Cullen Bunn's Army of Darkness has launched Ash into space and proven you really can teach an old dog new tricks when it comes to fighting Deadites. Zero Gravity, Space babes, and good old fashion chain-saw welding action have given fans and new readers alike a reason to pick up this series. Cullen was nice enough to chat with Byron Brewer about where the series is heading down the road (or solar system as the case may be) so strap yourself in and hold on tight! Dynamite's new Army of Darkness series is about to boldly go in all sorts of wild directions
BYRON BREWER: So Cullen, what have been the challenges of adapting Ash and his antics to the environs of outer space?
CULLEN BUNN: I think the biggest challenge was making sure that the tone of Army of Darkness would be maintained even though the setting for the story was so unusual. I wanted to make sure the humor and the horror were not overshadowed by the sci-fi and space elements.
BB: Can you hint at how the demons of the Army of Darkness rear their ugly heads here?
CB: To some degree, the deadites rise in the way you might expect. They possess human hosts to torment their victims. But that’s just one side of this brewing evil. The spells of the Necronomicon have been uploaded into the computer systems of this advanced space station. This has caused some unusual manifestations. The deadites have gone digital, baby!
BB: Any unique creations or characters coming in the “heavy metal robotic mayhem” slated for Army of Darkness #4?
CB: Let’s just say that the minions of darkness are taking on some unusual shapes and sizes in this story. There are also some new twists on some familiar faces that will be sending some shockwaves through Ash’s life.
BB: What does artist Larry Watts bring to this cosmic table?
CB: Larry has such a wonderful handle on balancing humor, action, and horror. Ash’s facial expressions are such an important part of his character, and Larry captures every grimace, scowl, and look of utter confusion.
BB: You have been handling Ash for four issues as of March. Can you give us your perceptions of Ash as a character?
CB: Ash is an everyman who has been chosen to battle reality-threatening evil. He’s the type of guy, though, who doesn’t quite realize how dire the situation is. He has such a low sense of awareness, he thinks that battling the forces of darkness is not too different from a typical work day at S-Mart.
BB: Will we be meeting any new supporting characters during your run?
CB: There is a new group of supporting characters who are joining Ash on this adventure. In particular, there is a trio of astronauts who are going to be fighting evil by his side.