Army of Darkness: Convention Invasion was a one-shot comic book released by Dynamite Entertainment in October, 2014. It was written by Michael Moreci and featured artwork by Brent Peeples.
Plot Synopsis[]
Three teenagers barge into S-Mart, yelling to anyone within earshot that they're looking for Ash Williams. A smartly dressed Ash appears from around the corner to investigate, and the teens explain that New York City is in danger, as they've spotted the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis in the hands of a very real wizard outside of a Comic Convention. The trio then inform Ash that his battles against the Deadites have been chronicled in a comic book series, which has made him something of a minor celebrity in some circles. Ash explains that he personally destroyed the Ex-Mortis, but wants to investigate their claim just to make sure. As they head out to the parking lot, a Deadite emerges from the dark, but is swiftly taken down by Ash.
By morning, Ash and the teens are at the convention, where comic fans have been stopping Williams and complementing him on his "costume". They take Ash to where they first spotted the wizard and the book, just beside the Hudson River, only for skeletons to rise from the water and pull Ash under. Ash tells the teens to go look for the Necronomicon. The three oblige Ash's request and head back into the convention, only to bump directly into the "Oddity Supreme", the cosplaying wizard who had the book.
Back under the Hudson River, Ash Williams awakens in the sewers to find himself surrounded by skeletons and his Deadite doppelganger Evil Ash. The clone explains that he's been manipulating the "Oddity Supreme" for quite some time, sending him on a quest to England to recover the two fake Necronomicons Ash had left behind in the cursed cemetery in the Middle Ages. Tired of his double's monologue, Ash begins to fight through the skeletons around him, and takes advantage of the methane and natural gas pipes around them to set the sewer tunnel on fire. While Evil Ash goes up in smoke, Ash dives back under water to escape the blaze to make his way back up to the surface.
The three teens escape the wizard and his Deadite goons to meet Ash on the shoreline, only for a giant skeletal serpent to rise out of the water behind him. Ash fights the fish while one member of the group utilizes his RPG skills to search the Necronomicon for a spell that will destroy the evil forces. Finding an appropriate incantation just in the nick of time, the dark magic holding the serpent together fades, sending the bones back into the ocean, and stopping the Deadites for good. Ash thanks the trio for their help, but tells them it's never truly over for him...
Trivia[]
- The cover of this one-shot reuses the variant artwork of issues one and two of Army of Darkness: Ash Gets Hitched by Francesco Francavilla.
- Ash's comment about being entitled to royalties for a comic based on his life is a meta-reference to Bruce Campbell, who has publicly vocalized his displeasure for Dynamite's Army of Darkness comics as he does not receive financial compensation for the books using his likeness.
- The man at the convention who complements Ash on his "cosplay" is wearing a t-shirt with the character of Vlad from Tim Seeley's Hack/Slash comic series on it. Army of Darkness and Hack/Slash crossed over in a six-issue series released in 2013.
- The Shadow and The Green Hornet (two other franchises with comics published by Dynamite Entertainment) appear on the side of a booth inside the convention.
Continuity Notes[]
- Ash mentions that he destroyed the real Necronomicon, referencing the climax of the original Evil Dead film.
- This story is independent of any previously published Army of Darkness comic continuity, as it is implied that Ash has had no other supernatural encounters since his return from the Middle Ages.