Jeff Katz

Jason Craig

James Kuhoric

"Originally printed as Freddy vs Jason vs Ash (of Army of Darkness): Nightmare warriors #1-6."

Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash

Geoffrey Froggatt

I’m one of the few horror fans that actually enjoyed the Freddy vs. Jason movie, and one of the even fewer that wanted a sequel. I heard how the filmmakers wanted to include Pinhead welcoming the two slashers to Hell at the end, but couldn’t due to not owning the rights to the character. I dreamt of a perfect sequel that involved Pinhead and the melding of three iconic horror franchises, but sadly that never came. But we did get this. Unfortunately I about off reading this for so long that copies were no longer being sold in stores, and I distinctly remember walking into a book store and seeing the cover and thinking, “I’ll come back for this”, but I never did. Luckily, us horror fans are crafty and I was easily able to find this online due to fans wanting to make this graphic novel more accessible. The story functions as a sequel to the events depicted in Freddy vs. Jason, but also acts as it’s own story continuing on the legacy of both franchises (A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th), while also weaving in Ash Williams from the Evil Dead franchise. I thought this comic did a decent job at picking up where the last movie left off, and while I’m not a fan of previous horror survivors being picked off in the opening sequence, I recognize that it is a staple of the Friday the 13th franchise and I do feel like it was done well here. This comic had a solid opening premise and did great at casually reintroducing these iconic characters together in one setting. I’ve never been a huge fan of Ash Williams (though I still haven’t seen Army of Darkness or Ash vs. Evil Dead as I write this review) even though I’m a fan of the Evil Dead movies. I always thought his character was a stand-in “final boy” for male horror fans to project themselves onto. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I just never previously connected with his character the way that many horror fans have. I used to think his personality and “ladies man” bravado was boring, but it felt a little more charming and fun here. I liked his characterization here, though I did notice he chastises a guy for flirting with Bree when she’s in shock, even though he did kiss her after she falls into his arms directly after they discover her boyfriend’s dead body earlier. There were some minor homophobic moments in this comic, but that’s to be expected from a comic based off such old horror franchises like this, and the homophobic remarks do come from characters who are supposed to shitty (and Freddy Krueger when he’s tormenting Jason) so they do feel fitting with the story and most of the characters. It’s also important to remember that while horror has always been a very queer genre, mainstream horror audiences during the era that this was written were perceived to only be straight white men, so it’s important to take that into account when reading a story like this and try to appreciate it for what it is anyway. I did like the minuscule mention/joke of Jason potentially being gay because I do think that the character acts as a villainous antagonistic stand-in for all kids who were bullied or ostracized/othered, so that was a fun little moment I appreciated despite how small it was. I liked the artwork and how it fit the dark tone of the narrative, and there is some pretty creative and dark imagery here that really elevates the material. The artwork on the kill scenes and gore was done really well and really did the source material justice. The graphic novel medium really gave the writers an ability to play around with Freddy Krueger’s abilities without having to worry about special effects or a budget. Introducing the Necronomicon and the Evil Dead lore into this crossover really opened up the door to some interesting storylines, and I particularly loved seeing Freddy Krueger use the Necronomicon. I love how this small inclusion spiced up and brought life back to these two tired horror franchise villains and shook up the tired storytelling formula. Introducing the idea that Jason may be some from of Deadite was also interesting and fun, and it easily ties the Evil Dead franchise together in this crossover. I felt the ending had the weakest writing and art work, and it did feel too neat and easy for a conclusion, but it was still a fun ride regardless and I am looking forward to reading the follow-up. Overall, not as good as it should have been but not terrible either. I would easily recommend this graphic novel for horror fans of these franchises and characters.

Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash

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