Alien #6 Review
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colours: Guru-eFX
Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Alien #6 marks the conclusion of the first Marvel storyline since they acquired the rights to the iconic franchise. Things have been heating up over the last few issues and what Phillip Kennedy Johnson gives us here is not the typical conclusion. There are a number of twists and revelations here which will almost certainly catch readers off guard. What’s quite interesting is while it’s clearly setting up future Alien stories it almost certainly isn’t going to unfold the way readers expect, and it’s not clear what direction the next chapter is going to take.
This series has been good, we’ve had familiar faces in the form of (a) Bishop, Weyland Yutani are painted once more as the bad guys as they try to exploit the Xenomorphs (since they’re never going to learn to just leave them be), we’ve had an interesting protagonist who is powerfully motivated to save his son. That would be enough to tell a good Alien story, but in addition we also get an effort to expand the Alien mythology beyond what we’ve encountered in the films so far. The alpha alien is new, as is this mysterious female figure lurking in the darkness behind Cruz’ dreams. This take on the series also includes the prequel films and integrates their mythology into the series (and in case it wasn’t clear Prometheus gets mentioned a few times just to make sure that readers join the dots up).
Salvador Larroca’s art has been consistently good throughout the series. He manages to draw the Xenomorphs in all of their hideous glory, managing to evoke a real sense of threat throughout and making them a dangerous foe once again. His designs for the new Aliens are inspired and in keeping with H. R. Gigers original designs. He manages to capture the low-fi aesthetic but make it look futuristic at the same time, no mean feat. There’s a well done page towards the end of the issue with a couple of blurry panels which look great, and the final panel has some subtle details in which will send a chill down readers backs.
This first chapter in Marvels take on the iconic Xenomorph is filled with plenty of potential for the future, expanding the mythology and taking it in new directions, while telling an entertaining story which feels familiar and new at the same time. It goes to show there is plenty of life left in this monster, and the mythology from the prequels is neatly included here as well.
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colours: Guru-eFX
Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Alien #6 marks the conclusion of the first Marvel storyline since they acquired the rights to the iconic franchise. Things have been heating up over the last few issues and what Phillip Kennedy Johnson gives us here is not the typical conclusion. There are a number of twists and revelations here which will almost certainly catch readers off guard. What’s quite interesting is while it’s clearly setting up future Alien stories it almost certainly isn’t going to unfold the way readers expect, and it’s not clear what direction the next chapter is going to take.
This series has been good, we’ve had familiar faces in the form of (a) Bishop, Weyland Yutani are painted once more as the bad guys as they try to exploit the Xenomorphs (since they’re never going to learn to just leave them be), we’ve had an interesting protagonist who is powerfully motivated to save his son. That would be enough to tell a good Alien story, but in addition we also get an effort to expand the Alien mythology beyond what we’ve encountered in the films so far. The alpha alien is new, as is this mysterious female figure lurking in the darkness behind Cruz’ dreams. This take on the series also includes the prequel films and integrates their mythology into the series (and in case it wasn’t clear Prometheus gets mentioned a few times just to make sure that readers join the dots up).
Salvador Larroca’s art has been consistently good throughout the series. He manages to draw the Xenomorphs in all of their hideous glory, managing to evoke a real sense of threat throughout and making them a dangerous foe once again. His designs for the new Aliens are inspired and in keeping with H. R. Gigers original designs. He manages to capture the low-fi aesthetic but make it look futuristic at the same time, no mean feat. There’s a well done page towards the end of the issue with a couple of blurry panels which look great, and the final panel has some subtle details in which will send a chill down readers backs.
This first chapter in Marvels take on the iconic Xenomorph is filled with plenty of potential for the future, expanding the mythology and taking it in new directions, while telling an entertaining story which feels familiar and new at the same time. It goes to show there is plenty of life left in this monster, and the mythology from the prequels is neatly included here as well.
A Look Inside
