Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Color Artist: Guru-eFX
Cover Artist: Marc Aspinall
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: StoryBabbler
In the future, humanity has come into contact with the mysterious alien Xenomorphs on several occasions. However, on 2202 it seemed that things had calmed down, but that was never to last. On the moon colony Euridice, a ship called Heraclides crash-landed and brought with it fresh Xenomorph eggs. Now the colony is on the verge of collapse as the Xenomorphs threaten to overwhelm them all in Alien #9.
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Review:
So, the Marvel relaunch of the Alien comic series has been a mixed bag to this reviewer. Some things that were introduced in the story arc of Marvel’s Alien Volume #1 were good, but the story lacked any real momentum. Then they changed things up with this new story arc taking place 2 years after the events of Alien #6, taking place on a faraway moon colony of Euridice.
Now, the story picks up with Jane, the leader of the Euridice colonists, trying to rally the colonists to fight back against the Xenomorphs that arrived on Heraclides ship. But she’s been betrayed by her right-hand man, Ambrose, and things look dire as he reveals he knew more than she realized. The opening scene with Ambrose and Jane that is a straight up out of a horror movie that should evoke some fear and tension from reader. However, this is where book first shows its many weaknesses.
See, since the book is illustrated Salvador Larroca, everything here kind of looks stiff and static, like it’s stuck in place instead of seeing like it’s in motion. Not only that, but moments like the opening scene with the alien Xenomorphs that are supposed to elicit horror and terror don’t when the titular monsters look stiff and awkward in various panels throughout the comic. Mind you, I like Salvador Larroca’s art, but aside from portrait-style shots, his art doesn’t seem to fit with a book like this where things need to be in motion, especially when the Xenomorphs are supposed to chasing people.
The story from Phillip Kennedy Johnson is okay. He does a good job continuing the characterization of Jane and the colonists, and he delivers good dialogue with all of the characters in the comic. But the story itself is not that captivating and the book doesn’t go all the way with showing the terror of a human colony world being overrun by alien Xenomorphs in the middle of the night. It does have an appropriately dismal tone to it as it should when everything the colonists’ built is being destroyed in one night. But that’s about it to the story, and while there’s some corporate intrigue there regarding Weyland-Yutani’s involvement in everything, that’s about it.
Final Thoughts:
Alien #9 shows how the colonists of Euridice fare against the alien Xenomorphs, and they’re not doing too well. The writing by Phillip Kennedy Johnson is fairly good, especially with the character dialogue and pacing. The art by Salvador Larroca is good except when it’s supposed to be scary and energetic, making the comic feel slow here and there.