Alien [2023] #2 - Marvel Comics

ALIEN No. 2, July 2023

Crammed full of human suffering and ground-shaking explosions, Declan Shalvey’s narrative for Issue Two of “Alien” certainly would seem to show why the Irish author so enthusiastically stated that "It's incredibly exciting to take on such a brilliant franchise” when “Marvel Worldwide” first handed him the gig. Indeed, plenty of the science-fiction horror films’ fans would probably have preferred to see the ear-shattering exploits depicted within this particular twenty-page periodical ‘up on the big screen’ rather than those penned by John Logan and Dante Harper for the 2017 movie “Alien: Covenant”.

Foremost of these high-octane set-pieces has to be the eventual grisly demise of Weyland-Yutani’s entire excavation team, who arrogantly seem to feel that their supposed expertise and advanced technology will do a much better job of discovering LV-695’s frozen secret than poor, one-armed Dayton Zhan’s “rinky-dink operation.” Mercilessly sliced into so much mutilated flesh by the Xenomorphs or burnt alive in the ensuing fireball which engulfs their convoy whilst fleeing the deadly extra-terrestrials’ nest, the multiple deaths of these engineers may well prove controversially satisfying to those bibliophiles who dislike big companies muscling their way through much smaller enterprises.

Likewise, this publication’s plot is not shy of rehashing old tropes so as to generate a similar response when it comes to the mega-corporation’s gun-toting troopers panicking wildly when faced with just a single Chestburster. The bullies’ egotistical bravado, such as threatening to beat-up the much smaller, adolescent Zasha if she doesn’t come quietly, genuinely grates upon the nerves as they barge their way through Batya’s home looking for the incarcerated scientist’s secrets. So it comes as something of a relief when in their fright they blow themselves up by firing bullets directly into a plethora of fuel containers; “C’mere, you little… whatever the hell you are. Christ! Get smoked! Eat lead you --!”

Ably adding plenty of gore and fireworks to Shalvey’s storyline is Andrea Broccardo, whose well-practised pencils do a reasonably proficient job in depicting the stark shock experienced by all those who come within sight of the mass-killing titular characters. True, the Italian illustrator’s drawings of a massive mechanical rig falling into the aliens’ nest isn’t arguably all that convincing and somewhat stiff-looking. But the look upon certain cast members’ faces as they react to the murderous mayhem moving before them is very well sketched.

The regular cover art to "ALIEN" #2 by Dike Ruan & Matthew Wilson