For me, the biggest impact that Disney buying the Alien and Predator franchises made was that prices of previous comics shot up, as they are now likely never to be reprinted. This debut issue through Marvel certainly makes an impression from the rack, with InHYUK Lee’s cover leaving you with no illusions about the start of the show.

I say that, but this initial 30 page issue features precious little action fom the xenomorphs, more inteerested in setting up a story that sees the Weyland-Yutani corporation still up to their tricks (yawn), focussing on retiring employee/soldier Gabriel Cruz, and his estranged son (who wants to expose the corporation). Cruz has some flashbacks about a xenomorph encounter, and at the end the reader is all ready for some double mouthed munching in issue 2, but I was bored by the time I was half way through this one.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson delivers a functional script that gives us characters it’s hard to care about, with Salvador Larroca’s art feeling lifeless except when he’s drawing aliens. A second opinion pointed out that his humans just feel… wrong, facially, and that’s a pretty good summation. I hope that issue 2 brings some jiucy action and maybe some character development portrayed in such a way as it’s not a chore to read. For now, though, it’s had to reccommend this to fans of the series or newcomers alike. Maybe see how it pans out and get the collected edition if reviews improve.

Comicscene – reading depressingly average stuff so YOU don’t have to!