Halloween '16: Ash, Cthulhu and Friday the 13th Share a Cover

I don't always buy a comic based on the cover, but when I do it has both Ash from the Evil Dead series and Cthulhu framed in Friday the 13th homage cover. Okay, maybe not Ash exactly. More like some chick holding the Necronomicon by the cabin from the Evil Dead movies. Meanwhile, a figure resembling Cthulhu lurks behind the cabin. All this framed by the outline of a person much like the movie posters from the first three Friday the 13th movies. Friday the 13 has an especially strong appeal for me at the moment because I just recently picked the entire set of the television series, which has absolutely nothing to do with Jason Vorhees. But, I digress.


Back on topic, the cover, and subject of today's Halloween-themed entry, belongs to the very first issue of Evil Dead 2: Dark Ones Rising #1. So yeah, an actual comic book review. So I'm pumped.




Spoilers




Writer: Frank Hannah
Pencilers: Oscar Bazaldua and Raul Valdes
Inker: Carlos Eduardo
Colorist: Chris Summers


Art: The art does an excellent job telling the story, while maintaining a high level of detail. A couple panels are rather murky such that I couldn't tell what the Cthulhu-resembling creature was doing. Thought presenting the creature via silhouette was neat touch as we don't actually get a full on look at it.


Story: First, it seems this story takes place in such a world where either Army of Darkness never occurred or is independent of it. Annie makes a comment about creating Ash, which is rather puzzling until reading the sneak peak in which Ash talks about being cloned from a hand. So second, this isn't independent story where all you've only needed to have watched the Evil Dead movies. A couple stories took place prior to this one. That said, the first issue is fairly accessible. Could be the Friday the 13th homage cover; but it reminds me of the days of horror franchises such as Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street where while it's a sequel to previous story one doesn't necessarily need familiarity with that story. Like 80's and 90's horror movies, the story really focuses around a heroine, Annie. Annie decides to make peace with her past by burning physical object representing that past such as the dagger and the book, Ex-Mortis (standing in for the Necronomicon). Then, like the heroines from those horror franchises she's pulled back into the fray when she pulls Ash out of the mud. Ash warns of the Dark Ones coming. Alas, the dagger and book were burned. Suffice it to say, one such Dark One, resembling Cthulhu, appears by crawling out of sinkhole that swallowed a town. In true Halloween spirit, the Dark One merges(?) with either the skeletons or souls of a nearby cemetery. Meanwhile, Ash and Annie flee for help hoping that it is just one...


Overall: Horror comics even moreso than movies rely upon mood and ambience with the reader being in the proper frame of mind. In this case, I'd have to say the combination of the cover and a sense of nostalgia for 80's and 90's horror led to me being enthralled with the story. Halloween being a day away probably helps too. If my FLCGS carries a copy of the next issue, I'll pick up the next issue. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.


Happy Halloween Eve!