Army of Darkness Bubba Ho-Tep #02
Dynamite Entertainment/IDW Publishing 2019
Written by Scott Duvall
Illustrated by Vincenzo Federici
Coloured by Michele Monte
Lettered by Taylor Esposito
Last we saw Ash, he was soaring chin-first through a time portal, hot on the bandage of Bubba Ho-Tep, and crash-landed in 70’s Las Vegas! The demonic mummy seeks an ancient Egyptian book of souls and will stop at nothing to possess it! Can Ash put his differences aside with a near-peak condition Elvis long enough to teach this undead thief a lesson? Find out in the Vegas-styled winner-takes-all showdown, where the loser gets his soul sucked out!
Aww man I was really hoping old Elvis was going to be going back as well but hey what can ya do when it’s not your story heh. Regardless what we get here is pretty damn amazing in and of itself. So Ash is back in time (back in time, damn Huey Lewis) and I like this as he is the man he’s always been and well I am sure he’s a little boy in this year so there goes one soul two bodies existing at the same time kaboom theory.
I am also very much appreciative to Scott for showcasing that there is much more to Ash than meets the eye. Sure he’s an odd duck type of character and he loves his beer but let’s face it he is certainly no dummy. To see him use the smarts that he’s acquired along the way to show us all that he’s more than a pretty face, even if at times he does those really stupid things. The characterisation here is so fantastically well done and not just on Ash but everyone we meet whether they are a major or minor character. Scott’s talent in bringing characters to life is not to be underestimated folks the guys got some serious skills showing here.
So the opening here is really well done and as a matter of fact the entire book is structured incredibly well. From Ash meeting young Elvis and through to the last page the way this reads has a really strong ebb & flow that allows the reader to enjoy themselves as they absorb what’s revealed along the way. Also the dialogue here is something to behold and there are moments when I laughed out loud, now maybe because growing up that film was shown each season religiously and perhaps the younger generations don’t know it but I thought that was amazingly well done.
Vincenzo does some absolutely stunning work on the interiors here! The way he’s able to utilise the varying weights of the linework to create some sensational attention to detail, Michele too for that matter on that book for instance, that draws the eye through the panels in a great way. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show us a great eye for storytelling. I like how backgrounds are utilised, though I would really like to see all the panels have them in use. The colour work is superb! The way that we see through glass, or how light sources cast shadows plus the shading and gradation it is all used so beautifully.
The puns, or quips, the witty banter and just the overall way the fight sequences are choreographed is something that brings the reader pure joy. This is how you take something outrageous and make it feel serious and keep it all feeling like a good time. This is what many of us used to enjoy in comics before the over the top silliness of the 90’s and the now uber-angst filled books of today. The best part of all this is that these two franchises from different companies work so exceedingly well together. Almost as if this were meant to be.
Dynamite Entertainment/IDW Publishing 2019
Written by Scott Duvall
Illustrated by Vincenzo Federici
Coloured by Michele Monte
Lettered by Taylor Esposito
Last we saw Ash, he was soaring chin-first through a time portal, hot on the bandage of Bubba Ho-Tep, and crash-landed in 70’s Las Vegas! The demonic mummy seeks an ancient Egyptian book of souls and will stop at nothing to possess it! Can Ash put his differences aside with a near-peak condition Elvis long enough to teach this undead thief a lesson? Find out in the Vegas-styled winner-takes-all showdown, where the loser gets his soul sucked out!
Aww man I was really hoping old Elvis was going to be going back as well but hey what can ya do when it’s not your story heh. Regardless what we get here is pretty damn amazing in and of itself. So Ash is back in time (back in time, damn Huey Lewis) and I like this as he is the man he’s always been and well I am sure he’s a little boy in this year so there goes one soul two bodies existing at the same time kaboom theory.
I am also very much appreciative to Scott for showcasing that there is much more to Ash than meets the eye. Sure he’s an odd duck type of character and he loves his beer but let’s face it he is certainly no dummy. To see him use the smarts that he’s acquired along the way to show us all that he’s more than a pretty face, even if at times he does those really stupid things. The characterisation here is so fantastically well done and not just on Ash but everyone we meet whether they are a major or minor character. Scott’s talent in bringing characters to life is not to be underestimated folks the guys got some serious skills showing here.
So the opening here is really well done and as a matter of fact the entire book is structured incredibly well. From Ash meeting young Elvis and through to the last page the way this reads has a really strong ebb & flow that allows the reader to enjoy themselves as they absorb what’s revealed along the way. Also the dialogue here is something to behold and there are moments when I laughed out loud, now maybe because growing up that film was shown each season religiously and perhaps the younger generations don’t know it but I thought that was amazingly well done.
Vincenzo does some absolutely stunning work on the interiors here! The way he’s able to utilise the varying weights of the linework to create some sensational attention to detail, Michele too for that matter on that book for instance, that draws the eye through the panels in a great way. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show us a great eye for storytelling. I like how backgrounds are utilised, though I would really like to see all the panels have them in use. The colour work is superb! The way that we see through glass, or how light sources cast shadows plus the shading and gradation it is all used so beautifully.
The puns, or quips, the witty banter and just the overall way the fight sequences are choreographed is something that brings the reader pure joy. This is how you take something outrageous and make it feel serious and keep it all feeling like a good time. This is what many of us used to enjoy in comics before the over the top silliness of the 90’s and the now uber-angst filled books of today. The best part of all this is that these two franchises from different companies work so exceedingly well together. Almost as if this were meant to be.
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