I have said this before with other crossovers, even with other Archie crossovers, but there are some that really work and others than feel forced. But there are also those that seem so far fetched but somehow work so well, this is the category that Archie x Army of Darkness fits into. Writer Erik Burnham and artist Bill Galvan capture the world of Riverdale while also giving us strong horror vibes of the world revolving around Ash Williams.
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!
While I have never been drawn to Archie comics, the past few crossovers featuring the iconic characters have pulled me closer and closer to just picking up a straightforward series and giving it a shot. These crossovers have been so much fun and allowed me to enjoy some of my favorite characters and universe interweaving with Riverdale and Archie.
I want to be a fly on the wall in the meetings where the team at Dynamite Entertainment pitches ideas of who and what Archie will crossover with in the future. I for sure never would’ve had an Evil Dead, specially Archie x Army of Darkness crossover on my bingo card. A iconic horror franchise created by Sam Raimi that has had a cult following over the years with five feature films (a sixth coming in 2026) wouldn’t have been my first thought when it comes to Archie.
When it all boils down, Burnham crafts a wonderful story that takes some of the horror comics we’ve seen in the Archie universe over the years and adds a bit of Raimi flare. We get the fun loving, and partying Riverdale crew who stumbles into a horrifying tale. So after reading the Archie x Army of Darkness premiere issue, it all made a bit more sense and works so well together. Which made the story that much more fun!
While Army of Darkness has had its comic book adaptations and original comics over the years, the art has been more geared towards horror. Fittingly enough. But it was nice to see the horrors of Army of Darkness take on a closer vibe to the Archie Comics style making it fit more into their universe, which makes sense for the longtime Archie artist. Galvan makes sure longtime Archie fans are going to enjoy this story while those diehard fans of Army of Darkness and the Evil Dead franchise are just happy to see what happens next.
Archie x Army of Darkness is one of those crossovers that is so odd that it makes so much sense at the same time. Erik Burnham and Bill Galvan create a story that works so well with both iconic franchises while making it their own. It is so much fun to see that Riverdale is basically at the center of a nexus of a ton of different iconic pop culture universes and I cannot wait to see where this series and where Dynamite Entertainment takes us next with Archie!
Archie x Army of Darkness #1 hits local comic shops on February 4, 2026 from Dynamite Entertainment.
Archie x Army of Darkness #1 Preview
