RED SONJA VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #1, by Dynamite Comics on 4/9/25, joins Ash Williams when he decides to go back in time to stop the untimely death of Lady Sheila at the hands of Red Sonja.
Credits:
- Writer: Tim Seeley
- Artist: Jim Terry
- Colorist: Carlos Badilla
- Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
- Cover Artist: Bjorn Barends (cover A)
- Publisher: Dynamite Comics
- Release Date: April 9, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 22
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of RED SONJA VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #1:
Plot:
Red Sonja vs. The Army Of Darkness #1 catches up with Ash Williams in the present, lamenting his lack of luck with the ladies and regretting his life choices. When Ash peruses the history books to find out what happened to his old flame, Lady Sheila, the records state that she was killed by the “She-Devil with a Sword.”
In the past, Red Sonja accepts a mission from General Lanses to clear out a Kon Dir outpost overtaken by a wicked cult. Accompanied by Lanses’s Cimmerian concubine, Ditea, Red Sonja travels to the outpost. When she arrives, she finds no such cult is present, but her ordinary visit turns remarkable when Ash Williams appears and attacks. However, the whole mission was set up by General Lanses’s advisor, who is Kulan Gath in disguise, because he intends to get his hands on the Necronomicon.
Artwork and Presentation:
Red Sonja vs. The Army Of Darkness #1 is our first exposure to Jim Terry and Carlos Badilla on art duties, and the result is… okay. Terry’s style has a slight underground comic strip edge, and Badilla’s color choices come as close as possible to the line between bold and tacky, but the overall visuals are decent for a B-tie/C-tier title.
Art Samples:
Character Work:
Writer Tim Seeley tackles the story from the perspective of an older, slightly washed-up Ash Williams, and it feels like a good fit for fans of the Ash vs. Evil Dead streaming series. Seeley nails the voice of Ash and Red Sonja.
Structure:
Seeley’s story structure and plot setup make sense. Let’s be honest. This is a gimmick title, so nothing in the story is going to adhere strictly to canon or swing for an Eisner with a multi-layered plot. However, Seeley gives readers a setup that makes sense for both characters and a reasonable threat that fans of both properties will immediately recognize.
Strongest Point(s):
The strongest point of the issue is the setup. It makes perfect sense that Ash would recklessly use the Necronomicon to go back in time to save his former love interest, and it makes perfect sense that Red Sonja would accept a mission to clean out an outpost from an invading cult.
Weakest Point(s):
The weakest point is the art. Jim Terry’s pencils/inks are serviceable enough to communicate the story through the visuals, but the indie-level quality is at odds with the $4.99 cover price.
Final Thoughts:
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RED SONJA VS. THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #1 is a perfectly decent gimmick comic that invents a reason for Ash Williams and Red Sonja to team up or fight, depending on your point of view. Tim Seeley’s idea for bringing the very different characters together makes sense, and the art team’s presentation is perfectly okay.
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