Ash goes metafictional in this adventure when he gets recognized by some fans and attends a Comic Con. Fans recognize him, and the story gets going. Hijinks ensue when a dark cosplay sorcerer uses the Book of the Dead to possess Ash and unleash some Deadites on the throngs of fanboys and fangirls. At forty-eight pages, this is a mega offering for followers of the anti-hero with a chainsaw hand. The steep price of $7.99 does not feel justified, though. One-shots like this should present a story that alters the character in some dramatic way or offers insight into the deeper workings of the character’s mind.

While this tale in the Ashley-verse does have some nominal humor (mostly gags at the expense of comic book fandom), the story wraps with nothing ventured nor nothing gained. We have no real advancement of the character, nor does any great new plot thread emerge. Essentially, we have a one-gag presentation.

Most of the tone of the issue feels like watching The Big Bang Theory because the humor takes aim at fandom instead of the interesting nuances of the lifestyle. Think of such good satire as the kind presented in the film Galaxy Quest.

On the positive, Ash does get to venture back in the world of S-Mart with all its retail weaponry. The art works well to complement the story, and we see Ash back from the medieval times.

Unfortunately, the positives do not outweigh the aforementioned negatives.

Score: 2/5

Writer: Robert Hack Artist: Brent Peeples Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $7.99 Release Date: 10/8/14 Format: One-Shot; Print/Digital