- Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness
- 5 Issue Mini-Series
- Published by Marvel Comics and Dynamite Entertainment
- Writer: John Layman
- Pencils: Fabiano Neves, Fernando Blanco & Sean Phillips
- Colors: June Chung
- Letters: Randy Gentile & John Barber
And he does it with style.
Marvel Zombies? Really?
In 2005/2006, Marvel Comics released a mini-series that has become a small phenomenon, Marvel Zombies, spawning a sequel and this little gem of a crossover. The premise is that a zombie apocalypse has occurred in the confines of the established Marvel Comics universe, infecting everyone from Spider-Man to Captain America and throwing the entire world into chaos.
Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness takes that premise just a little bit further, tossing reluctant hero Ash into the mix while we sit back and watch the fireworks. According to the official site:
The Marvel Zombies come face-to-face with Dynamite Entertainment's Ash from the Army of Darkness! Ash has faced legions of the undead before, but never like this…as he lands in the heart of New York just as the Zombie outbreak begins! See how his actions help turn more heroes and villains into Zombies! Under the watchful eye of Marvel Zombie guru Robert Kirkman, this might just be the comic event of 2007! Plus: The entire series will feature classic “homage” covers from painter Arthur Suydam!
After being dumped into the Marvel universe, Ash must find a way home again with the help of some of the most unusual allies he could ever hope to find, including evil mastermind and archenemy to the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom.
Tech Specs and Final Verdict
Going into the idea of Marvel Zombies as a reader takes a little bit more suspension of belief than is usually necessary for reading comics -- which is saying something, considering that comic book universes contain all manner of bizarre, impossible things within their confines.
However, if you open Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness expecting a fun, goretastic romp and not a serious, somber story, you won’t be disappointed. Fans of the Marvel Zombies series as well as the Evil Dead films will find something to like about MZ vs. AoD.
On the whole, it's a good mini-series, but it's not without its problems. The writing is relatively tight for a crossover -- especially one such as this -- but there are still a few plot holes here and there that you could drive a VW Bus through. On the other hand, the dialogue shines and feels in-character for every character. Not only does Spider-Man sound like Spider-Man, Ash Williams sounds like Ash Williams as well, despite the characters disimilar origins and personalities. This is no small feat for a writer to accomplish.
The art isn't anything special, which is somewhat disappointing. Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes was a shining example of how good art for the Evil Dead universe could be. Comparing it to Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness, there's no contest as to which series got the better end of the deal, art-wise.
The real treat when it comes to the art isn't the pencils themselves--instead, it's the Marvel tribute covers that were used throughout the series. Each cover depicts a famous, iconic Marvel Comics cover with the characters as zombies and Ash forced into the scene as well. For longtime readers of Marvel, these little nods to comic covers of old are just plain cool.
Certain aspects of the series could be better, but on the whole, Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness tells a fun story in a fun way and the audience walks away feeling hungry for more after the cliffhanger ending.
In short, it's a delight for fans of Marvel Zombies and Evil Dead and shouldn't be missed by either.
Lydia Ballard - A writer who got her start in the perilous world of fan fiction, Lydia Ballard is an aspiring comic book writer and self proclaimed lover ...
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