Marvel Comics 2021
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Illustrated by Salvador Larroca
Coloured by Guru-eFX
Lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover by InHyuk Lee
THE ICONIC CINEMATIC TERROR MAKES ITS MARVEL DEBUT!
Gabriel Cruz gave his life to Weyland-Yutani--In the case of an alien attack he barely survived, almost literally! Recently retired, Cruz is trying to patch things up with his abandoned son with the help of his friend, a Bishop-model android, but his re-entry into civilian life is not going smoothly…and his encounters with the deadly Xenomorph are far from over. Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Salvador Larroca team up to tell an all-new tale of the titan of horror and science fiction that has scared audiences for decades. No one is safe. No one is innocent. And no one can hear you scream.
I have the blank cover, the black so someone has to use whites and blues to create something for me, and alas I don’t have the InHyuk Lee cover and after seeing it I so desperately want one. It is just that damn good. I’m also really impressed with this first issue as well and I am glad that this isn’t starting at the very beginning and instead finds itself early on the franchises history. Bishop always had such potential but we never got to see that realised in the films so by giving him a more prominent role here makes me look forward to what’s to come.
One thing before I continue, Marvel has the Brood which in my opinion are a version of the Xenomorph’s. So knowing this I DO NOT want to see any Marvel Universe characters appearing in any crossovers thus ruining the enjoyment of the franchise. Like what was done to Conan.
I love, love, love the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. I am really impressed with how this issue introduces the reader to the characters and where the story is going while being able to maintain that ambiance we expect when it comes to the franchise. The character development is phenomenal to see. How the dialogue is utilised and how the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances that they encounter is what really keeps the tension high. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story it leaves us on the edge of our collective seats.
I am extremely impressed with the interiors here. The linework we see is utterly brilliant and how the varying weights are utilised alongside some varying techniques to bring out this exceptional detail work blew me away. That backgrounds are being utilised a lot than I had expected thrills me to no end. How they work within the composition of the panels to enhance the mood, tone and feel along with bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the book is bloody brilliant. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a stupendous eye for storytelling. The colour work is utterly magnificent as well. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work and the genius use of the spectrum really make every moment pop!
I like the way that this is structured and now we see the layers within the story emerge, sometimes like a Xenomorph as in suddenly and violently, and they kind of weave themselves throughout the book. How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is masterly done. This first issue is everything we could have wanted and oh so much more. The writing is superb and the interiors utterly gorgeous and that it pays respect to the franchise while creating something new is what this should be all about.