DIE!NAMITE LIVES! #1 – An Honest Review

In DIE!NAMITE LIVES! #1, available from Dynamite Comics on June 9th, 2021, the Zombie Apocalypse has taken a nasty turn when Red Sonja absorbs Evil Ernie’s power and ousts Hel from her throne. The surviving heroes may need a groovy warrior to save their bacon.

The Details

• Written By: Fred Van Lente
• Art By: Vincenzo Carratú
• Colors By: Kike J. Diaz
• Letters By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
• Cover Art By: Lucio Parrillo (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: June 9, 2021

Was It Good?

Yes, it was very entertaining.

We have a fond appreciation for Ash Williams, and the DIE!namite series is right up his alley. Wisely, the creator’s devoted a fair bit of this issue to Ash so the readers who don’t know him get a strong sense of his personality and his unique set of talents.

Does this issue do Ash justice? Mostly, yes. His mannerisms and snarky speech are all there. This Ash is as close a reproduction as you can get without seeing the real thing.

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The art is good. The DIE!namite Lives! zombies have become interchangeable with deadites, so all the trappings of blood, gore, and flying body parts are present and spectacular. The color shading is rich, which makes the blood stand out even more, and the action scenes are over-the-top ridiculous in all the right ways.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Readers are introduced to our hero, Ash Williams, restocking shelves in an S-Mart warehouse. His supervisor, Tammy, is too busy scolding Ash for not wearing a hard hat in a safety zone to notice a group of fast-running deadites heading right for them.

Right off, Ash’s sharp speaking style and casual relationship with “rules” are front and center. This version of Ash looks and feels like the real thing, and that’s going to (hopefully) carry the series with amusing moments in future issues.

Rising to the occasion, as Ash always does, he orders Tammy to grab the biggest saw she can in one aisle while he heads to the hunting aisle to gear up. Unfortunately, Tammy misinterprets Ash’s order and comes back to replace his signature, robotic hand with an industrial strength weedwhacker.

Ash isn’t pleased by the mistake, but he soon learns Tammy’s goof may have been a blessing in disguise. It’s time to trim the deadite hedges!

Meanwhile, Tabu (in the Death-Defying Devil’s costume), Miss Fury, and Vampirella teleport into the Sekhmet Club to escape the Himalayan Monastery overrun by zombies. “Huh?” you say. “Who? What? When?” you ask. No worries. Read our DIE!namite #5 review to see how we got here.

Pantha is there to greet them, but not everyone is happy about it. Vampirella pops claws and fangs because she blames Pantha for not preventing this disaster and letting Evil Ernie run wild on Earth. Before things get out of hand, Pantha breaks the news that the zombie outbreak is everywhere, including Drakulon. They truly are the last defense to stop what’s happening.

When Pantha puts the scope of the zombie infestation in perspective, she lets the surviving heroes know this is the last stand and they’re going to need every hero they can find.

Meanwhile, Ash is cleaning up aisle 5 when Tammy gets infected with a zombie bite and joins their ranks. Ash takes her head off, but as deadite zombies often do, her head hops away to hide and fight another day. Before Ash can destroy all the deadites, they turn and run as if called by a leader.

We conclude the issue with Evil Red Sonja calling her zombie army to her and Smiley wondering what will become of him.

How Does It End?

Evil Red Sonja is in full control of the situation. Smiley has a new partner. “No. Not Red. Blood.”

Final Thoughts

DIE!NAMITE LIVES! #1 packs in tons of Ash Williams and Evil Dead fan service and merges it seamlessly into the DIE!namite storyline. The signature black humor lands well, and the art depicts the ridiculous premise seriously for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Score: 9/10