Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #6
Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #6
Written by James Kuhoric
Art by Jason Craig
Based on the treatment written by Jeff Katz
Premise: Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash was originally the proposed sequel to the hit film Freddy vs. Jason. Jeff Katz, formerly of New Line Cinema, wrote the original treatment in late 2003 for the Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash project. This treatment added the character of Ashley (Ash) Williams from the Evil Dead film series; giving audiences an already established hero to take on the two villains. Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash was New Line’s best idea on how to continue the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises, but Sam Raimi (Evil Dead writer/director) decided to not let New Line use Ash in the planned sequel. Due to an agreement could not be reached between the different camps concerning the use of the Ash character, Wildstorm Publishing and Dynamite Entertainment came together to release the sequel as a comic book limited series titled: Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. The first issue (of six) was released in November 2007, with subsequent issues released monthly.
Plot Breakdown (spoilers): Caroline tries frantically to wake up an unconscious Ash, as Freddy slowly emerges from the rubble of the demolished Voorhees house. Forced to make a run for it alone, Caroline escapes to a nearby fishing shack and hides with the Necronomicon. Freddy, furious at Caroline for taking “his” book, starts destroying the neighboring shacks in an effort to locate her. Eventually, her position is revealed and Freddy takes the book from her. Just as Freddy takes hold of the book however, Jason appears on the scene, and is quickly subdued by Freddy. Freddy gloats over his victory, but is soon sent flying through the air by Ash’s car, driven by the now awake Ash. Ash emerges and takes on the two villains. While all three battle each other, Caroline opens the disregarded Necronomicon and manages to find the needed passage to open a portal to the Deadite dimension. She reads the correct incantation and a gigantic portal opens above Crystal Lake, sucking up everything near it. Ash and Caroline grab hold of a tree, while Freddy (who is nearest to the portal) is drawn in by the vortex. Jason, unfazed by the portal, approaches Ash and is about to deliver a killing blow, when Ash’s car is picked up by the storm and slams into him, sending him crashing in Crystal Lake’s icy waters. In the chaos, Caroline loses the Necronomicon, which flies through the air and into Freddy’s eager hands. Freddy promptly tries to locate the correct incantation to to fix “this travesty”, but quickly loses the book to the portal. Enraged, he is sucked up soon after, which causes the portal to immediately close. Afterward, Ash and Caroline leave Crystal Lake, with Ash content that events “are over.” Later, the portal opens again and drops the Necronomicon on the frozen lake. Underneath the ice, Jason opens his eye.
The Good: In this, the last issue, readers finally get full on Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash action. All three take each other on and the violence is abundant, with Freddy taking most of the gory hits. The opening of the portal was illustrated very nicely, as was the final page with Jason under the ice.
The Bad: The problems that plagued this series since issue two are here in spades. First: Pacing is off, due to the short page constraint. As the reader, you can tell a lot of action was sacrificed due to the medium, leaving some timing discrepancies in the story. Second: The artwork looks extremely rushed. Backgrounds are mostly nonexistent, with the main characters (specifically Freddy) looking like rough sketches. Third: Some story elements have become too much of a farce this issue. For example, Ash is caught under the frozen ice of Crystal Lake, yet is able to start his chainsaw under water, cut his way out, and pick up the fight again like it was no problem. Perhaps the most glaring however, is Freddy still continues to talk about how powerful he his, but still doesn’t do anything. His confronting of Jason and Ash on a constant physical level is so unlike his character. And finally: The ending seems to infer yet another sequel. It’s a shame this couldn’t have been the final ‘vs.’ between these characters, as any vs. series after this one will be really milking the fans for their cash. The ending to this series passes as mediocre at best, so it’ll be interesting to see how they continue the story (if they decide to, anyway).
Final Comments: A mediocre, frivolous resolution to this six issue romp, which leaves the door wide open for yet another ‘vs.’ series. Some pages are nicely illustrated, although artwork is shaky overall, looking rushed and incomplete. Pacing presents some timing problems too, with the story going too fast for its own good.
Grade: D
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