Army of Darkness: Shop Till You Drop Dead

    (Devil’s Due, 2005)
™ and © 2003 Tim Seeley & ™ and © 2003 Eric Larsen

A comic book mini–series continuing the saga of Ash, the self–absorbed, doltish protagonist of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films, seems like a fun idea. It sort of worked once. But a second series? Not groovy. Unlike the original film trilogy, stretching out the thin, repetitious plot and simplistic characters in comic–book form fails miserably. Sure, the films had thin, repetitious plots and simplistic characters, too, but one built on the next, technically and visually. There’s nothing new in Shop Till You Drop Dead. The Necronomicon Ex Mortis, which Ash carelessly left behind at the end of Ashes 2 Ashes, finds its way back to S–Mart, where Ash has resumed his position in housewares, allowing the Deadites to possess customers and staff. It’s up to Ash and a couple of fellow clerk sidekicks to rescue Sheila, his squeeze from the past, and save the store. There’s clever repartee, and Nick Bradshaw’s art is slick, although there’s so much going on that at times it can be confusing to follow. It also takes too long to get to the gore, with most of the issue taken up with exposition.

Raimi had the right idea: Bury the series before decay sets in.

— Timothy J. Wood
Jump to issue:
  NotesWriterArtist
#1

January, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
3 copies available from $3.50 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#1 Variation A (Cover A D by Jae Lee)

January, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
2 copies available from $2.00 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#1 Variation B

January, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
2 copies available from $2.00 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#1 Variation C (Cover C A by Nick Bradshaw)

January, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
1 copy available for $2.00 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#1 Variation D

January, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
2 copies available from $2.00 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#1 Variation E (Incentive Foil Cover E by Nick Bradshaw)

January, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
1 copy available for $2.25 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#2 (Cover A by Nick Bradshaw)

February, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
2 copies available from $1.50 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#2 Variation A (Cover A B by Alé Garza)

February, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
1 copy available for $1.25 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#2 Variation B (B&W Incentive Cover B by Alé Garza)

February, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
1 copy available for $14.99 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#3 (Cover A by Nick Bradshaw)

June, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
6 copies available from $1.25 		James A. KuhoricSanford Greene
#3 Variation A (Cover A B by Sanford Greene)

June, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
2 copies available from $3.00 		James A. KuhoricSanford Greene
#3 Variation B (B&W Incentive Cover B by Sanford Greene)

June, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
2 copies available from $5.00 		James A. KuhoricSanford Greene
#4 (Cover A by Nick Bradshaw)

July, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
5 copies available from $2.00 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#4 Variation A (Cover A B by Sanford Greene)

July, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
3 copies available from $2.00 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
#4 Variation B (1:25 Incentive Sketch Cover B 1 by Nick Bradshaw)

July, 2005
Cover Price: $2.99
1 copy available for $14.99 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw
Book #1 Variation A (Regular Cover A by Alé Garza)

July, 2005
Cover Price: $14.99
1 copy available for $12.00 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw, Sanford Greene
Book #1 Variation B (Previews Exclusive Cover B by Richard Isanove)

July, 2005
Cover Price: $14.99
1 copy available for $14.50 		James A. KuhoricNick Bradshaw, Sanford Greene