Alien #1 is published by Marvel Comics and written by Declan Shalvey. Artwork is by Andrea Broccardo, colours by Triona Farrell and letters by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Dike Ryan and Matthew Wilson.
Alien #1 is available in print and on digital now wherever you get your comic books.
Synopsis
Scientist Batya Zahn will do just about anything to get her family off the icy moon where they’ve been conducting research on water conservation. But there’s more than glacial springs to find in this forgotten corner of the galaxy. When they discover an extraordinary organism buried in the ice, it won’t take long for tensions to heat up. What is hidden in the snow comes forth in the thaw…and no one will be welcoming this spring. A new era of Alien starts here!
Review
Today is Alien Day and to celebrate Marvel has dropped the first issue of a brand new series from writer Declan Shalvey (Old Dog) and artist Andrea Broccardo (Doctor Aphra). We pick up the story of the legendary franchise on the ice-moon of LV-695, here we meet research scientist Batya Zahn and her young family.
The impatient and pregnant Batya is fed up of being stranded on the moon by her employer, Talbot Engineering. Yes, that’s correct, we’re starting out – albeit briefly – with a company other than Weyland-Yutani. Batya oversee’s work on the ground which is being maintained by her partner, Dayton, and their daughter Zasha.
Shalvey’s opening gambit feels organic to the franchise. Setting the scene on a new world with an exploratory science team is pitch perfect Alien. We’re in familiar territory and that’s both comforting and unnerving. From the opening panels we’re all in on the secret lurking below LV-695’s surface and that immediately injects an adrenaline shot in to proceedings.
Xenomorph discoveries aside, Shalvey has created an interesting set of characters. There’s a somewhat icy (pun intended) dynamic between Batya and Dayton. It seems there is (or was) more going on between them which instantly makes the story so much more intriguing. They aren’t simply cannon fodder for the inevitable chaos on the horizon.
There are some great twists which I won’t spoil here. Shalvey turns up the tension and it leaves us with the perfect jumping off point for some typical Alien action in the coming months.
Broccardo brings a wonderful visual style to the book. It feels a little more anime-inspired than previous Alien series. It’s a little less gritty and more colourful than some might have come to expect. It’s also stunning. Broccardo brings an incredible level of emotion to facial expressions. Perfect for a book where much of the conflict comes from interactions between characters. It will be interesting to see how this style adapts to the high stakes, life-or-death action which is synonymous with the Alien movies.
Verdict
A new chapter in the Alien saga begins in earnest with a tense first issue. Shalvey neatly sets the scene before turning up the scare dial ready for all hell to break loose.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
