November 20, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment and Archie Comics are excited to announce the creative team for their next fun-filled cataclysmic crossover, as Erik Burnham and Bill Galvan take Archie and Ash to hell and back in Archie x The Army of Darkness kicking off this February!
Teased previously around New York Comic Con, Dynamite and Archie now come locked and loaded with the thrilling creative team for this maniacal mashup. Writer Erik Burnham is back in the driver's seat of Ash and the Army of Darkness mythos, now bringing in the riotous Riverdale cast to up the ante. This series follows his work a few years back on Army of Darkness vs. Reanimator: Necronomicon Rising. His deep and beloved bibliography on top franchises like Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Godzilla, and more makes him the perfect match for the Archie gang.
To really capture the Archie side of the equation and its timeless aesthetic known around the world for 85 years, editor Matt Idelson has paired Burnham with the peerless Bill Galvan. The two-decades Archie Comics veteran artist will perfectly capture the iconic look of Riverdale, with the crossover’s major twist!
Ashley J. Williams has found himself doomed to battle against the forces of evil, over and over again, whether he likes it or not. Whether he's clocking in at S-Mart or hurling through the multiverse, the cycle of violence always follows him and repeats itself. That is, until he finds himself in the picturesque town of Riverdale. This bewilderingly wholesome community seems to break the curse that has plagued him ever since he first crossed paths with otherworldly evil all those years ago.
This serene peace all comes crashing down when an over-curious teenager by the name of Archie Andrews stumbles upon a copy of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis, accidentally summoning the horrifying Deadites once more! Ash will find himself unexpectedly allied with the good townsfolk of Riverdale, fighting to hold back the undead hordes long enough for Archie to undo what he's unwittingly done.
“I’m excited that I get to inconvenience Ash once again by pitting him against the forces of evil, but to also get a crack at writing the genuine American icons that are Archie and the gang at the same time? Pinch me," said writer Erik Burnham.
"Having read the script for issue #1, I can assure you that Erik Burham's story is going to take readers on a thrill ride that pays homage to the best of both worlds,” said Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante. “Plus, Bill Galvan's been an Archie mainstay for years, who continuously impresses us both with his ability to perfectly capture the essence of the Archie characters, while also creating eye-catching, outside-the-box, and sometimes downright horrifying art on his array of specialty variant covers. This series will be a treat for fans of both franchises!"
The series is complemented by a crop of clean-cut covers from signature artists of the Dynamite and Archie libraries. Galvan, Robert Hack, Laura Braga, Craig Cermak, and Stuart Sayger all contribute variants.
Fans can also get a premium mystery blind bag on the premiere issue, packed with three limited editions of the debut selected randomly from a range of stunning variants. Two additional original covers by Galvan and Francesco Francavilla are only available from the bag, as well as multiple line art variants and colored blanks.
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About Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, The Shadow, Red Sonja, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, A Game of Thrones, and more. Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Chastity, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and bestselling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high-profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Gail Simone, Christopher Priest, Leah Moore, Kevin Smith, David Walker, Vita Ayala, Danny Lore, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Mark Russell, Brandon Thomas, Amy Chu, Reginald Hudlin, Nancy Collins, David Walker, Steve Orlando, Greg Pak, Jenny Frison, Matt Wagner, and a host of up-and-coming new talent. Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's Project Superpowers - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011. The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards.
About Archie Comics
Archie Comics is one of the most influential, successful, and longest-running brands in the comics industry. With over three billion comics sold and books published in dozens of languages, Archie characters are immediately recognizable worldwide. It is home to an extensive roster of characters—including Archie, Betty and Veronica, Jughead, Reggie, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats, and Katy Keene—and the critically acclaimed Archie Horror imprint, Dark Circle universe, and much, much more. The CW series RIVERDALE and the hit Netflix series CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA have captivated the hearts and minds of countless fans, a trend that continues with THE ARCHIES, the first comics-based Hindi language feature film, streaming on Netflix. Archie characters have been featured in animation, television, film, and music throughout its more than 85-year history.
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