Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash - The Nightmare Warriors #1

Dynamite Comics has had a successful run at extending the "Armys of Darkness" universe in ink. With an earlier mini series throwing together everybody's favorite movie monsters in a battle royale, "Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash", they're now set to dive into this slobberknocker once again!

Due out soon is "Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash - The Nightmare Warriors" written by Jeff Katz and James Kuhoric and drawn by Jason Craig.

For those of you like me who missed the first mini, things can be a bit confusing diving into this book at first, but they do a good job of tying the two stories together and setting the stage. We find an Ashley Williams who has retired from monster slaying, content to live at home and throw parties with his bikini clad girlfriend. We gather hints that the Necronomicon was the tie that binds all of the monster world together, government black-ops departments are in search of it for weapons testing and a few other small details to help flesh out this well worn universe and make it a little bit of their own.

As a whole, the story seems a bit light and fluffy, but when working with a mini series, there's not that much room to flesh out the heavy details. Here, I found myself drawn in and enjoying the familiar faces with new twists and looking forward to more. There is some decent carnage in issue #1 though it is quick and easy, but its the little touches that make it feel like being back at home at Camp Crystal Lake that make it feel okay. The artwork is enjoyable here as well with Craig doing a good job of conveying these characters that we know every nook and cranny of and bringing them back to life with pretty decent accuracy.

"Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash - The Nightmare Warriors" isn't going to blow your socks off, especially for new readers that aren't familiar with where they've been before. For longtime fans of the characters however, the story is fun and put together well enough to feel comfortable and familiar and most importantly, enjoyable. If you just remember it's not canon, the hardcore fans should be alright.

"Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash" #1 should be available now at your local comic shop, running at $3.99.