Some people say there is no such thing as too much knowledge. These people have never run across the Necronomicon.
What They Say:
The adventure in South Africa heats up as Secret Agent Zero arrives to aid Abbey and Ash in their pursuit of the stolen Necronomicon. But when Zero crosses paths with an old adversary from the former Hammer Empire, will his thirst for revenge put Abbey in the middle of the crossfire? Find out as the year’s most dangerous crossover event continues!
The Review:
Welcome to the wonderful world of comics where favorite characters can cross paths when one least expects it, though the results may turn out to be less peanut butter and jelly than cookies and crème with tuna fish.
In this new limited series, the dynamic action characters from the pages of the Wildstorm Productions comic have run into Ash Williams who himself has no small cult following due to the features directed by Sam Raimi and played by Bruce Campbell. Army of Darkness has proven to be the little film that could from its’ independently produce Evil Dead origins to the major motion picture the final film was. Along the way the series has garnered a good deal of fans (even if it doesn’t have a blockbuster box office take) and has spawned a not unsubstantial line of merchandise and comics along the way. Danger Girl may have a bit farther to go to catch up but if the proposed feature film materializes, who knows it may even surpass AoD in popularity.
For the comic however the audience is thrown into a world where the Danger Girls operate and have managed to get what appears to be a humble discount store worker sprung from jail. Of course as fans of the series know Ash Williams may not always be employee of the month but he does bring a particular set of skills to the table if you happen to come across a certain book (can a book be an arch enemy?) and its effects.
Not that the audience gets to start there. Instead, the first third of the title is spent introducing a character who goes by the honest to goodness codename “Secret Agent Zero.” His tale is told in narrative as he describes how he went from honorable soldier to man marked as traitor to infiltrate a secret evil organization, though it was a deep cover thing as he was to take out its head. He got betrayed and now is on his own. Secret Agent Zero is a character that plays a role in the Danger Girl series but the purpose of him being here to tell his story seems to just be to insert some large explosions into a story that wouldn’t have them otherwise.
When the tale returns to the erstwhile stars the audience finds that Ash has just been sprung from jail and is on a private plane as the members of the Danger Girls are trying to persuade him to go after the Necronomicon, a book which Ash knows far more about then he wants to and part of what he knows is he doesn’t want to cross paths with it again. Luckily, Ash is a sucker for a pretty face (and other attributes) which Danger Girl member Abbey Chase has to spare.
Abbey isn’t thrilled to partner up with this slightly lecherous goofball and doesn’t listen to his warnings, but she may wish she had as a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing and she knows a certain phrase which can allow the dead a chance to speak. Too bad it seems the most of the time all the dead care to tell the living is to die. Will this pairing of heroes have the ability to escape or when the dead rise will their luck fall?
I really wish I could remember where I read a critique of team up books that fits many in general and this one in particular. It was in relation to a Batman/Punisher crossover I believe where I read someone say the biggest challenge was that a hero would wind up being rescued from a peril that, if they were in their own title, they would easily escape from.
In fairness I haven’t read any previous Danger Girl titles but the impression I have gotten from those I know who have over the years as the Girls can handle themselves fairly well. In that comes a bit of the rub as the character of Ash works when spewing one liners (or cringing like the original Evil Dead film) but hero is just harder to adjust to as in the films he is a reluctant one at best. He gets fewer chances in this title to be his not quite brave but charge ahead self but the title still feels like a typical crossover where no one wants to take big chances showing their character up and the license won’t let the other character take a reputation dinging beating either. Coming in on the fourth issue likely hurt as well, but when nine out of twenty four pages are taken up by what appears to be a side story, the remaining pages have a lot of weight to carry, and in this case they just don’t overcome that disadvantage.
In Summary:
The concept of Danger Girl and Army of Darkness crossing over is one that has some appeal and promise, but starting with issue four is not a great idea it seems. While the writing and art looks like it can convey action and a good bit of wit the initial set up of a character whose inclusion seems to be murky to this tale creates a bit of discord hard to get past. Eventually the characters get to bantering and some action is to be found but this issue alone feels like it really needed the set up of the earlier three issues and that it falls into average faire when judged on its own merits.
Grade: C+
Readers Rating: [ratings]
