Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep #1
Recap
Two cult classics clash for the first time in an epic crossover miniseries: ARMY OF DARKNESS VS. BUBBA HO-TEP. Ash embarks on a soul-searching road trip to Texas on a hunch that Elvis Presley may still be alive and kicking (and supposedly vanquished a mummy)! What follows is a series of universe-spanning events that involve an Elvis jumpsuit with special time-travel abilities, a trip to 70's Vegas, plus the reveal of an evil new Book of the Dead, the Necronomicon Ho-Tep. Has Ash met his ultimate match when trading barbs with a 4,000-year-old, foul-mouthed mummy who sucks souls? Can his idol Elvis mentor him through a mid-life crisis before it becomes his final crisis? Join the adventure in a road-tripping, time-hopping groovy tale!
Review
How can you top all of the pre-existing comics based on Bruce Campbell movie characters? Obviously the answer is a comic based on two Bruce Campbell movie characters and that’s exactly what Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep #1 delivers.
This comic is exactly what I expected when I heard they were doing a crossover based on these two cult classic franchises; equal parts badass, grotesque, and hilarious. Duvall does a great job at not only capturing the signature goofy toughness of Campbell but also the key differences in the two king’s. I felt while reading this issue that Duvall has a real respect for both represented franchises as well as for Bruce and Elvis as preformers.
Vincenzo Federici, did a great job capturing Campbell both as Ash Williams and as the older, more grizzled Elvis. His art was a perfect choice for this series as proven by the disgustingly awesome design for the half mummy/half deadite antagonist. While a couple pages are awkwardly composed it fits with the story and is helped by great colors that help to add to the creepy and surreal mood of the book.
This book was all that I hoped for and a bit more. As a big Bruce Campbell fan, I’m excited to see where this story goes.
Final Thoughts
The King of Rock & Roll and El Jefe team up to chase a mummy-deadite hybrid through time and space... What more could you ask for?
Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep #1: Hail to the Kings, Baby!
- Writing - 8.5/108.5/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10