The graphic novels loved by children and adults alike
Jan 20th, 2012, 12:41 pm
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Title: Army Of Darkness - Home Sweet Hell (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: shadowvenom (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" As a fan, this series falls flat for me. "

Review: Army of Darkness: Home Sweet Hell #11
    The chances of an Evil Dead 4 happening are comparable to winning the lottery. If it was going to happen it would have a long time ago. Moving the series away from film into games and comics is the next logical step to give fans their Ash fix. The question is, can there be an Evil Dead without Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi?

    As a fan, this series falls flat for me. Army of Darkness is Bruce Campbell in many ways. It’s hard to convey his reactions and delivery through text, but it’s harder to do that without Ash in the story. Ash isn’t driving the action, which works occasionally, but here it misses the mark. James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht make the choice to pull Ash away from Deadites. The Necronomicon is part of the story, but the larger threat seems to be the seven deadly sins. The sins want to make Ash the new Sloth (for some reason). I’m also not sure why the Government is involved. It makes sense that they’d be aware of Deadites by now, but it feels too similar to Joss Whedon’s current run on Buffy.

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    The artwork isn’t bad, but it’s not really great either. My biggest complaint is the look of the sins. With the exception of Wrath, they’re total knockoffs of The Cenobites from Hellraiser. It’s not bad source material, but if you can look at Gluttony and not think of Butterball you’re kidding yourself. Blanco and Perez do an admirable job with the art other than that. The backgrounds (in the Hell House especially) are extremely rich and detailed. In fact, it reminds me of the mansion from the Gamecube version of Resident Evil.

    I won’t say that this issue’s a total miss, but the humor, horror, and action all seem off. It doesn’t feel Evil Dead to me. I’m not asking for a remake, but there should be a larger connection to the source material than the title. None of the off-shoots of this series has made a slam dunk – look at the Evil Dead games. I liked them, but that was mostly Bruce’s delivery of the dialogue. It’s possible that Evil Dead can’t be great without Campbell and Raimi, but the potential is there. I think that’s why it’s such a bummer to see it miss.


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More info:
    By James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht, (writers)
    Fernando Blanco, (layouts)
    Pere Perez, (finished art)
    Ivan Nunes, (colors)
    Simon Bowland (letters)
    Fabiano Neves, and Stjepan Sejic (covers)

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 20th, 2012, 12:41 pm
Jan 20th, 2012, 3:00 pm
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Title: Army of Darkness - Hellbillies and Deadnecks (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Kevin (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Don’t read this, it’s not worth it."

Review:
    I’m not going to waste any time here, so I’ll get right to the point. This book sucks! There I said it and I feel much better. Now you’re probably asking your self, “How could a story featuring our Evil Dead/Army of Darkness hero suck so bad?” Well let me tell you…

    It was written by James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht. Army of Darkness: Hellbillies and Deadnecks sucks undead balls because of these two guys! Their ham-fisted attempts at humor and their uninspired one liners make you groan out loud and wish for your own “Boom Stick” to put yourself out of your own misery! The stories (yes there are two) are both so bad that they make an issue of Cosmo seem to have more substance. The only thing I’ll say about them is to address the other big problem, and that’s the Ash vs. Necronomicon story that is so played out. Give the book of the dead a rest already and have Ash go up against other creatures or goblins or even midgets! I don’t care, just something different!

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    The only saving grace is the art. Both stories are penciled by Scott Cohn whose art complements both the standing-around-talking scenes as well the horrific violence through out the book. Plus, he draws a great demonic squirrel. It’s too bad the writing brings down the entire proceedings.

    So as you can guess I don’t recommend this book to anyone except Sam Raimi, because after he reads this pile of shit he’ll hopefully get off his ass and finally make Evil Dead 4. It’s not like he has anything better to do anymore. But to the rest of you: don’t read this, it’s not worth it.


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More info:
    written by James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht
    Art by Scott Cohn

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 20th, 2012, 3:00 pm
Jan 20th, 2012, 4:40 pm
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Title: Army of Darkness - The Long Road Home (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: comicvine (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" THE most talked about AOD series yet!"

Review:
    Ash continues to explore the Deadite infested wastes of Detroit as he attempts to wrestle control of the world back from Evil Ash and his Deadite minions!

    Evil Ash sits atop the remains of Detroit as the Chosen One (that's Ash to his friends) gathers his crew of mutants and misfits in a desperate attempt to remake the world into something slightly less dead and rotting! Will he be able to wrest control of the Deadite Kigdom from his worse half in time!?!?

    Featuring another stunning script by James Kuhoric, awesome art by Fernando Blanco and sure-to-be coveted covers by Arthur Suydam (75%) and a vicious variant chance cover by Fabiano (Marvel Zombies vs. the Army of Darkness) Neves, this is destined to be THE most talked about AOD series yet!

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    More info:
      written by James Kuhoric and Mike Raicht
      Art by Fernando Blanco

    Publisher:
      Image

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Jan 20th, 2012, 4:40 pm
Jan 21st, 2012, 9:01 am
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Title: 20th Century Boys and 21th Century Boys manga (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Naoki Urasawa (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Dennis A. Amith (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" A manga definitely worth checking out! "

Review: Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 1: Friends
    A gripping, suspenseful storyline and detailed artwork. I can't wait for the second volume!

    Naoki Urasawa is well-known in the manga industry. Having created excellent titles such as "Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl", "Pineapple ARMY", "Master Keaton" and "Monster", his manga series "20th CENTURY BOYS" was the winner of the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award, Winner of the 2003 Shogakukan Manga Award and Urasawa was the recipient of the "Excellence Price at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival".

    The manga has been made into a live film, with the first film having been released as a part of a trilogy with a budget of 6 billion yen and will feature a cast of 300 people, it's natural to say that the manga series "20th CENTURY BOYS" will definitely be a bonafide classic. And now the manga series has been released by Viz Media.

    The manga series goes back and forth from present time to 1969 and 1997 as we are introduced to a group of friends as children and adults.

    The manga focuses on Kenji as he receives a letter from his childhood friend before he supposedly committed suicide. The letter from his friend asks if Kenji remembers a symbol. Kenji can't believe his friend would kill himself and in 1997, he tries to investigate more about the symbol while flashbacks in 1969 show Kenji and friends making their own club and using the symbol for their club. Then you get glimpses of the present which allude to something terrible happening, something so terrible that humanity was nearly annihilated.

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    JUDGMENT CALL:

      Overall, the first volume of "20th CENTURY BOYS" was an enjoyable read. One of the major enjoyments of the manga is the artwork. From the detail of the outdoor settings and indoor settings. Detail in the backgrounds and emotions from each character.

      Granted, there are a good number of characters introduced in the first volume but it definitely helps that the storyline for several chapters focuses on character development.

      "20TH CENTURY BOYS" Vol. 01 was a pretty enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the detail of the artwork and the various timelines, it's definitely complex to plan but so far every chapter has been quite enjoyable and intriguing.

      As with any manga series, typically the first volume is used for character development. At first, I have to admit that it was almost like watching a series of "LOST" with the storyline jumping around time periods and it was a bit confusing at first. But as the story started to progress, everything started to become clear.

      At first, because of the young characters, it seemed as if the storyline was going to be about youth and something fun but once you start seeing death and people missing or dying, a cult and crazy lunatics murdering, you start to realize that perhaps "20TH CENTURY BOYS" is setting things up as the series will more than likely become a deep storyline.

      Knowing how suspenseful Urasawa's work can get, especially with "MONSTER", I'm pretty excited to finally start reading this manga and seeing how it progresses over time. Afterall, this manga has won numerous awards and it has been made to a live action film. So, I'm definitely sticking with it.

      "20th CENTURY BOYS" features a fun but somewhat dark storyline and wonderful artwork, I definitely look forward to see what Urasawa has in store for Vol. 02.

      Overally, "20th CENTURY BOYS" is a manga definitely worth checking out!

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More info:
    Type: Manga
    Genre: Action Drama Mature Mystery Psychological Sci-fi Seinen Supernatural Tragedy
    Author(s): Naoki Urasawa
    Artist(s): Naoki Urasawa
    Original Publisher: Shogakukan. 1999.
    Serialized In (magazine): Big Comic Spirits (Shogakukan)
    English Publisher: Viz Media

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 21st, 2012, 9:01 am
Jan 21st, 2012, 9:27 am
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Title: Monster manga (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Naoki Urasawa (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Johanna (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I’d recommend this series to almost any reader interested in manga... "

Review: Monster Book 18
    This final volume of the series continues the same high quality established by the first book.

    Some have expressed concern over the ending, but I don’t see why. The character art of Dr. Tenma over this series reminded me of Angel‘s Wesley — a quiet, bookish man with a terrific life path laid out for himself who finds himself, only because he seeks to do what’s right, transformed into a kind of taciturn vigilante. The friends he makes along the way try to save him, but ultimately, he has to make his own decision of what he’s willing to do and sacrifice.

    The series kept me engrossed throughout — I read the whole thing in a weekend, just because I kept needing to know what happened next. The art is clear, easy-to-read, and cinematic in its staging. The characters (except the Johan of the title) seem like real people, which makes the outcome even more heart-breaking in some ways.

    I think I’ll take away longest the philosophy of the nameless reporter:

      " Humans are supposed to think that food is delicious. They’re supposed to look forward to a picnic on their day off. They’re supposed to enjoy a good beer after a hard day’s work."

    It’s a fine summation of the physical pleasures of living, that meaning comes from the small enjoyments. It’s also a welcome counterpart to the bigger, life-and-death struggles of the plot, keeping this ethical debate enjoyable.

    I’d recommend this series to almost any reader interested in manga that combines action, suspense, thoughtful character development, and excellently crafted art.

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More info:
    Type: Manga
    Genre: Drama Historical Mature Mystery Psychological Seinen
    Author(s): Naoki Urasawa
    Artist(s): Naoki Urasawa
    Original Publisher: Shogakukan. 1994.
    Serialized In (magazine): Big Comic Original (Shogakukan)
    English Publisher: Viz Media

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 21st, 2012, 9:27 am
Jan 21st, 2012, 11:11 am
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Title: Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): John Layman (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: mike (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Interior art is kinda weak, same old Evil Dead and Army of Darkness jokes"

Review:
    Synopsis:
      Ash is possessed by the Deadites and his soul wanders to heaven, but things don't go so well (like his chainsaw hand does something really bad) and he's sent back to the physical plane - to the world of the Marvel Zombies! The super zombie plague hasn't yet appeared and Ash tries to get help from the Avengers. They blow him off as a crazy and then a flash of light appears in the sky. It's not long before super zombies are roaming the street eating people and Ash is stuck in the middle. He hooks up with the uninfected super-hotties Scarlet Witch and Dazzler to find a cure for the plague.

      Ash is convinced the zombies are Deadites with the only hope of stopping them being the Necronomicon. Too bad Doctor Doom has it and he's not known for charity. Now Ash has to get the book and hopefully get double-teamed by a pair of super-babes after saving the world. Ashley J. Williams' luck is worse than the return policy at S-Mart and you know how this is going to end!

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    Pros:
      Great zombie covers by Suydam, amusing story, always cool to see Ash from Evil Dead (hey, at least he doesn't age or get overweight in the comics), nice oversized hardcover w/dustjacket

    Cons:
      Interior art is kinda weak, same old Evil Dead and Army of Darkness jokes

    Mike Tells It Straight:
      This book is a great installment into the Marvel Zombies saga and ranks right after the first mini-series IMHO. It helps Kirkman was a consultant for the plot and the events are happening right along with the original series. The covers by Suydam are seriously awesome with little Ash cameos to add that something extra. If you liked the first book then you'll probably like this one (definitely read the first one before this story). I wish they included Army of Darkness #13 with the events leading up to Ash's appearance in the MZ universe.


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More info:
    Writer: John Layman
    Penciller: Fabiano Silva Neves
    Penciller (cover): Arthur Suydam
    Colorist: June Chung
    Orig. Published: March 07, 2007

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 21st, 2012, 11:11 am
Jan 21st, 2012, 12:24 pm
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Title: 100% (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Paul Pope (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: 1foe (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" The author has clearly striven to create something unique and fresh, and he mostly succeeded in doing so."

Review:
    100% by Paul Pope is an urban love story set in a futuristic New York (2038); the central theme is life, and how to get the most of it.

    “I’ll burn and burn until I’m snuffed out. Then I’ll just fade away. But until then, I’m gonna live! I’m ready. I’m gonna do it! Come what may, one hundred percent.”

    This unique graphic novel revolves around an ensemble cast of six characters, whose path criss-cross tangentially within the nocturnal playgrounds of NY, circa 2038.

    Even though it does take place in the future, the reality portrayed in 100% is not so different from our own… in fact, everything about this book feels quite plausible. Even the fusion of the USA and UN.

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    1 – Why should you read 100%?

    Most notably, some radical trends seem to have emerged in this possible future, such as the “gastro” fad: usage of medical imaging devices for entertainment purposes,like showcasing the entrails of lap dancers and boxers to thrill the audience.

    This book is visually remarkable for the way it indulges just the right amount of futurology to conjure realistic scenarios, of what life in the big city may be like a couple of decades from now.

    Rather than indulging the typical science-fiction clichés, the author has clearly striven to create something unique and fresh, and he mostly succeeded in doing so.

    Despite of the fact it hinges on the portrayal of romantic relationships, it doesn’t ever getting much sentimental… much the other way around, if feels rugged and realistic.

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    2 – What you may not like about 100%.

    Paul Pope, the writer/illustrator of this book, is universally hailed as one of the foremost creators of transcultural comic books. He actually worked for a Japanese publiser (Kodansha) for several years, and his work is a unique hybrid of independent American comics with pervasive manga sensibilities.

    That goes to say, if you’re adverse to either Japanese comics or indy (independent) comics, there’s a real chance you won’t be capable of fully enjoying this book.

    There isn’t much in the sense of a complex plot in 100%; rather, the focus of this book is providing a collage of simple slice-of-life romance stories set in a futuristic urban environment. If you’re looking for a typical science fiction comic book, this may not be quite what you want. The focus here is on people, not technology.

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    3 – Something unique about 100%!

    One of the notable things about this cyberpunk-flavored romance, is that it’s not merely a love story. It’s actually a collage of three different separate love stories, which intersect in certain points.

    The narrative structure is solid and well-rounded, but one of the most striking aspects of this comic book is the realistic and sober depiction of a not-to-distant future.

    Paul Pope is an impressive artist with astounding skill when it comes to drawing the female body and futuristic environments, and that’s readily apparent when you leaf through this volume.

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    4 – Where to buy 100%… or get further information!

    100% was originally published by Vertigo as a 5-issue mini-series, which is now available in paperback format collecting the entire story. It’s a really nice graphic novel with around 250 pages, and you can get it from your usual sellers.


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More info:
    John Workman letterer
    Lee Loughridge colorist
    Paul Pope writer, artist, cover
    Shelly Bond, Karen Berger, Mariah Huehner editor
    Published by Vertigo, 2002-2003.

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 21st, 2012, 12:24 pm
Jan 21st, 2012, 3:53 pm
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Title: Army of Darkness: Old School (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): James Kuhoric (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Tristan Jones (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Old School is easily the best thing to happen in Army of Darkness since the announcement of the series itself... "

Review:
    Finally! James Kuhoric has hit his stride. Up until now, the Army of Darkness comics have failed to live up to their full potential. They've been okay, but never anything really more than that, and after reading Army of Darkness: Old School – a three issue miniseries following Army of Darkness Vs. The Re-Animator – I have realised why. They just didn't feel like Army of Darkness. Each arc started well, but by the end they had all mutated into something else entirely. Now, with Old School, the Army of Darkness comics have finally reached that potential I always knew they could.

    After the destruction of Arkham Asylum at the end of Vs. The Re-Animator, Ash and token piece of arse "Sugarbaby" come to the conclusion that they must return to the cabin from Evil Dead and sever the spiritual anchor that is tying the Deadites to the world of the living. It's a straightforward enough story, and thankfully doesn't deviate at any point into any Wonderland or Tron-like dimensions, or become hampered by corny dialogue "borrowed" from the films (except for one line).

    Old School delivers exactly what it intended to from the very beginning: a return to the old school stylings of the original Evil Dead. In other words, we get a gory return to what Army of Darkness essentially should be… a horror story. In all honesty, I seriously doubt any of the other artists on the series could have made this story work either. Newcomer to the series Kevin Sharpe delivers the best art of the series so far. As much as I like Bradshaw's work, Sharpe's pencils, along with Blond's colours truly make this story. Had Bradshaw done the art chores on Old School it probably wouldn't be as good as it is, simply because it would completely change the tone of the story. In fact, had Sharpe been the artist on the previous arcs, I might have been able to take them a little more seriously. His pencils are far more realistic in contrast to Sanford Greene and Bradshaw, making it feel more like a part of the Evil Dead story than any of the ones beforehand.

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    The nature of the story is much more along the lines of what I'd been expecting from the beginning. If you've read my review of Army of Darkness Vs. The Re-Animator, you'd have noticed the comment made about Kuhoric cramming too many good ideas into one arc. Old School is a perfect example of what I was getting at. By taking one idea and fitting it into a shorter issue span, Kuhoric has struck gold. The story never gets bogged down, and manages to please fans so much more by throwing in more appropriate nods such as the return of Scotty from Evil Dead, and also tying story elements across all the Evil Dead films into the one story. Kuhoric's back story on the Deadites themselves is genuinely cool as well.

    The dialogue is certainly head and shoulders above the other major arcs that have come before it, sans the terrible accent on the bartender at the very beginning, and the Deadites no longer scream the same repetitious garbage they were prone to in prior arcs as well.

    Old School is easily the best thing to happen in Army of Darkness since the announcement of the series itself, but it's not quite perfect. When you read it, you can't help but wonder why it took so long for this sort of story to come about, and in thinking that, you wonder what the series would be like if it had started like this. My only major gripe with this arc is the fact that the final few pages suddenly jump to New York, where we are presented with a blurb stating that the reader should check the Monster War comics to get the full picture as to what's going on. I usually don't mind these things if they reference older comics in a series a reader might collect, but totally unrelated books that the reader would otherwise have no real intention of checking out kind of bugs me. It's as though it's forcing readers to get their hands on the unrelated book. (Still, this is coming from a dude who's signed on for anything with Civil War printed on it…)

    Anyway, a couple of Germans, accompanying the most recent in the Van Helsing bloodline, have finally found the body of Dracula in a waterfront warehouse. One of them stupidly removes a silver cross embedded in Dracula's forehead, bringing him back to life, and paving the way for the next major storyline… Army of Darkness Vs Dracula. Sounds kinda cool, but so did Army of Darkness Vs. The Re-Animator, and the fact that you need to check out a completely unrelated series to find out what's going on is a definite pain in the arse.
    Hopefully Kevin Sharpe will still be on board for pencils, and hopefully we don't find history repeating itself, as cover previews seem to indicate that not only will Ash be up against Dracula, but the Wolfman and Frankenstein's monster as well.


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More info:
    Written by: James Kuhoric
    Art: Kevin Sharpe

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 21st, 2012, 3:53 pm
Jan 21st, 2012, 7:30 pm
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Title: Army of Darkness: Ash vs. Dracula (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): James Kuhoric (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Bart Gerardi (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I was impressed. "

Review: Army of Darkness #8
    For the most part, there are two ways to do horror, and in particular, vampire horror. One way is to be bloody and gross, like 30 Days of Night and lots of other, similar properties. Another way is to use the Undead as a medium for other stories, like Anne Rice made popular with her horror/romance of the Interview series. There is a third way, but it's hard to get right. I'm speaking of the horror/comedy angle that Buffy the Vampire Slayer used with amazing results. Army of Darkness tries for this third way, and largely succeeds.

    In this episode, Ash, our hero, is leading his normal killin-the-deadites life, getting his cracked up car repaired, and grabbing some dinner, while in parallel, Dracula (pretty explicitly Vlad Tepes) is coalescing his power in Romania. The head on collision is pretty easy to predict, though it doesn't happen in this issue. Writer Kuhoric does a nice job of pacing in this one, matching Dracula's ascension with Ash's normalcy, such that it is, and covering all the bases a first act should. The issue ends before -- though probably just before -- the inital conflict between our hero and the Forces of Darkness (tm.)

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    The colors are super in this issue, giving us a good sense of foreboding (if the writing wasn't clear enough, duh) even when Ash is in the brightly lit diner, the sense of coming darkness is apparant though the coloring and art, when viewed from the outside. Ash seems to be a pretty multi-faceted hero, and much more than a 2-dimensional cardboard character. There's also a bit of self-referencing humor here, when Ash is confronted by a silly 50s-style pulp movie vampire hunter. It's a fine line between camp and good humor, and in this issue, the staff stayed on the good side.

    If you intially gave Army of Darkness a pass (like I did), thinking it was another splatter book, or another book that didn't take itself seriously, I think picking up this arc may change your mind. While granted, once you beat Dracula, there's really no bigger "Big Bad" after that, the last panel shows a Hero who is a solid character most of the time, and a stand up, throw down hero when needed. I was impressed.


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More info:
    Words: James Kuhoric
    Art: Kevin Sharpe
    Colors: Ivan Nunes and Alex Jubran

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 21st, 2012, 7:30 pm
Jan 21st, 2012, 11:10 pm
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Title: Army of Darkness: Montezumas Revenge (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Elliott Serrano (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Stephen Schleicher (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Army of Darkness #18 is a fun ride, good for a couple laughs, and is completely done in one."

Review:
    While I enjoyed the last story arc of the ongoing Army of Darkness series, Dynamite Entertainment saw fit to release a one-shot story that sends Ash south of the border to fight Aztec demons, deal with butt jokes, and save the damsel in distress, or this dress, or state of undress…take your pick. True one shot stories are rare these days (unless you have Paul Dini writing Detective Comics), so seeing Dynamite Entertainment whip one of these out is a nice treat.

    This issue: College co-eds on a spring break trip down Mexico way, are dead set on exploring some forbidden caves in order to get extra credit and pass a college course. There's the Spoiled Rich Dude, the Dumb and Gullible Hot Girl, and the Brainy and Busty Blond Girl. Tagging along is the Young Guide Child, and warning of the immanent danger is the Crazy Old Dude. It's a perfect setup to adventure, and it doesn't take but a few pages before an ancient inscription is read and the great Montezuma is back for revenge.

    Before you can say "Hail to the King, Baby!" the Crazy Old Dude has cast a spell to summon forth the chosen one (Ash, in case you haven't guessed) to put the kibosh on Montezuma's plan. Ash is in full glory here, tripping back to what looks like the days (and mindset) before his jump across the multiverse, before he fought zombies in Marvel land, and before the general feel of the series turned into a dark slasher film. There’s a reason for this too, but you have to wait until the end of the issue to find out why.

    As Ash and his remaining companions make their way to the sacrificial alter, the man with a boom stick and a chainsaw for a hand must fight his way through an army of giant scorpions, travel down a bone bridge, and crack wise, until he's face to face with the man who was drowned with molten gold.

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    There are some humorous moments in the issue to be sure, and a lot of sophomoric humor in the form of the destination for the college co-eds (a mountain range called Buttocks of the Gods), and that's what keeps Army of Darkness fun, and is sure to cause a few eyes to roll. I keep waiting for commercial breaks in the issue with Gilbert Gottfried popping up with some lame filler comedy segment while waiting to get back to the movie.

    But i digress…

    With the really bad jokes aside, including the diarrhea ending (literally), this issue really cleansed the palette (so to speak) and has me genuinely interested in this series continuing in the same fast and furious manner as the original movies. My challenge to those writing Army of Darkness in the future is to have fun with Ash and the land that he's been dropped into.

    As you can tell I'm really digging what Elliot Serrano did with this issue, and joining him on the journey is Dave Simons, who provided the art for the issue. Girls in tight shorts and thongs seem to be the flavor of the day in this issue. It is completely played up for laughs, and works in a way that a cheap B-movie teases you with the sex, and plays the horror up for a cheap jump in your seat.

    If there was ever going to be a real sequel to the Evil Dead movies, this would be the story on the top of the pile to be adapted into the next Bruce Campbell vehicle. Army of Darkness #18 is a fun ride, good for a couple laughs, and is completely done in one. More and more, I'm liking the done in one format, and wish more publishers would give the this story telling method another shot. If you are looking for a quick read, and you have fond memories of the original Evil Dead movies, pick up Army of Darkness #18, it's worth the read, and the 4 star rating.


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More info:
    Writer: Elliott Serrano
    Artist: Dave Simon

Publisher:
    Image

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Jan 21st, 2012, 11:10 pm
Jan 22nd, 2012, 9:23 am
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Title: Army of Darkness: Ash Goes to Europe (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike Raicht (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Liam Bradley (Review 1) and Liam Bradley (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" I can't recommend this enough... "

Review:
    Review 1 - Army of Darkness #20
      Publishers Blurb:
        Ashley J. Williams goes to Europe! See what happens when America's most beloved Chosen One travels across the pond and explores the legends and mysteries of Chosen Ones past, including a certain ripper in old London town!

      Reviewer Comments:
        I wish I'd given this a chance when it was first released. This book is hilarious. When Dynamic Forces sent this over to me I was a little worried because I hadn't read any of the series before, however this particular issue drops you in where you don't seem to need to have an in depth knowledge of the series.

        This particular issue of Army of Darkness was extremely enjoyable. When our boy Ash travels to London to explore the legends and mysteries of chosen one's past, he's introduced to Guinness Beer, gets drunk, attempts to save a Damsel in distress and meets a charming Werewolf who is a bit of a kindred spirit.

        Now when this series was first released I was going to start picking it up, but for some reason I never. I regret that big time!

        Raicht has cleverly and hilariously written this comic and it's only complimented by Cohn, who did a great job with the artwork. This was overall just a joy to read. This particular issue wasn't exactly epic; however it is clearly setting up the big events that are going to take place in the next issue. We are left rather cruelly hanging off a cliff at the end of this issue, as the entire events takes a drastic turn. I can't wait to see what happens in this next issue.

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    Review 2 - Army of Darkness #21
      Publishers Blurb:
        Ashley J. Williams continues his trip across Europe... and after the events of last issue, the Chosen One finds out more about himself and his past than he wants! From Mike Raicht and Scott Cohn - who also provides the cover!

      Reviewer Comments:
        The only bad thing about this book is that it doesn't come soon enough.

        The plot has begun to thicken. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, so that's all I shall tell you about the actual story itself....But let's just say that poor Ash is having some...issues.

        Raicht writes this story with a perfect balance of intellect, humour and action. Even when he's writing Ash as an evil monster he still manages to throw in some humour and quick wit.

        Raicht's writing is yet again complimented by Scott Cohn's artwork. I actually think the artwork on this book is even better than the last book. I could look at Scott's artwork for hours. I was also really impressed with Rael Sidharta's colours on this book; they manage to pop out whilst maintaining a dark feel in the book.

        I think Raicht and Cohn have gotten into a good rhythm here, and I can only see it getting better. I can't recommend this enough (and I've only just started reading the series)
        I shall wait patiently for the next issue.

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More info:
    Written by Mike Raicht
    Art by Scott Cohn

Publisher:
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Jan 22nd, 2012, 9:23 am
Jan 22nd, 2012, 10:41 am
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Title: Army of Darkness - 19 - untitled (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike Raicht (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Stephen Schleicher (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" These type of stories make it easy for new readers to jump on board... "

Review:
    Love is a bitch…

    After the last done in one issue of Army of Darkness, any hope of reading another one immediately following seemed low. Fortunately, Dynamite Entertainment delivers another self-contained issue that sees our boy Ash getting a little lovin'.

    armyofdarkness19cover.jpgWhile the prospect of the done in one is tempting, I should point out that this story follows the events that concluded in issue #17, where a mountain springs resort town was infected by the evil of the Necronomicon. While Ash and his cohorts were able to bring the bad guys down, the evil also infected the local bottling plant where the head of the undead hoped to distribute the evil water around the world. That plan was also stopped, but a lone truck made it out of town to make the delivery.

    This issue features Ash arriving in Middletown, West Virginia – the distribution plant for the last shipment from Mountain Springs. Instead of just breaking in to the plant to see if the bottled water had been shipped, he works the case from the inside, on the night shift tasked to fix up the cement parking lot. But while he experiences some difficulty in tracking down the bottles in the beginning his time in Middletown is made a bit easier, when he meets and falls in love with a lovely red-head.

    There's a lot of romance in the issue – most of it spent in bed – and it looks like Ash might actually have a moments happiness. But this is Army of Darkness, a happy romance tale can't last for long. And it doesn't as men from the bottling plant begin to disappear. This time it isn't Necronomicon behind the event, rather it turns out to be Ash's girlfriend. There is a great moment when Ash realizes he's been sucking face (among other things) with a ugly demon bent on sucking the souls (among other things) from her victims.

    Ash is quick to put and end to her, the infected water, and his love life before riding off into the sunset.

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    As I mentioned previously, Army of Darkness was starting to grow stale, but the last two issues have renewed my interest in the series, as I wait to see what happens next. Mike Raicht, who wrote the lead in arc to this issue, did a great job in building up reader's expectations that the evil water was behind the dead plant workers, and the reveal made perfect sense for this story.

    Likewise, the art by Pablo Marcos is nice in that I like seeing clean shaven Ash as opposed to scruffy faced crazy mountain man from the lead-in arc. He also draws the female form in that cheesecake way boys find tingly, but not in an over the top slutty way like the women drawn in other indie titles.

    Issue #20 kicks off a longer arc with Ash in Europe, but I'm hopeful Dynamite Entertainment and Mike Raicht (and others) bring back these self contained stories every once in a while. These type of stories make it easy for new readers to jump on board, while those with limited budgets get a chance to pick up a title they might not normally pick up because they know there isn't a six-issue investment commitment.

    Even though it serves as an epilogue, Army of Darkness #19 stands on its own legs, and is deserving of 3.5 out of 5 Stars. A tad more humor and a bit more ghoulish fun would have kicked it up another full star.


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More info:
    Written by Mike Raicht
    Art by Pablo Marcos

Publisher:
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Jan 22nd, 2012, 10:41 am
Jan 22nd, 2012, 4:49 pm
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Title: Army of Darkness: Ash and the League of Light (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mike Raicht (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Derrick O'Rourke (Review1) and Liam Bradley (Review2) (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Favourite issue so far. "

Review:
    Review 1 - I enjoyed this book. Thought it was a good end to the series. I liked the premise of Ash being the only true Chosen One yet the world had other protectors as well. The first couple of stories are sort of standalones and then we have the League of Light assembling before the big bad arrives. A little disappointed we didn't see more of what Hell's Prophet could do and there are a couple of plot holes that are skimmed over. Also the ending is a bit open but I suppose we couldn't expect much else. Well worth a read.

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    Review 2 - Army of Darkness #22
      Publishers Blurb:
      After the events of Ash's whirlwind trip overseas, the life of the Chose One is about to take yet another unexpected turn! All thanks to writer Mike Raicht and artist Pablo Marcos

      Reviewer Comments:
      Favourite issue so far.

      Although this is only the third issue I've read it's my favourite so far. I've only read the last 3 issues and this is already a must read series for me. Ash has grown on me so much that he's now probably one of my favourite characters. Ash shares so many qualities with my favourite character "Deadpool". So I'd either really hate the character or really love the character. I'll go with the latter.

      Mike's writing is as great as ever. The story is heading in a direction that only proves to be getting more exciting by the panel. The character interaction between Ash and Brad is awesome and is getting better and better.

      Like I've said before...It's difficult to keep a good balance of Interesting story, comedy and horror. But Mike juggles it perfectly. I really like where Mike's taking this book with the whole team (League of Light) being formed. Currently all its inhabitants are extremely interesting and messed up. Should be fun!

      I've been trying to find something wrong with Mike's work (Mainly just to wind him up) but I never can. However I'm going to stoop quite low here and be my nitpicking self. My only gripe is that I spotted a typo and a mistake with the punctuation. I shouldn't even mention it as grammar and punctuation are my kryptonite. Nonetheless, Mike, you should be burned at the stake, or at least his editor should be!!! I kid!

      In this issue Pablo Marcos' took over the pencils. His style's a little different from the regular Scott Cohn artwork that gets thrown down on Army of Darkness. However I have to say I LOVED the artwork on this. Marcos' work fits just as well as Cohn's artwork. I was concerned that I might not like it as I've grown rather accustomed to Cohn's work. But Marcos' hit it out of the park. His lines are clean and his ability to tell the story visually is jaw dropping.

      The pencils are awesome and all. But they are made a million times better with Rael Sidharta's awesome colors. The colors are smooth, clean, well balanced and just an overall joy to look at.

      If you haven't read this series at all but think it sounds kind of like you're thing. Don't worry about it being on the 22nd issue. Pick up issue 20, 21 Image and then get 22. Issue 20 was a great jumping on point for me. Although it's not necessary, as soon as my funds will allow it I'm going to start from issue 1.

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More info:
    writer: Mike Raicht
    Artist: Scott Cohn

Publisher:
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Jan 22nd, 2012, 4:49 pm
Jan 22nd, 2012, 7:27 pm
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Title: Tales of Army of Darkness (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Various writers (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Dave Baxter (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" Every single tale is a gem cut fine enough to be called a crown jewel."

Review:
    After a mixed, uneven run of two limited series and an inspired yet lackluster crossover, AOD at last finds its true comic book calling – the anthology!

    Up to now, the funny book continuations of the hit cult horror films Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness by Spider-Man director Sam Raimi (now, now – some people might not know), have been littered with equal parts ingenuity and – its creative converse – unoriginality. The plots have been clever, playing nimbly across the films’ past continuity and incorporating their full gamut of memorable, major characters. But this playfulness came burdened with the oppressive weight of the films’ aesthetic, the catch-phrases and attitude and overall ambiance that the comic creators have permeated their work with to an unaccommodating degree; the nostalgic draw of these aspects were involving for a short, introductory time only – then the story required more. Sadly, most of what was given over the past year within the comic was just the same, tired comedic edge that made the films so popular, but which now lacked any real passion, drama, or memorable, fresh addition to the AOD mythos. Thankfully, that has changed.

    With Tales of Army of Darkness #1, Dynamite Entertainment has at last brought the franchise to a place where its full majesty, its dignity as a work of creative, unforgettable fiction shines through. There are six stories within, drafted by both current makers of the AOD ongoing series as well as newcomers who have never had the honor of scribing Ash’s world, and it’s my proud duty to inform potential readers that every single tale is a gem cut fine enough to be called a crown jewel.

    The anthology opens with A Dame, Deadites, and a Dimwit by ongoing AOD series writer James Kuhoric and with art by the same series’ artist, Nick Bradshaw. The story fills in a decent plot hole left dangling between the two AOD limited series, and I’m not certain if it is because the different format (short story vs. full-length multi-parter) or their use of a more potential-laden character, Sheila (the girl from the medieval past), as opposed to Ash (a purposefully two-dimensional protagonist who’s already had three films spotlighting him), but the creative team manages to produce their finest AOD tale to date with a mere nine pages. And a plot hole is plugged, which is always something to cheer about.

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    Weekend Off is by a writer I yearn to be sick of, but who’s just too talented to hate – Robert Kirkman. Together with artist Ryan Ottley, the proverbial third dimension is at last given to the aforementioned two-dimensional Ash. This is the single best Ash story ever written to date. It’s funny, it’s faithful to the character, and it’s poignant as hell. Perfection on glossy stock.

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    Next comes You Have No Honor, by Kuhoric and fully painted by Filip Sablik. The art is stunningly lush, and the story is perhaps the funniest of the book. It follows a very minor character from the AOD movie and watches the film’s events through his eyes. There are moments where Kuhoric’s dialogue and Siblik’s pictures don’t seem to be aligned (the dialogue and visuals get a bit jumbled), but this is a rare occurrence and the story still shines.

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    Fourthly comes Till Death Do Us Part by the writer of the first AOD limited series, Andy Hartnell and artist Nick Acs. It comes close to reaching the same heights of character depth as Kirkman’s take on Ash, but Hartnell employs a greater degree of farce and abandons all pretense of dramatic profundity. The story focuses on Ash and his fatalistic attempt at maintaining a long-term (longer than a single night) relationship. It’s well done, but Hartnell takes a short-cut and the story falls short of affecting.

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    Penultimately, we turn the page and come upon Necronomicon, by AOD editorial consultant Shawn Spurlock and Grounded artist Paul Azaceta. The winner of the gold for most surreal and bizarre, it’s a story focusing on Ash visiting his parents and the absolutely horrific events that follow (though – for such appalling events – they’re executed in incongruously mordant ways). I was a little thrown by the sheer nonchalant attitude in which Ash’s family is man-handled in this tale, though it is certainly, for this very reason, one I won’t forget.

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    Lastly, the creative team behind Flak Riot, Robert Place Napton and artist Michael O’Hare, weave the tale Runaway. This is the loosest and wildest of the bunch, playing on Ash’s iconic status and tells an action-packed, riveting short, filled with wild one-liners and head-bursting deadites. While these are indeed what I found to be the ongoing series’ shortcomings (all action and wit and little else), it satisfies sweetly as a purely petite serving, and uses a third-party character to view the events, which allows the story a quality of development that Ash as the narrative lead usually lacks.

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    Six beautiful, moving, wild, crazy, and rewarding stories, all building upon and filling out – for the first time truly filling out – the mythology of Ash and his world that is besieged by the Army of Darkness. If all I ever read of Ashley and his universe are anthology collections such as this, I will never want for more.

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More info:
    Words: James Kuhoric, Robert Kirkman, Andy Hartnell, et al.
    Art: Nick Bradshaw, Ryan Ottley, Filip Sablik, et al.
    Inks: N/A
    Colors: Scott Kester, Bill Crabtree, Imaginary Friends, and J.K. Conlin

Publisher:
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Jan 22nd, 2012, 7:27 pm
Jan 23rd, 2012, 6:46 am
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Title: The Evil Dead (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Mark Verheiden (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Cool News (Don't click it, read the review here... ;) )

" You may be just as surprised as I was at how good and scary it is. "

Review:
    I always get a little sad this time of year. I don’t know about you, but during the month of October, I go on horror overload. My Tivo is filled with classic horror films that I’ve been meaning to see for years. I go to just about every horror flick in the theaters. I buy more horror DVDs. I even try to take in an all night movie marathon (this year it was Chicago’s Music Box Massacre and it was top tits). I admit it. During the month of October, I’m a horror junkie.

    Then, at the stroke of midnight on Halloween Eve, everything seems to change. Decorations come down from windows and yards. No more horror film blocks on AMC or TCM to enjoy. And everything just seems a little less thrilling. If this were a gradual change, I might not be overcome by such a sense of melancholy. But it’s the abruptness of the horror cut-off, as if some uptight people couldn’t wait for the month to be over, that really knocks me on my ass and makes me long for just a bit more horror.

    I came across this trade paperback from Dark Horse at just that time. This past weekend, after flipping through the channels and finding not one scare to spare, I decided to crack open this book ad see what it was all about.

    Damn this was a good choice! I missed Dark Horse’s The Evil Dead miniseries when it first came out. I suppose I overlooked it with all of the Secret Crises and Final Invasions going on. I’m sure some of you overlooked it too. Let me tell you that if you are a fan at all of the original Sam Raimi horror rollercoaster, you will have to pick this book up.

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    This isn’t a boring rehashing of the same The Evil Dead movie we’ve seen a hundred times. Nor is it a “completely original” story spun-off from the movie. This is an elaboration on the classic horror tale and a phenomenal one at that.

    The highlight of the book is the art from John Bolton. I’ve seen Bolton’s gorgeous images in the past, but his renditions of the Deadite possessed victims in this story are just as nightmare-inducing as the characters from the original. There’s an eloquence to Bolton’s handling of the paints and renderings that makes his imagery look both horrifying and beautiful. Bolton takes liberties at times, giving the Deadites more of a ghostly presence, making up for the more mechanical and claymation feel of the creatures from the films. Simply put, this was the most beautiful scarefest I’ve laid my jaded eyes upon. Occasionally the characters are a bit overly photo-referenced, but just when it’s becoming distracting, Bolton tossed another original looking panel in your face.

    Mark Verheiden does a great job of respecting the source material enough so that this book is not blasphemous to die hard Evil Dead fans, yet adds new depth to the story that doesn’t seem like filler or unnecessary extrapolation. What we see here are extended scenes filling in the backstory of the four campers in this haunted cabin. We also get to see the story through Ash’s eyes. Verheiden nails the voice of Ash perfectly, giving him just enough snark and attitude that’s made Ash such an icon without going all cartoony or phony with it.

    I’m a huge fan of the original Evil Dead. I prefer its rough edge to the big budget bend-overing that was Army of Darkness. I even prefer it to Evil Dead 2, even though I feel that’s a phenomenal achievement for completely different reasons. But when I originally saw Evil Dead as a kid, I was scared shitless. Bolton and Verheiden’s love song to the Evil Dead movie pleases this die hard Deadite and, dare I say it, improves on the film by not only fleshing out these characters, but tying the first and second films together in a manner that is more seamless than the films themselves. If you’re suffering from horror withdrawal, seek out Dark Horse’s The Evil Dead Trade. You may be just as surprised as I was at how good and scary it is.


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More info:
    Writer: Mark Verheiden
    Artist: John Bolton

Publisher:
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Jan 23rd, 2012, 6:46 am