating confusion, those are the wrong kind of feelings a creative team should leave with their readers.
What’s great about ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #2? When a creator gets Ash’s characterization right, it’s almost impossible not to like Ash. Here, the main character is as endearing as ever, so even with muddled timelines and plots, the individual moments are entertaining.
What’s not so great about ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #2? The narrative flow is cleaner in issue #2 than in issue #1, but it’s still a headscratcher. Fleecs injects tons of confusion, presumably thinking readers would get hooked on curiosity, but it doesn’t work. If the story focused on two timelines instead of three, the comic would probably read a lot better.
How’s the art? The art is solid. Greenwood and Simpson don’t go overboard trying to give readers a realistic version of Ash, but the character designs are good enough to get the gist for existing fans.
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What’s ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #2 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our ARMY OF DARKNESS #1 review to find out how Ash wound up in the Future.
We begin with Future Ash battling a small horde of Deadite-infused robots. The more he slices and dices, the more robots keep coming. Suddenly, a drone appears with a holographic message from an old friend.
In the Present, Ash intends to get lucky with an S-Mart clerk in the broom closet when he’s called to clean up a restroom mess. As Ash mops away, he’s taunted by the visage of Evil Ash in the restroom mirror. When a customer interrupts the maintenance session, Ash soon makes another mess to clean.
In the past, Sheila spies on a cult preparing for human sacrifice to revive Evil Ash. Sheila stops the sacrifice, but is she too late to stop the ritual? We conclude the issue with horseplay, bloody mops, and wizards.
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Final Thoughts
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ARMY OF DARKNESS FOREVER #2 delivers fresh storytelling material wrapped in a trippy collection of conflicting timelines that don’t make much sense. Fleecs’s story reads better than issue #1, but it’s still confusing. However, the art is entertaining throughout.
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