Alien: The Illustrated Story

By Archie Goodwin & Walter Simonson

ISBN# 9781781161296

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Albert

*Beware of possible Spoilers*

Synopsis: 

Two of comics’ greatest talents joined forces in 1979 to bring Ridley Scott’s epic Alien motion picture to the comic book page. Out of print for over thirty years, this brand new edition (released in time to coincide with Scott’s latest opus Prometheus) has been one of the greatest sci-fi horrors ever produced. (Titan Books)

Review:

In 1979, the movie Alien was released. The premise was simple. A diverse crew answering what sounds like a distress beacon meets the ultimate predator. And, while the premise was simple, the effects that this one movie had was nothing short of phenomenal.

After a total of 5 movies (the original plus 4 authorized sequels), any number of unauthorized sequels as well as books, comic books, video games, toys, etc., it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Alien has become a part of our culture. The tagline…

In space no one can hear you scream

…has been spoofed any numbers of times. The most memorable scene in the movie, i.e. when the alien bursts out of Kane’s chest, has been copied so many times in other movies as to be almost expected.

This graphic novel goes back to the original story, where it all began as it were. However, you shouldn’t think that it’s a relic. Instead, it’s just one more excellent addition to the already long line in the Alien franchise.

The pace of the graphic novel is fast, mimicking the pace of the original movie. The art is outstanding with a Gothic feel highlighting just how utterly alone the crew actually are.

It’s a new format. A quick read. But, it carries all the terror of the original. In short, if you’re a sci-fi fan in general, or an Alien fan specifically, it’s worth putting in your library.