Random Reviews: Ash (vol. 1)
Imperfect and simple, Ash nevertheless sparks an interesting premise to life, however briefly
—by Nathan on January 29, 2026—
Before he ruined Spider-Man's marriage…before he became editor-at-chief at Marvel…before he helped initiate the Marvel Knights imprint and illustrated Kevin Smith's "Guardian Devil" arc in Daredevil...but after he worked on some X-Factor issues for Peter David, Joe Quesada oversaw his own comic publishing company, Event Comics. Though I'd wager Quesada's tenure with Marvel is the most well-known period in his career (and, perhaps, for some, the most lamented), with his co-creation of Azarael at DC Comics a close second, Event Comics seems to be what put Quesada, as well as fellow artist and Event co-founder Jimmy Palmiotti, on Marvel's radar.
I like to give Quesada guff for his editorial hand in the whole "Peter and Mary Jane's deal with the devil" snafu, but it's easy for me to forget that he was initially an artist, not an editor or writer. It honestly blows my mind that, out of all the creators working for higher profile companies than Event, Marvel chose him and Palmiotti to head up their Knights imprint. But you can't argue with results! Thanks to Marvel Knights, we got books like the aforementioned Daredevil, Christopher Priest's Black Panther, and Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee's The Sentry, among several others.
All that to say, I'm torn about Quesada's career. I really believe "One More Day" was a massive misfire that continues to be a black mark on Spidey's history nearly two decades later, but I won't question some of Quesada's other editorial decisions as wise, nor do I find him a particularly bad artist (though the largely depends on what he's illustrating). I think Kevin Smith's story is what makes "Guardian Devil" my favorite Daredevil story, but it's the art which nicely conveys everything Smith is talking about. So when I first read about a character Quesada and Palmiotti created for their Event Comics lineup named Ash, I was a bit intrigued. Once I found out Ash was a superhuman firefighter, my attention was laser-focused (though hopefully not enough to start an errant blaze). It sounded like a book that could either be entertaining or come across as really corny, and I wanted to give it a try.
So I did. And you'll have to follow along with me to see if Ash lit a fire inside me or crumbled in my fingers like flakes of, well, you know.
Ash (vol. 1)
Writers: Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti
Penciler: Joe Quesada
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colorist: Reuben Rude
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Issues: Ash #1-5
Volume Publication Date: January 1996
Issue Publication Dates: November 1994, January 1995, May 1995, July 1995, September 1995
Publisher: Event Comics
I mentioned my concern above that Ash could have ended up "really corny," and I'll admit those concerns lingered before reading the first issue. This volume includes a dedication to "firefighters everywhere, who put their lives on the line for us each day." It's a nice sentiment, respectfully stated, but I grew a little worried Ash would quickly become your basic tribute comic, a well-intentioned attempt to draw attention to an important subject which was executed poorly and read hollow and surface level. I felt the good-hearted aspirations would supersede the story, leaving me with a handful of sentimental statements about how firefighters and other rescue workers really do deserve all the respect they should receive.
Which they do. I won't argue that. I just assumed this comic would try to guilt me into believing something I already agreed with.
Which it doesn't. I would argue that.
Given Ash's flaws (and there are some), ramming a message down my throat with the force of a high pressure water hose is not one of them. You can walk away from this with your appreciation for our superhero fireman completely intact without feeling manipulated into feigning respect for the firefighting institution he represents. Quesada and Palmiotti are earnest in their approach to their subject, casting their characters as very human heroes who risk life and limb to save others, without them coming across as overly fantastic. Our central character, firefighter Ashley "Yeah, the name may be a bit too on the nose" Quinn, is burned beyond recognition as the first issue opens, a miraculous healing restoring not only his body but bonding him to an alien-mecha-suit thing which bulks him up and gives him pyrokinetic abilities. Ashley becomes Ash, and with his powers, he helps save folks from burning buildings and fights evil clown people kinda like that one dude from Gotham.
Ash is not based on a wholly original concept–regular guy gets superpowers after an accident which leads to a physical transformation whenever those powers are used–but you do get a sense Quesada and Palmiotti have a story they want to tell. I say "sense" because there's still more to be told by the time this volume concludes, but a larger story simmers like a boiling kettle in the background. Ashley is a likable enough character–he's passionate about his job, worries over the safety of his best friend, has a crush on his best friend's sister. Nothing much distinguishes him from dozens and dozens of other costumed comic characters, but this is less a concern and more a quirk. He's just a guy…a guy who splits his time and his body between an alien-mecha-suit thing.
The nature of Ash and his abilities is teased throughout as Quesada and Palmiotti slowly unravel a mystery surrounding the exactness of his abilities and appearance. Hints are threaded well enough to encourage the reader to keep picking up issues, and it's difficult to say that the pair don't uncover enough by time the volume ends. A tragic event in Ashley's life feels like an inspiration for his current occupation, teased vaguely to indicate what happened without removing the possibility more could be commented on later.
The arc's final issue starts playing a little loose with the rules the prior issues have begun to establish, trying to find space to lay down new ideas even while cementing the story already being told. Quesada and Palmiotti don't find the proper balance, so even as Ashley's own narrative is handled nicely as the 5th issue wraps up, their overarching narrative surrounding the mystery of Ash and what his deal is finds itself split between new ideas introduced and the establishment of a seeming primary antagonist.
This is, thankfully, not one of those stories "written for the trade," where writers cram an arc into five or six issues they know will be collected later. The tale has a decent cut-off, not so much as a cliffhanger, though it would be hard to just read this volume and feel completely satisfied by the ending. There is more to be told, and as I understand it, Ash continued for one more issue after the chapters collected here followed by a few limited series. I'm not disappointed the story isn't wholly completed, though I wouldn't say no to a somewhat larger "complete collection" pulling in the other limited series to give more sense of the story. Questions linger, and new problems frustrate the narrative flow, but for its central character at least, the volume ends as well as it should, a particular arc finished as naturally as can be.
I don't know who handled the writing on the series, but the dialogue fortunately steers itself away from the general cliches and bombastic statements made in most 90s books. The whole volume lacks the same over-the-top ridiculousness of its counterparts over at Image, and this extends to the writing. I know Quesada and Palmiotti, like guys such as Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee, were artists first, but they handle the writing fairly well. Nothing of brilliance is going to leap at you, but you're not going to cringe either. Occasionally, the pair use an overabundance of quotes, and this feels like an effort at lazily fashioning intelligent dialogue without putting in the effort themselves This is especially true of villain the Actor, who heavily relies on movie dialogue; as a gimmick, it's fun, but when it becomes part and parcel of the character, it becomes repetitive.
If I sound like I'm walking the thinnest line imaginable, that's because the book is a tad tough to pin down. On the one hand, it does introduce an interesting premise, a relatable main character, an intriguing story, and decent dialogue. On the other hand, the premise can sometimes be too vague, the main character a bit common, the story given unnecessary complexities at the end, and the dialogue occasionally too reliant on words from other writers. I say "sometimes," "a bit," and "occasionally" to indicate these problems exist at moments. Elsewhere, the story works fine.
I'd like to be able to say more, but these issues don't naturally allow for deep plumbing into thematic elements. It's a basic enough tale, with a common enough main character. Ashley does transform into his superhuman counterpart by vomiting fire, which I guess is…gross? Cool? However you want it to be, but it doesn't lend itself to considering the vagaries of the story and how best its intricacies can be explored. There aren't many crevices to go spelunking into here.
I wanted to read a comic about a firefighter superhero illustrated by the guy who penciled Kevin Smith's "Guardian Devil" (and ruined Spider-Man's marriage!), and I got a comic about a firefighter superhero illustrated by the guy who penciled Kevin Smith's "Guardian Devil" (and ruined Spider-Man's marriage!). I can walk away satisfied, even if I'm not wholly impressed. The back cover will tell you Ash has quickly become "one of the most critically-acclaimed, fan-favorite comics on the market" delivered by "the hottest team in comics today" circa 1996. I find that claim difficult to substantiate, especially because this trade was released four months after the fifth issue and Ash ceased publication after its sixth. Maybe sales data was good at the time? Even if it were, Ash as a character stuck around a few years before flaming out entirely.
I honestly feel bad for James Robinson, writer of DC's Starman and JLA: The Golden Age, who, in an introduction to this volume, notes that he's "confident that whoever sits down to write the introduction to the next collection will be remarking on [Quesada and Palmiotti's] artistic growth from the last one, both with art and also storytelling." There was no next collection for anyone to write about, unfortunately, leaving Robinson's prediction hollow. As much as I wouldn't mind checking out a second volume and seeing the pair's maturation, I also believe both men went on to mostly bigger and better things, and despite my qualms with Quesada's editorial tenure, the shift to Marvel does seem to have been the better decision instead of continuing their superhero firefighter's adventures.