House of Horror

Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #5
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): Jason, now in the resurrected hands of his dead victims, fights to break free from their grasp. Freddy watches, and amused, summons one of Ash’s “Freddy” hands to drive Jason’s machete through his chest. Jason eventually breaks free and pulls the machete out, leaving him weakened on the floor. Freddy then turns his attention back to the Necronomicon, only to find it and Ash missing. Enraged, he shouts out at Ash. Meanwhile, Ash has managed to escape the Voorhees house and into the woods with the book. After running into a clearing, he is attacked by Deadite possessed trees and crows. Freddy, now able to manipulate reality, used Ash’s memories to bring out the Deadite force. After eating crow, Ash uses his chainsaw to free himself from the assault and meets back up with Caroline, who is the lone survivor of Jason’s earlier attack. Ash informs Caroline of the book’s ability to open a portal, which could be used to send Freddy and Jason to the Deadite’s dimension for all eternity. As they discuss their options, the book flips open, revealing a young Pamela Voorhees using the book to resurrect her dead son. Ash, annoyed, hands the book over to Caroline, telling her to find the correct incantation for the portal. Just as she begins, Freddy’s face appears in the clouds above, prompting the two to flee back to the Voorhees house for shelter. When they arrive, they look back and notice the Voorhees house is no longer there, but rather, the house at 1428 Elm Street. Three little girls in white dresses are jump roping out front, singing Freddy’s familiar nursery rhyme. Ash warns the little girls to run, but is soon attacked by the demonized children. While Ash is tied up with the three girls, Freddy opens the front door and grabs Caroline, dragging her in the house. Ash quickly uses his chainsaw to cut down the kids and rushes after her. Inside, Freddy threatens Caroline to hand over the book, just as Jason bursts back onto the scene. Freddy uses pieces of the house against Jason, effectively battering him to a standstill. With Freddy’s attention turned toward Jason, Caroline attempts to utter the words to open the portal. Jason however, realizing what she is doing, reaches over and snatches the book. Ash arrives moments after, and blasts Jason pointblank in the head with his gun, revealing Jason’s disfigured face. Unrelenting, Ash chops off Jason’s hand with the chainsaw, freeing the Necronomicon. Jason, mimicking Ash’s chainsaw hand, takes his machete and shoves it, blade out, in his bloody stump. Caroline promptly escapes the house with the book, while Ash and Jason square off. Jason quickly brushes Ash aside, throwing him through one of the front windows, out of the house. With Ash out of the way, Jason engages Freddy. As the two villains battle, the house collapses upon them.
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Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes (TPB)
Written by Andy Hartnell
Art by Nick Bradshaw
Released: 2007
Publisher: Devil’s Due Publishing and Dynamite Entertainment

Premise: The continued adventures of bumbling S-Mart clerk Ashley J. Williams, following on from the original ending to Army of Darkness. After battling evil in Medieval England, Ash is back at S-Mart. All is well, until he realizes the demonic force has followed him back through time… Hail to the king, baby!

The Trade Paperback collection of Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes collects issues one through four and features a complete cover gallery, including all four photo covers and art covers from: J. Scott Campbell, Marc Silvestri, Ben Templesmith, Greg Land, Richard Isanove, Nick Bradshaw, Aaron Lopresti, Michael Avon Oeming, Ale Garza, and Tim Seely!

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): After defeating the Deadite from the end of Army of Darkness, Ash spies the Wiseman who has followed him back to the present. He is told because of his mispronunciation of the mystic words, he has returned to his own time too early. Ash’s girlfriend, Linda, is still alive and he watches his past self drive off to the cabin with her. For rather dubious reasons, Ash follows, with the Wiseman in tow, to save his girlfriend and ensure his other self goes back in time.

The heroes soon find themselves in the woods, where they meet up with a terrified hunter being chased by a possessed rabbit. After Ash dispatches the bunny, the hunter becomes a Deadite also, and calls all the forest dwelling animals down on them. Blood and guts fly until they reach their destination – the cabin! Ash refuels his chainsaw in the work shed, and notices a fire burning nearby. Sitting by it is Linda, who quickly becomes a Deadite, and once again, Ash is forced to chop her in two.

Afterward, the trees attack by grabbing the Wiseman and Ash, pulling them way up into the branches. Ash manages to free them both, where they fall through the roof of the cabin only to find… Ash! At least, Past Ash, who has gone through the turmoil of his original clash with the Kandarian demons. So, for the sake of a splash page, it’s Ash vs. Ash, as the Wiseman tries to locate the book. The old man falls afoul of Ash’s evil hand, but emerges with the Necronomicon victorious. He opens the portal that sends Past Ash back in time as was intended. The book then reveals a vision of the future, which is ruled by the Deadites. This leaves just one option: return the book to its place of creation and destroy it forever.

FLASHBACK to 1300 A.D., where Arthur and Henry the Red are celebrating their victory over the Army of Darkness. The Wiseman has discovered how Ash has possibly doomed the timeline by misspeaking the words. With Deadites now after him, possessing Arthur and Henry, and led by Sheila, the Wiseman recites the spell “Klaatu Barrada Nikto” and is sent to the future.

The Wiseman relates this tale to Ash on the plane, which is traveling to the book’s birthplace. The pilots are revealed as Deadites, so our heroes bail out, landing in quicksand. Using his robot hand like a grappling gun, Ash pulls them both to safety. Deep in the forest, a ghostly voice warns them of the dangers lurking ahead. After a brief moment of soul searching between the two, the Wiseman is killed by Ash’s bad hand, which has tagged along from the cabin.

Ash buries the old man and pledges to destroy the book. Moving through a maze of tunnels, Ash suddenly grows a beard which tries to kill him. His hand attacks at the same time, leaving Ash little choice but to burn his beard off, so he can concentrate on overpowering his hand. Later, as he fights newly resurrected zombie mummies, his past self has saved the day in the 1300‘s. In the present, Ash’s evil hand races downstairs and attaches itself to a body – that of Evil Ash.

As Good Ash tries to solve an evil puzzle tomb, Evil Ash is raising his army of the dead. The Necronomicon, which is placed on a pedestal, lifts to the outside, with Ash giving chase and finding his evil self along the way. Cue Ash fighting simplified skeletons again for a couple of pages until…

Evil Ash gets the book, but is distracted by a portal opening. Past Ash rides out with his own medieval army in tow. Cue… more fighting. Both Past and Present Ash meld together, and continue the fight until a hole opens up swallowing the Deadites and the book. Hurrah!

Ash meets the Wiseman from the past who explains the book he has (from the past) must be thrown into the same portal they are leaving through. As usual, Ash blows him off when he notices Sheila. After a romantic scene together, she vanishes into the portal reminding Ash about the book. He pays no attention and rides off into the sunset, not realizing he’s left the Necronomicon behind.
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Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #4
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): Ash, thinking he is back at the cabin from Evil Dead, strikes out to find the chainsaw in the cabin’s shed. Once found, he cuts off his Freddy infected hand. As he sits and gloats about defeating the Deadites at their own game, he suddenly remembers he has done this before and must be dreaming. As he comes to this conclusion, Freddy Krueger makes himself known. He explains to Ash that he will be keeping the Necronomicon, and unveils a shelf full of Freddy infected hands waiting to strike out at Ash. Before the hands attack him, Ash uses the barrel of his recently used shotgun to trigger himself awake. When he awakens, he finds a burn mark on the wrist where the barrel touched him. Ash, piecing together what happens in the dream happens in real life, wakes the kids before Freddy can get to them. Unfortunately, he is too late for one of the teens, as the kid’s sleeping body is crushed by Krueger. Freddy, proud of his recent kill, returns to Jason’s subconscious and orders Jason to find and kill Ash. Meanwhile, Ash, Caroline, and the few surviving teens plan to take back the Necronomicon; Ash believes he can use its passages to eliminate both Freddy and Jason. After breaking into the S-Mart for supplies, the group returns to the old Voorhees house for the book. Ash, now carrying an upgraded chainsaw, ventures into the house, while the kids stay outside and try to lure Jason out of hiding and into an explosive trap. The kids manage to get Jason’s attention, but he doesn’t fall for their ploy – his new intelligence at work. While the kids confront Jason, Ash finds the book (again) in the basement of the house. As he reaches to collect the book, Freddy comes up from behind and stabs him in the shoulder. Freddy, standing over the wounded Ash, explains he has read enough of the Necronomicon to take dominion over reality, to bring nightmares to the waking world. As Ash tries to escape, Freddy summons the Freddy hands from Ash’s dream and uses them to pin Ash against the wall. While the energies of the Necronomicon flow around Krueger, Jason senses something is wrong and breaks onto the scene looking to stop Freddy. Freddy, in retaliation, summons the ghosts of Jason’s victims to rise up and destroy him.
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Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #3
Written by James Kuhoric
Art by Jason Craig
Cover by Eric Powell
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): As Ash and Bree flee from Jason’s deadly grasp, both are saved by Caroline, who followed Ash to the Voorhees house. Ash instructs Caroline to drive them back to the S-Mart, so he can decipher the Necronomicon and come up with a plan on how to proceed. Freddy, enraged at Jason losing the book, picks (literally) through Jason’s memory and finds a brief glimpse of Ash’s S-Mart nametag. Freddy instructs Jason to go back to S-Mart and retrieve the book. Meanwhile, Ash, Bree and Caroline arrive back at S-Mart and have little time to plan before Jason walks in the store. Jason begins to slaughter customers and staff alike (ala the Freddy vs. Jason party scene), until Ash confronts him with chainsaw and shotgun in hand. The battle between the two is short, with Jason tossing Ash aside, and then later throwing him through a wall. Caroline tries to intervene, but is easily discarded. Bree, mentally unstable from the night’s horrors, tries to escape with the Necronomicon, but is quickly killed by Jason. With the Book of the Dead now in his possession, Jason leaves the scene and returns to his shrine in the woods. After arriving, he turns Freddy’s severed head toward the propped up book. In the dreamscape, Freddy is able to decipher the necessary resurrection spell and escapes from Jason’s mind, returning to reality. Now free, Freddy attempts to leave, but Jason stops him, remembering their agreement. Freddy makes good on his promise, using the book to grant Jason “some intelligence.” Later, Ash, Caroline, and the few surviving teens from the store, retreat to Caroline’s parent’s house to make a plan on how to get the book back. When the group decides to get some sleep, Ash volunteers to keep guard, only to fall asleep himself. He awakens in the cabin from Evil Dead, with his normal hand intact, only to have it mutate with Freddy’s blades.
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Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #2
Written by James Kuhoric
Art by Jason Craig
Cover by Eric Powell
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): As Ash walks up to the S-Mart entrance, he manages to hit on three young girls who pass him by. The manger of S-Mart meets Ash at the door, escorting him in and detailing the work that needs to be done in time for Christmas. Jason, who had been watching Ash from the nearby trees, engages the three girls Ash was hitting on and kills them. An old woman near the scene sees Jason and screams. Inside the S-Mart, the manger introduces Ash to the teenage staff in the housewares department, only to have Ash run out of the store when the scream is heard. Ash questions the old lady on what had happened, but her only response was, “Jason.” Later, after the police depart, Ash recounts his experiences with the Deadites to the teenagers. They laugh him off, thinking him old and crazy. When Ash goes on break, one of the teens named Caroline questions him further about the Deadites, and later recounts the legend of Jason Voorhees. Ash, taken back by the story, believes Jason is a Deadite and must have the Necronomicon. Meanwhile, Jason continues his way to his old house and happens upon a group of carolers. As the group begins practicing, they are quickly slaughtered by the masked murderer. Later on, as Ash’s shift is about to end, an attractive girl named Bree introduces herself and suckers him into purchasing overnight goods for her and her friends. One of the friends explains they are going to stay the night in the old Voorhees house before the city tears it down. The group leaves Ash in the dust after he loads their supplies, laughing all the way. When they arrive at the Voorhees house, the group pair off, not noticing Jason watching them from an outside window. Ash, who followed the group to the old Voorhees home, breaks into the basement and finds the Necronomicon. While Ash uncovers the Book of the Dead, Jason slays the teens upstairs, leaving Bree the only survivor. Ash, summoned upstairs by the commotion, meets up with Bree, only to have Jason bearing down on him. After a brief skirmish, which leaves Jason unfazed, Ash and Bree flee the house with Jason in pursuit.
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Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash #1
Written by James Kuhoric
Art by Jason Craig
Covers by J. Scott Campbell
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): Five years after the events of Freddy vs. Jason, the town of Forrest Green (formerly Crystal Lake) has opened a new Super-Ultra-Mega S-Mart shopping center. It’s the Christmas season and the official town naming ceremony is planned to be part of the holiday festivities; an effort for the town to rid itself of its deadly reputation in time for the New Year. Lori and Will, the survivors from Freddy vs. Jason, return to Camp Crystal Lake for closure and confirmation that both Freddy and Jason are dead. While investigating the scene, both are dispatched by the machete wielding behemoth Jason Voorhees. Afterward, Jason delivers their bodies to his mother’s alter, which holds the severed heads of Pamela Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. Freddy, who has been trapped in Jason’s subconscious since his defeat in Freddy vs. Jason, learns of the Necronomicon ex Mortis (the Book of the Dead) from Jason’s memory. The long lost book was last seen in the old Voorhees home. Freddy manipulates Jason into getting the book, promising to make him a “real boy” if he can deliver the demonic book to Krueger. Unbeknownst to Jason however, Freddy has another agenda for the book’s knowledge. While Jason lumbers his way back to his old home, he notices the newly arrived “Housewares Domestic Engineer” walking into S-Mart: Ash. Ash, drawn by the Necronomicon, has arrived in Forrest Green to destroy the book once and for all.
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