Jeff Katz, James Kuhoric & Jason Craig ‘Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash’ Review

Written by: Matt Molgaard

Some may not know this, but once upon a time New Line had hoped to follow Freddy vs. Jason with an immediate sequel. That sequel was initially planned as Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash – the very same tale delivered here, according to Jeff Katz. Reading the graphic novel in its entirety, it’s easy to understand why this one failed to draw the green light. It’s not a bad story, in fact, in graphic novel format it’s a wickedly satisfying story (even if there are some seriously questionable maneuvers and details; IE the S-Mart that happens to be positioned right smack in the middle of Crystal Lake), but it was never going to work on screen.

The story is packed with insane supernatural elements. Enough so that it completely alters the mood of each character, save for Ash, who’s been battling obvious supernatural forces since Sam Raimi introduced the man decades ago. It’s perfectly fine to toss Ash in a supernatural environment, but when you incorporate Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger in a hunt for the Necronomicon Ex Mortis, better known as the Book of the Dead, things get weird. Really weird. See Freddy wants to essentially transform our world into his own, where he’ll be free to unleash Hell on earth. The book contains the required passages to make that a reality. And Jason, he gets lured into the mess under the pretense that he may be able to go back and relive life, as a normal little fellow who was never tormented, victimized and incidentally killed due to camp counselor negligence. He wants a second chance (suddenly the guy seems to boast a whole lot more brain power than we’re accustomed to), Freddy wants to rule the world and Ash just happens to stumble into Crystal Lake in time to prevent both monstrosities from turning a small rural community into an overflowing ossuary.

Again, there are a lot of strange, unexplainable issues introduced, most of which fail the logic test. But there are some great things going for the story, like the existing connections and references to past films. Pamela Voorhees makes an appearance, Will and Laurie, who we met in Freddy vs. Jason are present. Hell, there’s even a nod to Tommy Jarvis in the story. There are some great connections to both franchises and it isn’t likely to be lost on longtime fans. It also goes a long way in siphoning a smile from someone like me, who’s been obsessed with the pictures since I was a child.

The story on paper moves quickly, and we get to see all three iconic figures go head to head to head on repeated occasions. Jason still favors silence and a machete, Freddy still tosses plenty of tasteless jokes and Ash is well-equipped with his vocal arsenal of trademark punchlines. He didn’t forget his boomstick, either. Loads of blood, some sex, drug use and mutilated bodies pop up from the jump, and I loved that about this specific piece. James Kuhoric and Jason Craig do an inspiring job of bringing three separate worlds together, and while the preposterous moments hit readers in abundance, they’re completely excusable in this medium.

Despite some shortcomings this is one bloody fun read! It’s out of print these days, but you can get your hands on it courtesy of ebay for an extremely fair price.

Rating: 4/5