Writers: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art: Salvador Larroca
Colors: Guru eFX
Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $4.99
Release Date: 3/24/21
Reviewer: Soycornholio
Ahhhhhhh! That is literally the first thought that came to my mind once I found out that Marvel was releasing an Alien comic book series. My second thought was a mental eye-roll. I could only imagine how PC and “appropriate” of a comic book this was going to be. Boy was I wrong. Let’s jump right into Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s Alien #1.
If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.
Horror:
The Alien Franchise is classic sci-fi horror. In fact, to this very day, when I see certain parts in the original movie (i.e the dinner scene and the tunnel “it’s right on top of you” scenes) I still jump. Since the first movie in the late ’70s, Alien, has set the standard of what a good sci-fi horror movie should be. A wild cast of characters, a seemingly innocent rescue mission, and of course, aliens. Issue number 1 honors these tropes while placing them squarely in the 21st Century. While reading this issue, I felt the suspense. I knew that at any moment, Aliens were going to appear in the wildest way possible. When they finally did show up, I still felt the fear that I originally experienced in the first movie. Great job on translating that level of fear into a comic book format.
Art:
The cover alone is magnificent. The Alien looks like a true predator (see what I did there) of the cosmos. Larroca draws amazing people. The facial expressions are so realistic that he gives me total Alex Ross vibes. I do love a good story, however, sometimes the art alone gets you through an issue. Larroca’s art compliments Johnson’s story writing skillsets beautifully.
Language:
This is NOT a kid’s comic book. Seriously. This is more of an adult comic. I have a permanent issue with the major comic book companies consistently making everything “young reader-friendly.” We finally have a comic (outside of DC’s Black Label) that adults will devour. The conversations between the characters are conversations that we would have with our friends (maybe the kids in South Park would have similar conversations as well). I would love for Marvel to pivot into a Black label type of comic series where we can see our favorite heroes catered to the adult audience.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This is a claustrophobic book. Everything is tightly written and drawn with no breathing room. I love it. That is one of the feelings that I experienced while watching the original Alien movie. Nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. Hopefully, Marvel keeps the Alien series in a separate universe from the rest of their heroes. There’s sooo much potential for the series that I cannot help but recommend this book to all mature readers.