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 is 30 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.