Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Color Artist: Guru-eFX
Cover Artist: Marc Aspinall
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
On the moon colony of Euridice, disaster struck when a ship crash-landed on the quiet world and brought terror with it. As the monstrous Xenomorphs attacked colonists on sight, colonist leader Jane Callan gathers any survivors she can to flee to a nearby station for sanctuary only to find more horror and dark revelations. Now, after one dark twist after another, the survivors’ story finally ends in Alien #12.
Review:
The Euridice story arc is finally over as the survivors are forced to make their stand this issue. This issue is for all the marbles as things finally come to a head for Jane and her fellow Spinners, but the story doesn’t end there for the series. We see Jane and the survivors use some quick thinking to not only avoid getting implanted by the Facehuggers but also escape. The story delivers some well-drawn shots of the Xenomorphs as the colony Eurydice comes to an end and things move on for everyone.
Now, the story itself isn’t good or bad, it’s okay. The manner of how Jane and the Spinners not only survive the Facehuggers but escape is debatable on how plausible it is given the situation they’re in. To me, it felt like a very last-minute thing that’s not entirely implausible but not really told in a convincing way either. Phillip Kennedy Johnson also rushes things with Gregory and the U.A. as their part of the story concludes in the most predictable way possible for an Alien story. Like before, it’s not good or bad, just okay.
Like in previous reviews, Salvador Larroca’s art continues to be its own worst enemy. It succeeds in delivering cool shots here and there with the alien Xenomorphs and some bits of action. However, when it comes to depicting characters and creatures in motion, it’s a toss-up whether the images will look decent and cool or if they’ll look unintentionally weird and awkward while reading the comic. The colors by Guru-eFX are solid when depicting locations drowning in nighttime shadows and darkness or when weapons light up the darkness and expose the Xenomorphs in the shadows right when they pounce on their prey.
When the story concludes, Johnson finds a way to connect what happens to the first story arc in the series. Considering that the next issue will be bringing back the main character of that arc in a prequel story, it’s stands to reason that we’re seeing Phillip Kennedy Johnson build a bigger story for this series. We’ll see how far he’s able to take this bigger story for the alien Xenomorphs in future issues.
Final Thoughts:
Alien #12 concludes the story arc on Euridice. How Jane and the survivors make it out is believable for the story it’s in, but how everything else proceeds is somewhat predictable for an Alien story. By the end, things are wrapped up between all of the relevant characters as neatly as possible as the comic prepares for the next story arc.