Dead Irons #1 – Review

By James Kuhoric (writer), Jason Shawn Alexander (artist), Jae Lee (cover artist & character design)

The Story: What is the story?  I’ve read this issue twice now and can safely say that it does little more than barely introduce the Irons siblings, supernatural bounty hunters in the Old West who are just as happy killing the townsfolk they encounter in their travels as they are the bounties they pursue.

The Good: Jae Lee’s cover is wonderfully morbid and evocative, and I’m sorry to say it totally sold me on the issue in the first place.  Alexander’s art is clearly influenced by Lee’s, who also serves as Art Director for the title, and is heavily saturated in scratchy inks and shadows.  It’s a great style for this kind of story though, and one of this issue’s few redeeming qualities.

The Not So Good: Kuhoric’s script here is a confused mess of disconnected scenes that suggest the idea of a story without actually telling one.  The dialogue is a melodramatic nightmare that had me groaning as hard as I was laughing.  For example, take this passage from the first page: “Pain.  It’s the only thing in this world you can count on.  We’re born in pain.  Suffer with it every day on this land.  And die in it.  If we’re lucky, the pain leading us to death is brief and not an extended agony.”  What!?  Who talks like that?  Hard to say, as Kuhoric never even introduces his characters.  The whole issue is full of these moments, and while I’m sure Kuhoric is taking his story quite seriously, it’s that same emo streak that comes off looking ridiculous.

Conclusion: A moody, pretentious first issue that goes to great lengths to convince you how dark and serious it’s going to be, but forgets to be entertaining in the process.  You don’t need this.

Grade:  D

-Tony Rakittke

Army of Darkness: Home Sweet Hell #12 – Review

By James Kuhoric, Mike Raicht, (writers) Pere Perez, (finished art) Ivan Nunes, (colors) Simon Bowland, (letters) Fabiano Neves, and Stjepan Sejic (covers)

Issue #11 for me was in many ways a dud. Whatever ailment Ash was going through that made him a sissy took away the entire appeal of the book. So why would I read #12? Curiosity I suppose, and as we all know, that killed the cat.

The good news is Ash starts to feel more like himself and embraces his role as the chosen one. The bad news is – well, everything else. Ash fighting something other than Deadites is fine, but what follows should be more than Hellraiser fan-fiction with bad jokes. Wrath asks, “How many souls can we tear apart tonight?” It comes across WAY too much like “We’ll tear your soul apart,” which is one of the most famous lines from Hellraiser. The line also loses all its punch coming from Wrath who looks and acts like a whiny little boy. It’s not threatening and not original. What’s worse is the dialogue between Ash and The Necronomicon. The Book of the Dead talks to, taunts, and cures Ash of his mental ailment. I can see what they were going for, but none of it really works.

For all of my harping on the writing, it’s still a very pretty book. Pere Perez’s style really fits the world of Army of Darkness. The origin of Pride, Envy, Greed, and Wrath are highlights in particular. With anywhere between two and four panels we get the life story of those four sins. The choice to give the book red eyes is another good move. I’m against the book having a consciousness and becoming Ash’s side-kick, but if it has to be done it might as well be able to emote and look menacing.

As an Evil Dead fan it’s hard to recommend this book. From a writing standpoint, it never feels Evil Dead-ish. It may look like it sometimes, use some of the same phrases, but it just isn’t. I doubt many fans will get into this book. There are just too many changes are made and none of them for the better. (Grade D-)

– Ben Berger