Alien [2023] #1 - Marvel Comics

ALIEN No. 1, June 2023

Definitely delivering a distinctly icy chill to its readers’ spines, Declan Shalvey’s quite political plot for Issue One of “Alien” certainly seems to capture all the dread fans of the science-fiction horror franchise might expect from a comic focused upon a solitary scientific expedition discovering a frozen Facehugger trapped underground in long-forgotten glacier. True, no-one within this particular thirty-page periodical falls victim to the savage Xenomorphs from the moon LV-426, or actually even encounters a ‘living’ specimen of the deadly extra-terrestrial species which sixteen years ago mercilessly overran the colony known as Hadley’s Hope.

But rather cleverly, the disconcertion emanating from this book’s narrative is surprisingly caused by the selfish, almost conspiratorial behaviour of expectant mother Batya Zahn, and the sudden arrival of the extremely dislikeable Weyland-Yutani representative Wendell Theen. Indeed, between them, this pair of decidedly dodgy characters generate an utterly entrancing sense of distrust and duplicity, which completely ensnares the reader by the publication’s end when they agree a mutually advantageous exchange of information; “I’m offering a lifeline for you and your family. Take it. The sample. What do you know about it?” 

In direct contrast to these sinister shenanigans are the Irish “award winning” artist/writer’s highly cynical water conservationist Dayton and the ‘full of life’ Zasha, who between them bring a lot of heart-warming dialogue and discussion to the comic’s proceedings. The one-armed hapless husband of Batya arguably proves especially sympathetic, seemingly being the only sane person on the ice-covered satellite who wants to disintegrate the entombed Manumala noxhydria the moment he first lays eyes upon the “extraordinary organism.”

Perhaps therefore this book's sole disappointment lies with the look of its interior layouts. Admittedly, there is nothing specifically wrong with Andrea Broccardo’s proficient pencils, as they do a solid job in assisting Shalvey with his storytelling. Yet, the Italian illustrator’s slightly Manga-like drawing style, coupled with Triona Farrell’s slightly flat colours, don’t debatably provide the panels with the sort of impinging darkness many within this book’s audience might expect of a darkly twisted universe inspired by the work of Swiss painter and sculptor H. R. Giger – at least not until the Boreas lands from orbit and disgorges a plethora of heavily-armed Weyland-Yutani troopers to blow up the Zahns' “front door”.

The regular cover art to "ALIEN" #1 by Dike Ruan & Matthew Wilson