DrSpengler
01-08-2009, 06:53 PM
Anybody remember this? A few years ago, when Dynamite started their first ongoing Army of Darkness comic, they decided to begin with a crossover (they'd eventually crossover Ash to death).
I was pumped when it was announced, but when I first read it, I hated it. It didn't help that the oneshot Re-Animator #0, which was pretty crucial to understanding the plot from Herbert West's side, was practically unobtainable because Dynamite printed it in small numbers as a retailer exclusive. And from what I understand, they didn't include it in the Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator trade paperback collection, either (I own the single issues, personally).
Well, I recently got ahold of Re-Animator #0 and decided to give the arc another read through.
Here're my reviews, if you want my long-winded opinions (with story summaries):
Re-Animator #0 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2008/12/re-animator-0.html)
AOD vs. Re-Animator #1 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2008/12/army-of-darkness-vs-re-animator-1.html)
AOD vs. Re-Animator #2 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2008/12/army-of-darkness-vs-re-animator-2.html)
AOD vs. Re-Animator #3 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2009/01/army-of-darkness-vs-re-animator-3.html)
AOD vs. Re-Animator #4 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2009/01/army-of-darkness-vs-re-animator-4.html)
THE GOOD:
*Nick Bradshaw's art. Absolutely gorgeous, dynamic and totally off the wall insane. He was the perfect fit for the Army of Darkness title and definately the book's greatest asset (cuz it sure wasn't the writing). His issues marked the best of the parts of the series.
*Re-Animator #0. A pain in the ass to get, and a little expensive, but it was a good Herbert West story, albeit a short one, and a nice prologue to crossover. It doesn't save the whole of the story, which falls apart pretty quick, but it was a good one-shot.
THE BAD:
*Kuhoric's writing. The guy recycles way too many lines and gags from the Evil Dead movies for the sake of nostalgia, and it wears thin real quick. The conflict reoslution was totally dull and hackneyed, like something out of an 80s cartoon, and the underutilization of the real Herbert West was an absolute crime (this was Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator, not Army of Darkness vs. the Re-Animator's evil clone).
*Sanford Greene's art. I don't want to be too harsh on the guy, as he really wasn't that bad. But his style fluctuated too much between the two issues he did, like he couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to ape Bradshaw's style or not.
Overall, it's not as much a let down now as it was when I first read it, thanks mostly to Re-Animator #0 letting me know ahead of time what the fuck was going on with West. Still, it isn't very good. The Devil's Due Hack/Slash-Re-Animator crossover and Zenescope's current Chronicles of Dr. Herbert West comic are proof of what a *good* Re-Animator comic can be like, making the Army of Darkness crossover look pretty lame.
I was pumped when it was announced, but when I first read it, I hated it. It didn't help that the oneshot Re-Animator #0, which was pretty crucial to understanding the plot from Herbert West's side, was practically unobtainable because Dynamite printed it in small numbers as a retailer exclusive. And from what I understand, they didn't include it in the Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator trade paperback collection, either (I own the single issues, personally).
Well, I recently got ahold of Re-Animator #0 and decided to give the arc another read through.
Here're my reviews, if you want my long-winded opinions (with story summaries):
Re-Animator #0 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2008/12/re-animator-0.html)
AOD vs. Re-Animator #1 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2008/12/army-of-darkness-vs-re-animator-1.html)
AOD vs. Re-Animator #2 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2008/12/army-of-darkness-vs-re-animator-2.html)
AOD vs. Re-Animator #3 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2009/01/army-of-darkness-vs-re-animator-3.html)
AOD vs. Re-Animator #4 (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2009/01/army-of-darkness-vs-re-animator-4.html)
THE GOOD:
*Nick Bradshaw's art. Absolutely gorgeous, dynamic and totally off the wall insane. He was the perfect fit for the Army of Darkness title and definately the book's greatest asset (cuz it sure wasn't the writing). His issues marked the best of the parts of the series.
*Re-Animator #0. A pain in the ass to get, and a little expensive, but it was a good Herbert West story, albeit a short one, and a nice prologue to crossover. It doesn't save the whole of the story, which falls apart pretty quick, but it was a good one-shot.
THE BAD:
*Kuhoric's writing. The guy recycles way too many lines and gags from the Evil Dead movies for the sake of nostalgia, and it wears thin real quick. The conflict reoslution was totally dull and hackneyed, like something out of an 80s cartoon, and the underutilization of the real Herbert West was an absolute crime (this was Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator, not Army of Darkness vs. the Re-Animator's evil clone).
*Sanford Greene's art. I don't want to be too harsh on the guy, as he really wasn't that bad. But his style fluctuated too much between the two issues he did, like he couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to ape Bradshaw's style or not.
Overall, it's not as much a let down now as it was when I first read it, thanks mostly to Re-Animator #0 letting me know ahead of time what the fuck was going on with West. Still, it isn't very good. The Devil's Due Hack/Slash-Re-Animator crossover and Zenescope's current Chronicles of Dr. Herbert West comic are proof of what a *good* Re-Animator comic can be like, making the Army of Darkness crossover look pretty lame.