Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness is getting a sequel in the form of a new comic series.
According to AIPT, Army of Darkness: Forever comes from writer Tony Fleecs and artist Justin Greenwood. Releasing in Oct. 2023 from Dynamite Comics, the series serves as a direct sequel to Army of Darkness. A film set within the Evil Dead universe directed and co-written by Sam Raimi.
“[Greenwood’s] one of my best friends in comics,” Fleecs said. “We always wanted to find a thing to work on together and this came along at the perfect time. He’s a great storyteller, that’s obvious to anyone who’s read Stumptown or Crone or any of his books. But the thing that he does that really works for this book in particular is, he’s great at attitude. He’s one of the funniest guys in person. A real raconteur. And that comes through in the way he draws Ash. They both feel like blue-collar guys with interesting jobs to do.”
Army of Darkness’ Original Ending and Evil Dead Connection, Explained
Released in 1992, Army of Darkness is the third installment in the Evil Dead series. The film is largely set in the Middle Ages, where Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) was accidentally sent at the end of Evil Dead II. After fighting an entire army of Deadites, Army of Darkness ends with Ash arriving back in the present.
Raimi’s original ending to Army of Darkness saw Ash’s attempts to return home accidentally land him in the future. Universal Pictures, however, was unhappy with the ending and thought it was too pessimistic. The studio requested a different finale be shot for the film’s theatrical release.
“It’s one of the great, all-time alternate takes,” Fleecs explained. “Instead of Ash ending up back in 1990s Michigan, fighting Deadites at S-Mart, he wakes up 100 years after the end of the world in 2093. I remember the first time I saw it on DVD, my mind just exploding at the possibilities. Ash vs. the post-apocalypse?! But then the theatrical ending has that iconic action scene and last line: ‘Hail to the King, baby.’ So, you don’t want to lose that either.”
Army of Darkness: Forever features cover art by Fleecs, Francesco Mattina, Arthur Suydam, and Nick Dragotta. The first issue will release in Oct. 2023 from Dynamite Comics.
