Prometheus: Life and Death #1
Written by: Dan Abnett
Art by: Andrea Mutti
Published by: Dark Horse
It seems like every story told in the Prometheus/Alien universe requires a few ingredients before it will be published. These prerequisites are about as unavoidable as having gadgets and scantily clad women in a James Bond movie.
Art by: Andrea Mutti
Published by: Dark Horse
It seems like every story told in the Prometheus/Alien universe requires a few ingredients before it will be published. These prerequisites are about as unavoidable as having gadgets and scantily clad women in a James Bond movie.
1. An unstoppable monster rampages through the cast of characters, whether those characters are well armed marines, such as in Prometheus #1, or blue collar nobodies, like in Alien
2. Distrust of synthetic characters (Although, in the characters’ defense, their misgivings are often justified).
3. slimy corporate jerk, determined to protect the bottom line of whatever company he works for, even at the cost of human life (perfectly by Paul Reiser in Aliens).
2. Distrust of synthetic characters (Although, in the characters’ defense, their misgivings are often justified).
3. slimy corporate jerk, determined to protect the bottom line of whatever company he works for, even at the cost of human life (perfectly by Paul Reiser in Aliens).
These things create conflict, the bread and butter of narrative. Add in these ingredients and the reader won’t know who can be trusted and who’s really a bad guy. However, in a story where characters fight for survival against a giant monster (or, in this case, a God or whatever), isn’t that enough conflict? Do we really need a businessman villain in addition to the bulletproof, technologically-advanced murder-machine in a story like this? Peter David once explained that he selected all the characters for his X-Factor roster based almost solely on how they would not get along with each other. It made for good drama, but, in the end, they fought alongside one another.
Luckily, writer Dan Abnett only briefly touches on these Alien prerequisites. They’re simmering below the surface, but, thus far, remain unexplored.
This issue focuses mostly on a crew of space marines that accidentally unleash a giant alien who seems intent on killing them. It’s all build-up to a future showdown as we gradually learn about the squad trapped aboard an alien vessel and a ship crew desperately trying to maintain contact with them.
This issue focuses mostly on a crew of space marines that accidentally unleash a giant alien who seems intent on killing them. It’s all build-up to a future showdown as we gradually learn about the squad trapped aboard an alien vessel and a ship crew desperately trying to maintain contact with them.
It’s fine. Issue #1 does its job. The marines shoot stuff. The alien kills people. In stories about Predators, Aliens and...whatever the things in Prometheus are called, that's about all one should expect. Abnett is experienced enough with cosmic storytelling to add a few nice flourishes, but, for the most part, this is exactly what you’d expect from the latest in this genre. Nothing more. Nothing less.
A Look Inside
