If you are reading this review, it is likely I don’t have to explain how great the first two Alien films are. In the late 1980s, Aliens merchandise was sparse compared to today. Even more so for an eight-year old boy. Thankfully, Dark Horse Comics produced not only one of the finer Aliens stories, but created a fantastic title for the entire comic book genre. The days of multiple Alien stories each month were blooming, and a toy line aimed at 10 year olds, based on the penis-headed monstrosities, was swirling through a Kenner toy exec’s thought processes.

Aliens #1 picks up ten years after the events of the film, Aliens. Newt is a mental patient, suffering from nightmares over her ordeal on LV-426. She can’t escape the terror. Her stress induced outbursts are only met with more medication, and hopelessness has taken over her mind.

Hicks has been busted down to Lance Corporal. He was a polished soldier before his unit was wiped out. Now he has been trapped in a quagmire of his own fear and survivor’s guilt. He also has nightmares of the Hadley’s Hope disaster, and is haunted by nightmares of his dead comrades. He abuses alcohol, and is prone to violence. When Hicks is introduced, he isn’t the Sergeant or General he could have been. Hicks is recovering from a hangover in the brig after being arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

Meanwhile, a death cult has centered around the alien, and is trying to brainwash followers through broadcasts. The death cult is okay, but the brainwashing by beaming directly into the brains of people doesn't exactly mesh well with the Alien universe. It’s my least favorite aspect and would have been more fitting in a Star Trek or Dr. Who story. It does make for a workable way to get the plot to progress.

An alien has slaughtered the crew of a mystery ship, and a coast guard vessel is destroyed when it comes into contact with the derelict. The black box transmission from the destroyed vessels reveal not only the presence of the xenomorph, but also the Alien homeworld. Specimen’s are required, and Hicks is given a chance at redemption by a company agent. Before Hicks embarks on his journey, he visits Newt to let her know he is going to face the creatures again. The visit quickly turns for the worse as Hicks see Newt dragged away and the visit is terminated.

Mark Nelson’s art is simple, but very effective. The black and white style contributes to the emotion of the story. The later colorized versions suffer a little in this respect. His cover art is eye catching, again looking better in black and white than the released color covers. Nelson’s xenomorphs are some of the best comic depictions of the beasts. His space vessels are reminiscent of the art of Moebius, and full of rich detail. Small details in the panels help the world feel lived in. Overturned coffee cups, bullet holes, and ravaged corpses litter the derelict, reflecting the chaos that broke out there. The twisted, nightmarish versions of the xenomorphs likely inspired many of the monsters of 90’s comics.

Mark Verheiden does a great job of setting the theme of fear, failure, hopelessness, dread, and the unknown. Sprinkle in some religious and monetary zealotry and you have a grade A comic book. As the final panel closes, curiosity and anticipation for the next issue is at an apex. What will the Alien homeworld look like? How is Hicks going to get there? What is going to happen to Newt? Is she going to be trapped in the mental hospital with her nightmares? Can Hicks face the monsters again and survive?

Final Review: Highly Recommend

REVIEW BY: SCOTT