EVIL DEAD #1 by Mark Verheiden and John Bolton.
© Dark Horse

Mania Grade: A
Title: Evil Dead
Issue: 1
Authors: Mark Verheiden, John Bolton
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $2.99

Related Links

1

Evil Dead #1

I almost didn’t pick up the first issue of Dark Horse’s adaptation of Evil Dead. The film has seen an insane number of DVD releases from Anchor Bay, a musical adaptation, sequels, and any other treatment you can imagine. Granted, no one has ever adapted it into comic book form, but that seems almost unnecessary at this point. But, writer Mark Verheiden and artist John Bolton took a potentially sad cash-in-of-an-idea and turned it into something really special. 

With permission from Sam Raimi and Ghost House Pictures, Verheiden and Dark Horse have expanded on the story of the film. For those unfamiliar with the series – a bunch of young adults gather at a cabin in the woods once inhabited by an archaeologist that unearthed the sinister Necronomicon – an ancient book filled with spells for invoking demons, raising the dead, and bringing all sorts of evil into the world. The kids play his reading of the book on an old reel-to-reel tape, thus inadvertently summoning evil spirits that attack the house and possess them one-by-one. In this comic book adaptation, Verheiden has included several other scenes that flesh out the film’s narrative in ways that make it feel more complete, not bloated. It’s almost as if someone integrated newly discovered footage of the film for a fantastic extended cut.

The faithful and loving adaptation aside, John Bolton’s art gives you every reason in the world to pick this up. Every panel is lovingly painted and rendered in vivid detail. This is easily one of the nicest comic books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. He paints with appropriate gloom and murk, yet captures detail with almost photorealistic precision. My love of Evil Dead aside, my jaw dropped when I opened this issue. At least pick it up and look through it at the shop to see what I mean.

Anyone that hasn’t seen Evil Dead will find this a somewhat puzzling introduction to a cult phenomenon. If you read this and then see the movie, you’ll the latter will feel condensed without the extra content. But, for the fan that always wants more, this is right up your alley. Pick this one up.

Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at cinescape@mania.com.