Review: Resident Alien Book of Love #1 (of 4)

Ah, is there anything better than true love? Well maybe getting in the mood and pulling on the fishnets…. but that’s another story! With a fair few mini series in the bag and a hit TV series on SY FY it seems that everyone loves Harry, albeit a different Harry than the Hendersons loved!

This mini continues to tell the tale of Patience and its inhabitants, one of which is an alien. Not having seen the show or read the previous books, I may be in a bit of a disadvantage. Still, as the title suggests, this run has love on the agenda for a few people. Now if that’s fun with an alien or a possible relationship with someone from the wrong side of the tracks, the impacts of which will no doubt linger on throughout the future books.

CO-creator and writer Peter Hogan turns thing up a notch Harry and Asta. Not having read previous books, but reading between Asta’s lines, I guess that patience in Patience is not a virtue. I remember making out with my first serious girlfriend in the back of her car and Asta is right, it was never the most romantic of times. But young love has needs and needs must, even if that opens up the pair to town scrutiny or gossip. Everyone seems to have an opinion and Hogan recognises that from both positive and negative angles using Bev and Download’s relationships for contrast.

The art has a nice easy flow and feel from co-creator Steve Parkhouse. Parkhouse creates the sort of small town that we have seen any number of times, though like the well observed writing, Parkhouse delivers a fantastic level of familiarity, even for a new reader like me! there is huge amount of charm on show, the know-it-all nurse or the know more than he should father, the facial elements work perfectly, with nuanced look and half smiles. With no colorist or letterer credited I am assuming that Parkhouse is pulling triple duty. The colors work well, setting the vibe for the town and the font is easily readable and flows through the panels, meaning that no character is trying to say too much, thus affecting the pace of the story or the storytelling aspects of the art. That might be a benefit of doing all three jobs yourself.

Having never watched the show or read the previous volumes, I have nothing to really compare this to. I can’t even say if it is as good as the previous volumes. What I can say is that this is an enjoyable read, with the focus on a pair of courting couples with hints at ongoing elements. Even one issue in, I am hoping that Harry and Asta stay the the course.

Writing – 5 Stars

Art (inc. colors) – 4 Stars

Overall – 4 Stars

Written by; Peter Hogan
Art by; Steve Parkhouse
Published by; Dark Horse Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network