Dark Horse Announces Aliens: Defiance

[tyrannosaurusjones]

I like you. You get it.

You have no idea how much I restrain myself when I hear others make those kinds of mistakes.

Nice to see you on here, Tristan! I loved the PCOC stuff you did with the IDW Ghostbusters comic, so lovely to see you get a crack at my other favourite property. Such a correct take on Aliens too, the perception of the film is horribly soured by spin offs and fanfic, the Colonial Marines game most of all. It'll be grand to see a more understanding take on that!
(Have you read the Strange Shapes blog at all? It takes a very similar line on misconceptions of the second movie, and is a fascinating read!)

I remember you! Things've come a long way since those days! Would've loved to have done something on Ghostbusters all to myself storywise, but Dan and Erik seem to have that monopoly.
I LOVE Strange Shapes!

[Corporal Hicks]

Oh man, this guy's art reminds me of Killian Plunkett's from Labyrinth, & that's a very good thing.

Oh my! I can totally see that too. This really pleases me. Dark Horse have really been upping their game with the artwork on the recent Aliens (vs/Predator & Prometheus) series of late. I'm really excited to see more of the artwork!

Thanks for being so welcoming, too folks! I've been  coming here on the reg for news for AGES but am not a big poster. If you're on twitter, be sure to hit me at trexjones, though!

Welcome aboard! I never realized you were here. I've just had a gander back over your posts and noticed the awesome Alien poster you did. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of your work.

I like you. You get it.

You have no idea how much I restrain myself when I hear others make those kinds of mistakes.

You shouldn't! A lot of the poorer efforts that are released into the EU are because of people completely misinterpreting Aliens. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of what Brian comes up with. I'm not familiar with him and I haven't read the interview yet but if he gets the series like you do I'm quite hopeful.

Wood goes on to say there will be a cameo appearance from Amanda Ripley from Alien Isolation: "Pretty early on... I would say more or less concurrent with the Alien: Isolation story. We even have a cameo with Amanda Ripley at the start of our story. She and Zula are known to each other.

I really hope the Amanda Ripley reference is quite low-key. Another issue I have with Aliens at the minute is the reliance on cameos and Ripley. I just hope this works quite seamlessly because I love the sound of this.

[HuDaFuK]

I really hope the Amanda Ripley reference is quite low-key. Another issue I have with Aliens at the minute is the reliance on cameos and Ripley.

Yeah, this.

The one exception I find personally was Isolation, because the inclusion of a Ripley in that made sense, worked and was integral to the story. But so many other times they seem to force the name in there just so they can put it in the marketing. Out of the Shadows would've been so much better if they hadn't shoe-horned Ripley into it because her presence didn't really add anything to the story other than problems.

[Corporal Hicks]

I completely agree. When I first head of Amanda Ripley being in Isolation I groaned but it ended up working out really well. As it said, it was integral to the actual plot and it worked so very well - especially on an emotional level later on. And I also agree on Out of the Shadows. As much as I actually enjoyed the book and seeing Ripley breakdown - her inclusion was just a distraction and didn't really service the story.

Fox are pushing too many unnecessary elements onto the recent projects. Colonial Marines in River of Pain, for example. They should have just used Colonial Marshalls in that.

[HuDaFuK]

Fox are pushing too many unnecessary elements onto the recent projects. Colonial Marines in River of Pain, for example. They should have just used Colonial Marshalls in that.

I would've loved that. Would've been such a good opportunity to expand upon the Marshal Bureau, instead of just retreading the same old ground. Not to mention the presence of Marshals would make a lot more sense, it would be more believable that some corporate scientists could just push them around, and it wouldn't have added a huge plot hole whereby the Marines in Aliens apparently give no damns about their brothers in arms who were supposed to be there before them.

[Corporal Hicks]

There's only so many times I can say I agree with you, HuDa. 

Fox seems to have an interest in creating this connected expanded universe but they're being too close-minded about it at the minute. Like you said, not only would it have made more sense using the Bureau than the Colonial Marines, it would have served to have further expanded the new elements that Isolation introduced and add even more depth to the series.

[HuDaFuK]

There's only so many times I can say I agree with you, HuDa. 

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is the greatest Alien movie ever made. That better?

[Corporal Hicks]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

[HuDaFuK]

Hah! Touché...

On topic, despite not being a comics fan, even I'm intrigued by this. Especially as it's such a lengthy series; I find comics are usually just too rushed for me so a series that's twelve issues in length interests me more than all those that have only been a quarter of that. Might actually pick this up!

[Corporal Hicks]

Especially as it's such a lengthy series; I find comics are usually just too rushed for me so a series that's twelve issues in length interests me more than all those that have only been a quarter of that. Might actually pick this up!

I completely missed that part! That really interests me too! It's been ages since we've had an Alien series of that length (Fire and Stone doesn't count!). I'm quite excited to see what comes of this!

Just finished reading the interview. I'm feeling really excited for this. The enthusiasm of both Brian and Tristan are very infectious! Both seem to really love the franchise!

[Lonely Universe]

Wait, twelve issues?!? I just assumed it was four. Awesome!

[Ultramorph]

Wait, twelve issues?!? I just assumed it was four. Awesome!

12 issues minimum, could go longer if sales are good.

[tyrannosaurusjones]

Yup... the first arc is twelve issues. Providing everyone goes to their comic shops and starts a standing order (assuming they dont already have one) keeping sales up, we could go until one or both of us drop dead...

As for Ripley -- Brian wanted to set it around the time of Isolation... I think originally even make it a post Isolation Amanda story, but things were (and apparently still are) up in their regarding Isolation 2. I'd love to tell stories with Amanda to be honest. I think she's an even more complex character than Ellen Ripley is, but what Brian's seeding with her involvement so far (at least as far as I can recall, the story may change a little as it grows) is more through her past interactions with Zula. There's a sort of crossing of paths here and there.

[HuDaFuK]

I'd love to tell stories with Amanda to be honest.

I for one would really like to see more of her.

[Xenomorphine]

I honestly had no problem with the creatures being referred to as Xenomorphs.. with a capital X. I'm surprised Fox really didn't correct anyone twenty six years ago when they were doing the old EU stuff. Kind of want to ask why now?

Probably because they're just studio executives and wouldn't have known, themselves.