WTComics WeView Review – KISS/ARMY OF DARKNESS #1

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The cover of KISS/Army of Darkness #1 prepares you for some ghoulish Rock n’ Roll fun!

From the publisher: KISS is on top of the world and rocking faces until the night disciples of The Destroyer show up and the band disappears. With the tour canceled, a young Ash misses one of the most important events of his life that will change his destiny.
Now the Chosen One has to get back on the right path and join the KISS ARMY OF DARKNESS!

Our WTComics WeView –  One of the best things about comic books is the ability to take a story and go completely over the top with it. KISS/Army of Darkness #1 is that kind of book, one that revels in the ability to go as crazy as possible. KISS is one of my favorite bands of all time, and who doesn’t love Bruce Campbell’s turn as Ash in the Evil Dead franchise. Now mashing them both together and creating a “shared” universe between the two? Priceless.

Chad Bowers and Chris Sims don’t try to reinvent the wheel with this script. They know the audience they are trying to appeal to, and they just go for it. The dialog is cheesy and fun, and completely in line with what you would expect out of KISS or Army of Darkness. This issue is primarily a setup issue and it’s split into two parts, the KISS part and the Army of Darkness part, but I think that once we hit future issues and the two halves combine then the gloves will be off and the fireworks will begin.

The art by Ruairi Coleman is clean and the characters are easy to distinguish. There is a lot of fun that can be had with a concept like this and the pages of KISS on stage are an excellent representation of some of the best parts of a KISS concert in a two-page spread. And I would be remiss in not mentioning the lettering of Troy Peteri in this comic. The bad guys have a different font style from the rest of the characters plus there is a nice sprinkling in of the KISS font. You definitely get a sense of what is happening from the word balloons as well.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this comic was the ability to go through and try and find all the easter eggs hidden within. All the different song-titles that make up plot points in the comic are a blast to find for a fan like me. Both KISS and Army of Darkness have been establishing their universes at Dynamite for a while, but you don’t need any of that backstory to appreciate this comic. While nobody is going to suggest this comic is the second coming of Watchmen, it is a very enjoyable read, and if you are a fan of either KISS or Army of Darkness (or both!) then you won’t be let down by KISS/Army of Darkness #1. Worth a look.

Rating: Very Fine (VF) or 8/10

Review by Brett

Love the review? Hate the review? Disagree with me? I’m happy to talk comics on twitter @Brett_WeTalk

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