In 1981, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell endeared themselves to generations of movie fans through their supernatural gore-fest horror movie,Evil Dead, andthe franchise has continued to horrify and excite fans in a variety of mediums, including several iconic comic book adventures.Ash’s war with the Deadites has since been taken to epic proportions, with his story has reached its best potential in the comics.
Set in a remote cabin in the woods, the movie focuses on Ash Williams as he’s forced to slash his way through his friends and loved ones when a dark force possesses them.
TheArmy of Darknessfranchise has thrived in comics, proving to be one of the biggest success stories of adapting movies to sequential art, alongside the likes ofPredatorandTerminator. From long-awaited crossover stories to direct continuations of the films, Raimi’s signature creation continues to deliver excellent stories. For horror buffs and comic fans alike, there are some Ash Williams comics that demand a look.
10Marvel Zombies Vs. The Army of Darkness
Five Issue Miniseries – Written By John Layman; Art By Fabiano Neves; Released In 2007
When it comes to Marvel and DC, few worlds are as perfect a match for the saga of Ash Williams asthat ofMarvel Zombies. InMarvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness, Williams is transported to the world of undead superheroes just as the outbreak begins – and his own actions only make things worse. Alongside a small team of survivors, the hero seeks the aid of Doctor Doom himself in setting things right again.
Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darknessstands out as one of Ash’s most intriguing crossovers,delivering non-stop fan service as the S-Mart employee slashes his way through Marvel heroes and villains alike.The story is much a Marvel one as it is a continuation of theEvil Deadfranchise, teaming Ash with the likes of Dazzler and Doom standing against hordes of the undead.
9Army Of Darkness: Ash Saves Obama #1
One-Shot – Written By Elliot R. Serrano; Art By Lucio Parillo; Released In 2009
Ash Saves Obamasets the stage of its story when Ash Williamsand Barack Obama attend a comic book convention on the same day. When the new president buys a piece of the Necronomicon and takes it back to the White House, it’s down to Ash to hit the road and make it to D.C. to rescue Obama from the Deadites. As the forces of darkness descend on the commander-in-chief, Williams hacks his way through an undead political elite.
Ash Saves Obamatakes Williams' reluctant heroism to the next level, seeing him step up to save the head of state and democracy itself. Loaded with satire and fun commentary, the miniseries showed readers that the Deadite scourge could threaten the United States' very freedoms.
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8Army of Darkness: Ash In Space
Five Issue Arc – Written By Cullen Bunn; Art By Larry Watts; Released In 2014-2015
In keeping with classic B-movie horror tradition, it was only a matter of time beforetheArmy of Darknessfranchisewent to the stars. In “Ash In Space,” readers are shown Williams fighting for his life aboard the International Space Station, which the Deadites are keen to control. With the very fate of humanity hanging in the balance, a space-suited Ash uses his trusty chainsaw to rid space of the undead.
“Ash In Space” brings the horror of Deadites to the most extreme yet, with the space station serving as a key point of the plot. Taking after films like Jason X,the miniseries reminds readers of how much fun and terror can be had in the vacuum of space, while showing how versatile a hero Ash can be.
7Army of Darkness: Furious Road
Six Issue Miniseries – Written By Nancy A. Collins; Art By Kewber Baal; Released In 2016
The Army of Darknessfranchisehas never had any problems parodying pop culture, and their take onMad Maxis a testament to this. The story follows Ash as he and a group of survivors heads out into the ruins of the old world to use the Necronomicon ex Mortis to try and rid the world of its Deadite infestation.
Furious Roadmakes for a fantastic post-apocalyptic action story, delivering readers “old man Ash” as he teams up with a band of survivors– including Frankenstein’s Monster and a werewolf. The miniseries blends parody and horror into one of Ash’s greatest adventures to date, showing his acceptance of his fate as the chosen one.
6Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep
Four Issue Miniseries – Written By Scott Duvall; Art By Vincenzo Federici; Released In 2019
After Ash Williams, few characters in Bruce Campbell’s career are as iconic as Sebastian Haff, a retiree who claims to be the real Elvis Presley, insisting that he traded places with an impersonator. In the crossover between the two characters, Ash travels back in time to the 1970s in pursuit ofthe mummy, Bubba Ho-Tep. While there, he teams up with a younger Presley, and the two set off on an adventure to prevent their undead enemy from acquiring the Necronomicon Ho-Tep.
Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tepis, as a series, an act of pure fan service to the readers, uniting two icons of B-movie cinema in a quest to vanquish the forces of evil. Culminating in a last stand at Graceland, the miniseries is a must-have for Bruce Campbell and horror fans alike.
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5Darkman Vs. Army of Darkness
Four Issue Miniseries – Written By Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern; Art By Nick Bradshaw; Released In 2007
Darkman vs Army of Darknesspicks up on the story of Peyton Westlake, the burned scientist-turned-vigilante. When his search for a remedy to his condition leads him to the Necronomicon, the antihero’s attempts to meddle in the world of magic go horribly wrong – turning Julie into the Queen of Darkness. With a fresh horde of the undead let loose, Westlake and Ash join forces – though the former refuses to allow his new ally to kill his beloved Julie, undead or not.
Darkman vs Army of Darknessunitestwo classic Sam Raimi storiesin the best way possible, sending the duo on a mission to save the world. The story explores the different personalities of its protagonists and how they clash, while simultaneously raising the stakes for Ash to their highest yet.
4Army of Darkness Vs. The Re-Animator
Four Issue Miniseries – Written By James Kuhoric; Art By Sanford Green & Nick Bradshaw; Released In 2005
Army of Darkness vs the Re-Animatorfollows Ash as he wakes up locked in Arkham Asylum, where he finds himself surrounded by the terrifying creations of Herbert West. With Deadites and zombies alike, the one-armed hero makes his way to a mirror dimension, where things only get worse – and the threat of full-blown Lovecraftian terror looms over the normal world.
Army of Darkness vs the Re-Animatorwas one of thefirstEvil DeadstoriesDynamite released, and it instantly showed that Ash Williams was in safe hands with the publisher. Still remembered as one of the company’s best tales of the 2000s,the story is Ash versus the world of HP Lovecraft, and few stories have topped it since.
3Vampirella/Army Of Darkness
Four Issue Miniseries – Written By Mark Rahner; Art By Jethro Morales; Released In 2015
Vampirella/Army of Darknessfollows Ash back in the medieval setting of the third movie,where he encounters Vampirella herself. After the scantily-clad vampire attempts to eat Ash – and is revealed to be under monstrous influence – the pair team up to take on a plague of demons unleashed by evil monks.
Vampirella/Army of Darknessstands out among the chainsaw-wielding hero’s best partnerships, something that helped form the basis of theDie!Namitecrossover story. With both Ash and Vampirella in a more primitive setting, the arrival of demons is that much more terrifying – and the vampire’s unpredictable nature makes for some great tension between the heroes.
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2Freddy Vs Jason Vs Ash
Six Issue Miniseries – Written By James Kuhoric; Art By Jason Craig; Released In 2007-2008
Freddy vs Jason vs Ashtakes place five years after the events ofFreddy vs Jason, following the latter slasher as he is manipulated by his former enemy into using the Necronomicon to bring him back. As the hockey mask-wearing villain murders some local teens, Ash’s time at the Crystal Lake S-Mart leads him to suspect local Deadite activity. His investigation leads him into a stand-off with Voorhees, just as Freddy begins to regain his strength.
Freddy vs Jason vs Ashactually marks the culmination of a series of easter eggs that previously hinted at the co-existence of its charactersin a single universe. Here, readers get to see Ash Williams take on two of the biggest horror icons of all time, delivering a crossover fans long wanted to see play out.
1Army Of Darkness Forever
Ongoing Series – Written By Tony Fleecs; Art By Various
When theArmy of Darknessmovie released, it had two different endings: the version where Ash makes it back to S-Mart, which served as the US ending; and the version where Ash oversleeps, waking up in the apocalypse. InArmy of Darkness Forever, it’s revealed that the two endings co-exist, with the real Ash being trapped in a high-tech dystopian wasteland as Bad Ash impersonates him in 1993.
Army of Darkness Foreverdoes a great job of making sense of the movie’s different endings, while finally explaining how the apocalyptic future in which Ash arrived came to pass. Placing Evil Ash front and center, the series makes for a great sequel to Raimi’s classic, and is a brilliant place for new readers to get started.
Army of Darkness
Cast
The third film in Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy, Army of Darkness, is a horror comedy film that sees Bruce Campbell return to the role of Ash Williams. Sucked out of his timeline and tossed to 1300 A.D., Ash is found and thrown in a pit after he is believed to be a spy against King Arthur. After proving himself and slaying a supernatural Deadite creature, Ash is freed and told to return home; he must find the Necronomicon and dance with the dead again.
