Review – Marvel’s Alien #1 Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson Art by Salvador Larroca & Guru-eFX Published by Marvel Released – March, 2021 SUMMARY Marvel’s Alien #1 is the debut of a brand-new comic series written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and brought to you by Marvel (thanks to Disney). The year is 2200. Weyland-Yutani employee, Gabriel Cruz, is sent home after a lifetime of servitude to the controversial company so he can reunite with his family. All the while, he battles a recurring nightmare of his haunted past with help from a counselling Bishop android. Back on Earth, he finds that home life comes with its own haunted past. ART The hyper focused art style and dynamic colour palettes of modern Marvel comics lends itself beautifully to the Alien franchise. With Larocca nailing the crucial queues of fear that arise in the presence of a Xenomorph and Guru-eFX showcasing a different kind of virtuosic darkness in their varied blends of colour and shading, the artwork in this comic will be embedded in the minds of all who dare to take a peek. Despite being a mostly dormant R rated comic to begin with – focussing more on the tense setup of Alien as opposed to the guns-a-blazing Aliens, we do see droplets of the crimson rain in a few panels that is sure to pour as the series continues. In the mean-time, there is more than enough dripping horror squeezed out of this one comic. WRITING First and foremost, the opening monologue immediately reminds you that this is not for the faint of heart. This isn’t just a thrilling comic, this is a flashback to your first paralyzing experience of Xenomorphobia. You’ll be reluctantly turning pages with a sweated palm over your eyes. The dialogue throughout comes off naturally with great readability and emotion, especially between main characters. I believe every word and relate to every breath. Without revealing too much, Johnson has set up a twisted twisty plot with characters you are actually going to care about which is a welcome inclusion. Personally, I love all the characters in the franchise, Covenant is my favourite of the films! With the potential for emotional attachment, there is sure to be added tension when stakes are raised. OVERALL Don’t let the combination of Alien and Disney sour your appetite just yet, this series is shaping up to be an absolutely dramatic and traumatic addition to the Alien franchise. From parasitic corporate politics to pseudo-sexual scenes of symbolism, the themes of the franchise are all on show in Marvel’s Alien #1. Finally, and most importantly, we have a new cat mascot in the Alien lore! His name is Stubs and his fur is black so witches will adore him and I would die for Stubs. I need a Stubs & Jonesy spin-off series on Disney+ ASAP! While you’re at it, add the Alien Queen to the list of princesses. She’s earned it! [yasr_multiset setid=1]
