The Evil Dead franchise is heading for its most bizarre crossover ever, one that will leave fans asking: “Wtf?” Since 1981, Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise has terrified and entertained audiences worldwide. What started as a low-budget movie would blossom into a multimedia franchise, one that is now heading for its weirdest crossover to date.
Archie Comics and Dynamite Entertainment teased Archie X The Army of Darkness earlier this year, and now the publishers have confirmed its release. The book will be written by Erik Burnham and drawn by Bill Galvan. IDW released a synopsis for the book:
IT’S A TEENAGE NIGHTMARE! There’s a certain man – name’s Ash, you may have heard of him – who is doomed to battle against the forces of evil, over and over again, whether he likes it or not. No matter where he goes, the cycle of violence always repeats itself – until the day that he arrives in the picturesque town of Riverdale.
This supernaturally wholesome community seems to break the curse that has plagued Ash ever since he first encountered its otherworldly evil all those years ago. Or rather, the curse was broken – until an over-curious teenager named Archie finds a copy of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis and reads a portion of it aloud, summoning the horrifying Deadites once again!
Now Ash and the good townsfolk of Riverdale must hold back the undead hordes long enough for Archie to undo what he’s unwittingly done. Otherwise, an Army of Darkness will roll over Riverdale and destroy everything and everyone in its path – and that’s just not going to happen on Ashley J. Williams’s watch!
The creators are no stranger to each franchise, as Burnham has written previous Evil Dead comics.
The Evil Dead Franchise Is One of Horror’s Best
Sam Raimi Left a Huge Mark on the Horror Genre With This Early Classic
Today, Sam Raimi is one of the most respected directors in America, but at one point, he was a student filmmaker, and his first film out helped change the course of the horror genre. Released in 1981, Evil Dead became a cult hit, thanks to Raimi’s no-holds-barred direction and Bruce Campbell’s magnetic performance as Ash.
When Raimi and his collaborators began conceiving the Evil Dead, they had no idea of the pop culture juggernaut they were about to unleash. Raimi essentially remade the film with 1987’s Evil Dead 2, this time leaning heavily into the premise’s campy, pot-boiler elements. The film became another cult hit for Raimi.
After following up Evil Dead 2 with 1993’s Army of Darkness, the franchise would go dormant, but was revived in the 2010s via a “back to basics” remake as well as a television show starring Bruce Campbell. Another movie, Evil Dead Rise was released in 2024, and a follow-up is on the way.
Arche Has a Rich Horror Tradition Too, Thanks to Books Such as The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Archie Has Met the Punisher, the Predator and Batman
The Evil Dead franchise is a brutal, but darkly funny one, and Archie and his pals might seem to be the last choice for a crossover, but there is actually a good deal of precedent for it. Since the 1990s, Archie has published meetings between the Eternal Teenager and characters as diverse as the Punisher and the Predator.
Furthermore, Archie Comics has distinguished itself with a line of top-notch horror comics. These books have starred Archie as a zombie killer, Jughead as a werewolf, Veronica as a vampire, and so on. Sabrina the Teenage Witch also received a disturbing makeover as well. Archie knows the horror genre well, and will do right by the Evil Dead franchise.
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Archie’s Evil Dead Crossover Might Be His Best Yet
However, the idea of Ash unleashing his “Boom Stick” on the undead of Riverdale still sounds absurd. Both franchises use comedy and laughter to get their point across, and seeing the Evil Dead’s particular style of humor infused into the world of Archie Comics will make for the first “WTF” comic of 2026.
Archie X Army of Darkness is on sale February 4 from Archie Comics and Dynamite Entertainment!