Army of Darkness was Dynamite’s first comic, back in 2005. It takes a break every once in a while, but always comes back. This time it’s coming back with a slight larger name attached.
Steve Niles, best known for the 30 Days of Night franchise and Cal MacDonald (across a couple different formats) will be the new writer and Dennis Calero (who’s recently been drawing Masks for Dynamite) will be the new artist.
Interestingly, Niles has decided this series will start where the Army of Darkness film ended. Immediately from where the last film ended, to be exact. So Ash will still be stuck in the Middle Ages and Niles will go from there.
Dynamite is making a bunch of pre-SDCC announcements today, and this is just the first one, so pop in a bit later for more.
The official PR follows and then some art:
SDCC Announcement – Acclaimed Writer Steve Niles to Turn
New ASH AND THE ARMY OF DARKNESS Ongoing Series into the
Ultimate Experience in Medieval Horror
July 15, 2013, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite is proud to announce that their flagship comic book title, Army of Darkness, will receive a complete overhaul and a new ongoing series as imagined by Steve Niles, acclaimed author of 30 Days of Night and Batman: Gotham County Line. A horror/action series with dark comedic overtones, the newly-titled Ash and the Army of Darkness continues the time-traveling, demon-fighting adventures of Ash Williams, the smart-mouthed hero of the 1992 cult-favorite film of the same name.
“What I’m doing with Ash and the Army of Darkness is a complete reboot,” says Niles. “We start and the last frame of the film and then go right to the next. It’s a wild ride and I think fans of the film will be very happy because I am bringing back a lot of what made the movie so fun. My run of Ash and the Army of Darkness takes place almost entirely in the 1300’s setting. That was what made Army of Darkness stand apart. I’m hoping readers agree.”
Comic book writer and novelist Steve Niles is credited as being an instrumental force in bringing horror comics back to prominence in recent years. Perhaps his best-known work is30 Days of Night, a best-selling vampire series co-created with innovative illustrator Ben Templesmith and adapted into a feature film. His impressive list of credits include such licensed and creator-owned tales of terror as I Am Legend, Hellspawn, Chin Music, Simon Dark, The X-Files, Remains, Criminal Macabre, and 28 Days Later.
“I’m very excited to be working with Dynamite and thrilled to be working on Ash and the Army of Darkness,” adds Niles. “The film is one of my favorites and I think we have a really fresh, exciting take for Ash’s continuing adventures fighting the dead. Dynamite has been expanding their line and have an impressive array of comic creators working with them now. I’m looking forward to joining the team.”
Placing Steve Niles on Ash and the Army of Darkness follows Dynamite’s recent trend of reinventing their established classics, thanks in no small part to partnering established industry writers with projects that naturally fit their narrative strengths. To name just a few of their recent publishing moves: the talented Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Batgirl) launched a new incarnation of Red Sonja, the sci-fi team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (Guardians of the Galaxy) have retooled the classic Battlestar Galactica, and superhero legend Mark Waid (Daredevil, Kingdom Come) brought The Green Hornet back to basics. These projects have met with critical acclaim and high sales, and the new Ash and the Army of Darkness promises to continue the trend.
“I am really excited to welcome Steve Niles on-board for the Ash and the Army of Darkness relaunch,” says Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite. “There’s no writer in recent years whose name has been attached to more bestselling horror comic concepts than Steve, and for good reason — he’s got an amazing talent for writing hard-hitting, white-knuckle, edge-of-your-seat fright fiction. Army of Darkness has a legion of hardcore fans, and they deserve the best. Well, they’re getting the best, courtesy of Steve Niles!” Dynamite expects longtime fans and curious newcomers to welcome a new creative voice, story direction, title, and logo for a horror classic with Ash and the Army of Darkness.
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