ADVANCED REVIEW: William Gibsonâ€™s Alien 3Â #1

Who does not like getting a second chance? We have all been in those situations where things simply do not go according to plan. Lately, a trend in comics has been giving previous film scripts another run through. Just because a movie was already made does not mean we cannot see what could have been if they went a different way. Â Recently Boom! Studios published Planet of the Apes: Visionaries that adapted Rod Sterling“s original Planet of the Apes script and now Dark Horse is continuing this trend with the release of William Gibson“s Alien 3Â #1.

Aliens 3 is one of those movies where the stories surrounding it are more interesting than the film itself. Even the initial trailers promised a much different film than the one that was eventually released. For those who have long wondered what the original script would have looked like if it was put into action this comic series looks to answer that question. Right from the start it is clear we are dealing with a completely different type of beast.

Instead of the spaceship Sulaco crash landing on a maximum security prison, the ship is intercepted by the Union of Progressive Peoples. Now this group is not on a humanitarian mission to save floating spacecraft filled with survivors of a Xenomorph onslaught. In true Alien fashion this is an organization with clear ulterior motives. Motives that are made apparent rather quickly. In fact much of the comic is spent informing on who the UPP are and what they are hoping to achieve.

Easily the biggest challenge of adapting any type of story into a brand new medium is figuring out the pacing. When you are taking a film script and transforming it into a monthly comic series that challenge is at its highest level. That level was too high of a hill to climb for this issue as it becomes bogged down with dry expository dialog and character introductions. Â To be fair the Alien franchise is at its best when it gradually builds to a massive crescendo so there is still plenty of hope this series will eventually find its footing.

It does serve to showcase the difference between opening a comic series compared to opening a film. For the first fifteen or twenty minutes of a film, this would have been fine. It serves to establish tone and place. When it comes to a comic you have to do more with a first issue with the primary goal being to build intrigue. Sometimes that is by creating a character that entices you to keep going or introducing a concept with a lot of promise. Here we are introduced to a lot of characters none of which do much to excite, and the concept is following a similar formula.

For hardcore fans of the franchise that simply want to see some of the classic characters again like Bishop, Newt, or Ripley there is hope. Those outside of that group you may be lost if you do not fully recall what occurred at the end of Aliens. So much time is spent on the new status quo no time is spent to catch up on how exactly we got to this point.

Where the script does succeed is the context this story is drawing from. Considering this was originally penned in the late 80“s/early nineties much of the residue of the Cold War still remains. Taking place in the future, this is not a story about Russia against the United States rather warring corporations fighting for power and resources. Unlike the previous Alien films, the characters here are a tad more forward with their less than pure moral agenda. Instead of trying to completely cover their true intentions, they choose to try to justify the actions of why their creation of the ultimate weapon is a must. Â Â

Regarding Johnnie Christmas“s art he is not given a lot to do, but in the scenes that matter most he is able to capture the spirit of what makes creatures like the Xenomorphs work quite well. When you are dealing with characters that are inspired by real people there is a tendency toÂ lean heavily towards photo referencing to try to capture their likeness. Â Christmas goes for a more general approach where the likeness is capture enough to make you aware of who everyone is without looking like Sigourney Weaver is literally on the page.

Final Thoughts:

William Gibson“s Alien 3 #1 struggles out the gate as it suffers from the traditional adaptation woes. Massive fans of the Alien franchise do have reasons to be excited that go beyond seeing fan-favorite characters once again. If this series can improve the general pacing and build upon the central themes in an intriguing way this could turn into a second chance made good.

[yasr_overall_rating]

Writer: William Gibson, Johnnie Christmas
Artist: Johnnie Christmas
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Cover Artist: Johnnie Christmas

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Daniel Clark

A fan of all things comics. Growing up on a healthy diet of 90's Batman and X-Men cartoon series ignited a love for the medium that remains strong today.