Marvel Comics has announced that following the conclusion of Alien: Revival, the second arc of Marvel’s Alien under writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, with the release of Alien #12 in May, that controversial artist Salvador Larroca will be departing Alien as series artist with the first “giant-sized” Alien: Annual in June!
Alien: Annual #1 will serve as a prequel to Alien: Bloodlines, Johnson’s first arc, and revisit Bloodlines’ main character Gabriel Cruz – who Larroca based on his own likeness – to witness Cruz in action during his glory days.
To wrap up their first era on the title, Johnson and Larrocca will team up on giant-sized annual issue this June. ALIEN ANNUAL #1 will explore the mysterious tragic past of series’ hero Gabriel Cruz, revealing his original deadly run-in with the Xenomorph.
Years before Bloodlines, Weyland-Yutani security chief, Gabriel Cruz, was a company man. His devotion to WY came first, no matter what the cost. But when the company decides to conduct a trial run experiment with a Xenomorph, will Cruz stand by and let innocent soldiers die?
Cover art by Salvador Larroca
Alien: Annual #1 will also serve as a tie-in to Cold Iron Studio’s Aliens: Fireteam Elite. Talking about the opportunity to tie into the wider Alien continuity, Phillip Kennedy Johnson said:
“My mission statement for Marvel’s Alien has always been ‘make it feel like the films.’ But for this chapter, we had an opportunity to tie the films into one of my favorite games in recent memory, ALIENS: FIRETEAM ELITE. Since the first moment I played that game, I wanted to see Gabe in his prime with his fellow soldiers, face-to-face with xenomorphs and combat synths. That’s what readers (and gamers) will see in the annual: a chapter that belongs on the shelf alongside the films, but also alongside the beloved game that my fellow superfans have spent so many hours playing over the past year.”
Alien: Annual #1 is currently slated for release on the 15th of June. Alien: Revival will conclude on the 4th of May, and be released as a tradeback collection on August 9th (US/UK). As of writing there has been no news regarding Johnson or Alien’s third arc. Thanks to TilotnyWorshiper28 and AIPT for the news!
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What's that ?
Oh dude Saga is so good
It makes sense to have a new team every few arcs to keep it fresh. I gotta remember this isn't like Saga where it has to be the same creatives or bust.
I'm pretty excited about this new arc also, especially the art! I agree that PKJ has delivered 2 decent stories (3 if you count the 1-shot) thus far. However, once an author gets a trilogy of stories I'm always ready to see new talent after that. For example, Brian Wood's trilogy of Defiance, Resistance, and Rescue significantly dropped in quality with each successive arc and I wasn't looking forward to his Colonial Marine comic before it got cancelled for this very reason. After a trilogy, authors have had enough time to tell a solid chunk of story to where its time for someone new to take a crack at it. Luckily PKJ has been consistent quality-wise with each entry. Hence why I'm looking forward to the next arc!
What don't you like about it? Like I said, I think the art detracted too much from the experience to the point where the whole book is considered trash. I think the new artist could help elevate PJK's writing.
But would I be opposed to a new writer? Not at all.
I'm more than cautiously optimistic about the future of Marvel's Alien. I am actually pretty excited.
Dun dun duuuuuuun !
They love Resurrect characters!
Vickers got crushed into oblivion and nothing more.
She will transform to alien Queen
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Like Elizabeth in Covenant Concept Art!
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I read the first `volume' and I thought it was ok ... and the artwork was like you said meh (way too much rich colour and polish - Aliens needs a lot of shadow and a more muted, darker palette). Seemed to be missing the TLC factor and rather felt like just another cog in the Marvel Money making machine.
I will. I got about halfway through Colonial Marines (in my Omnibus). Need to pick that up again.
Do yourself a favour and do just that
Yeah, Alien 3 already showed us the interior of an EEV, so why does it look like the Narcissus? Also, the EEV apparently launched inward...
Spoiler
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I found the second arc to be a decent survival story but nothing too remarkable about it. Although I do like the idea of a corporate created religion to manipulate people. I'd rate it 7/10
I really enjoyed the annual though! 8.5/10 and thought the inclusion of
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Really looking forward to the next arc and of course the new artist!
Not from Destroyer of Worlds, but from the newest expansion, Heart of Darkness, that's where the Perfected first make their appearance.
"The Perfected" from the new Alien The RPG Expansion Heart Of Darkness, I do not particularly like it either myself, especially in respect to as part of the Alien hierarchy or biology.
But in this narrative they come from the Pathogen essentially, being the apex of that substance, although I still don't love the idea that's the best place for them in my opinion.
I'm trying to make lemonade from lemons here. I don't want a silly Sil-like character in the series. It doesn't need this. I especially don't need it as a naturally occurring part of the aliens' hierarchy and biology.
Using Vickers or Shaw gives some level logic as to where this contrivance came from if indeed we do have to accept as canon. The Alien Queen is derived from Shaw's biology, and the Sil-Alien lady is derived from Vickers isn't the worst contrivance ever imagined. Also, it gives Vickers some reason to exist at all. What was the significance of that character at all otherwise?
Sean Fifield never actually died though, he just changed essentially, that's the intention as corroborated by the behind the scenes. Him and Doctor Charlie Holloway, and the Engineer head, and the "holocaust painting" all the same shit.
I think there was a good story to be told on LV-223 with the characters you refer to, but we got Prometheus, for better or worse.
As for "SiL like" we have The Perfected.
You mean like Ripley 8?
I'd say that Shaw would be another good candidate except that we literally do see her dead. But who knows what sort of resurrection properties the goo could have. We saw that Fifield was resurrected. By that logic something could become of Shaw. Heck, by that logic something could come of Old Man Weyland! And of course Vickers could come back too. They're all fair game with the goo.
Presumably we have black sauce spilled all over the Engineer installation so there is much that could come of that. Do people really think that there is no good story to be had from revising LV-223? So much potential there..
Does it make more sense to create a Sil-like humanoid she-alien without this sort of context? I just think this idea from Marvel is so weak that I'm trying to find a way that would make it acceptable in my own head-canon.
You're lucky SM isn't here to see that.
Step 1: ALWAYS run in straight lines
Step 2: DO NOT change your direction
Step 3: DISREGARD pieces of debris falling from the sky
Step 4: ROLL to the side, if you trip over
They litteraly dropped a spaceship on her. The end
I don't think it's Vickers either I'm just waiting for a new creative team.
The last thing I'd want this franchise to turn into's modern Star Wars myself, with obviously dead characters coming back for maximum profit margins.
The whole being crushed is more relevant.
"Sir Peter Weyland's only legitimate child. Studied business management at Oxford; chose to accompany Sir Peter to oversee operations aboard the Prometheus. Ms. Vickers was in line to become CEO of Weyland-Yutani upon the death or resignation of her father. She was personally responsible for selecting the Prometheus crew."
Excerpt from the Weyland Yutani Report.
That's nonsense. We didn't see her die. They clearly left that open-ended as a possible thread to pick up. Vickers could have easily ended up among the labyrinthine nooks and crannies of the Juggernaut. It's not a big stretch.
I'm betting the Marvel character's a haphazard tie in to Destroyer Of Worlds The Perfected concept, with no real purpose, just a "this exists" type thing.