ARCHIE x THE ARMY OF DARKNESS #1 (DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT/DC COMICS)

The crossover we didn’t know we needed but are going to rejoice with its existence. When Archie and the rest of the Riverdale crew have a party at Reggie’s newly inherited lake house, they find a mysterious book in a secret room. The plot thickens with Archie’s new job at the S-Mart and his new co-worker Ash. What will happen when the Deadites invade Riverdale? One thing is for sure; it will definitely be groovy!

Archie x The Army of Darkness #1 - Written By Erik Burnham – Pencils & Inks By Bill Galvan – Colors By Ellie Wright - Letters By Carlos M. Mangual – Edited By Matt Idelson - Published By Dynamite Entertainment

Credit: Dynamite Entertainment

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

STORY OVERVIEW:

Archie and the crew are having a party at Reggie’s newly inherited lake house. Jealousy is getting the best of Arch who decides he needs a break from the party. But he discovers a secret room behind a bookcase on accident. As Archie, Reggie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica explore this room they find a strange book that Archie can’t help but read a passage from. This unleashes something evil upon the party.

We then get a flashback to a month prior to the party where the gang is at the mall, and Betty & Veronica see an advertisement for the return of Stormy Dogs, which is a hard-to-get stuffed animal. Archie trying to be a hero and outshine Reggie promises the girls he will get them both one. Now his dilemma is it’s hard to get one, let alone two. Jughead suggests he get a job at a place where they sell them so he can get them early. It just so happens an S-Mart is opening in Riverdale, and they are hiring. After getting the job, he is introduced to his Training Manager from Housewares, Ash Williams.

WRITING:

This opening issue does an awesome job of setting up the crossover event. Erik Burnham does an amazing job of bringing the two franchises together without feeling rushed. The decision to have Archie and the gang discover the Necronomicon and unleash the Deadites, before the flashback introduction to Ash is a very good surprise and creative way to bring in the Evil Dead hero. This really splits up the two big reveals of the crossover and allows the reader to be excited not once but twice.

The way Burnham treats both franchises with the respect they rightfully deserve is incredible. He stays true to the characters and the deep lore we already know about each franchise. This makes the crossover feel less forced and more natural. Not to mention it doesn’t favor one over the other, which sets the story up to be a true crossover for both, instead of just one playing in others world.

ARTWORK:

The artwork in this book is very much based on the art of Archie comics. Bill Galvan does an awesome job of bringing the comic strip style of art to a horror crossover book. We get a taste of the comic strip styled horror scenes in this issue, which are amazing and also make the reader hungry for more in coming issues. Also seeing Ash in an Archie comic drawn in to look like he belongs is awesome for fans of the Evil Dead franchise will definitely be received well by fans of both series.

As good and stylish as the art is, the colors make this issue really stand out. Ellie Wright’s choices for colors really flash the reader back to the golden age of comic strip comics. The colors don’t oversaturate, but rather blend in perfectly, giving the reader all the feels. Speaking of feelings, Carlos M. Mangual’s lettering elicits the feelings that the reader should be experiencing impeccably. Overall, as great as the writing is, the art team is crushing it just as much.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF HARLEY QUINN X ELVIRA #4

Final Thoughts:

Archie x The Army of Darkness #1 is a perfect mixture of nostalgia for both of these legendary franchises, well at the same time telling a new and compelling story. The artwork stands out and really gets the reader thinking about how this style will look when the horror really picks up. Scooby-Doo meets blood and gore is the best way to describe it. With both the story and artwork hitting their mark this is sure to be a hit mini-series crossover event. If you are a fan of either or both of these franchises, you are in for an exciting series. But even if you are not a fan of these franchises, this is still a fun and awesome book/series to pick up and enjoy. This is a no brainer pickup at the LCS this week and should be an easy addition to your Pull List as well.

FINAL GRADE: 10/10

Let me know your thoughts on Archie x The Army of Darkness #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!