Posted by 426Buddy
- Jun 17, 2016, 02:33:44 PMI actually quite liked More than Human, it felt fresh and interesting with some nice mystery. I loved the android character and I really dug the art. It was a shame that a proper sequel was never released.
Posted by Nostromo
- Jun 14, 2016, 08:47:16 AMQuote from: Darkness on May 29, 2009, 06:55:08 AM
I read a somewhat negative review about it on IGN: http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/987/987788p1.html
Thought the same thing, except for the art part, I don't think Zach had a chance to make the art seem darker with this story, which was flat out bs once the original crew, which were interesting, got wiped out. I don't think killing them off to leave us with a brain dead red beard moron was smart. Insta story killer right there. And to plan an Aliens relaunch, after a decade, with mandible red Aliens, was another brain dead idea.
Imagine the relaunch would have been a story similar to Alien Isolation's storyline...what could have been...Dark Horse sitting on a gold franchise just keeps coming up with the same old Alien as insect on said planet with wacked out bozos as stories...
I should write a story...Zach can you be the artist?
Going to be fun reading the rest of the messages on this topic...kinda feel for peeps who were passionately waiting for this series back in 2009.
Quote from: SpreadEagleBeagle on Oct 02, 2009, 06:38:02 PMQuote from: RagingDragon on Oct 02, 2009, 03:01:21 AM
I like this series, it's growing on me, but I honestly get nervous when the story starts talking about the alien's biology or threatening to add something new. I think this is from the wild and sometimes bogus turns that the alien has been taken through in the past, so I cringe whenever they start getting creative. Writers have ignored continuity and done what they've wanted with the Alien story/characters in the past, so I think they've lost my trust as a reader.
Generally I feel the same way when it comes to the comics and novels.
Same here. I never understood why someone would decide to add any crap like that when it's already a perfect organism...
Hah, just read the whole Zach episode, this thread has been more intense than the real comic itself, a real classic lol. Poor guy though, must have been going through some tough personal stuff and probably was getting some real shitty emails from crazy fans about the mandibles lol. He did clearly explain that the guys at DH told him to add those silly things...Anyways sorry for bringing such an old thread back to life, but it was a heck of a read after reading that lousy story. It started off so good too....it's just too bad.
Also, I can't believe artists and writers get burned to their faces in conventions and signing sessions in comic stores like Sam Keith and others did/do. Yes Earth War covers sucked arse for me but to tell that to someone's face is kind of far fetched.
Quote from: MadassAlex on Dec 17, 2009, 11:15:39 PMQuote from: Mr. Domino on Dec 17, 2009, 03:54:04 PM
For the first part, while obviously not all writers could put elements of surprise and tension in equally, that's more the fault of bad writing than the narrative form. For instance, lets take a look at Berserker (or Frenzy), one of my least favorite books art-wise, but one I enjoyed for the story (even though it was done better in Tribes). Now, going into that book, you knew most if not all of those characters was going to die - they were criminals and scuzzballs for the most part after all. But before they even got onto the station, you found yourself caring about them a little bit, for all their quirks (something I'll address below) and by the time they were in the thick of it, you (or at least I) didn't want those characters to die. It was the knowing that they were in danger and wondering who, if any of them, would come out of that nightmare alive, that kept me glued to that book until the end. When Candyman got pigstuck from behind, it upset me, and I felt a genuine hatred for that Alien that I hadn't felt in any of the films post-aliens.
But then there are plenty of examples akin to Female War, which is a blatant attempt it "Yeah, it's like the second movie, but MORE BADASS". The writers can just f*ck off at that point - if I wanted ALIENS, I'd watch it. What I want is narrative variation based around the settings, organisations and (obviously) creatures that inhabit the franchise. What I don't want to see is a dumbass "nuke them all" plot that features Vasquez with long hair and Drake with a moustache.
Perhaps my standards are just too high here, or perhaps Nightmare Asylum just set me up for disappointment. Either way, I just feel that there are too many stories that are trying to cash in on what made ALIENS great without any of the skill of Cameron or the context of the narrative. And if it's not that, the writer's gone off on their own tirade and created something that may as well be its own, completely new narrative project, divorced utterly from the creature or franchise.
Are there exceptions? F*ck yes there are. Sacrifice was a great read. Rogue had some dodgy concepts but avoided the trope of "man-imposed genetic modifications are BETTER" and was a good time. The aforementioned Nightmare Asylum kicked ass at page one and stopped only when Ripley showed up with that stupid gun. Which was the last page, anyway. I'm not closed to the comics and such that are quality, but so often, they miss the point for me.Quote from: Mr. Domino on Dec 17, 2009, 03:54:04 PMNow, as far as showing us that the aliens should be feared, this is less about how the aliens themselves are portrayed (although that does factor into it), but about how the characters they hunt are portrayed. If the writer of the book makes you care about the characters, like he did (at least for me) in Berserker, as well as a number of other books, then the knowing that they're up against a creature whose capabilities far outstrip their own makes tension for the book. I've found that the only times I've ever been the least bit on edge reading an Aliens comic or novel is when I cared about the characters. The Herk Mondo books? Fun, but I didn't care. Colonial Marines? Yawn. Criminal Enterprise? - I was just waiting for the bugs to get those sons-a-bitches.
We can break this down into two 'fears' - fearing the narrative consequences towards the characters, and 'fearing' the creature itself. The first one doesn't actually factor into how well the Aliens are depicted. If you care about the characters, then that's effective storytelling, but that's effective storytelling divorced from the Alien concept. It could be anything and you'd still fear the next page.
The thing that gets me about how the Alien is portrayed is that the writers don't only shoot themselves in the foot in terms of tension, they blatantly ignore the source material's depiction in favour of their own rip-off of Cameron's work. We'll take the second film as source material, because which DH writer or artist honestly gives a hoot about any other movie?
So even ignoring their acts of resilience in the other movies, ALIENS portrayed the Xenomorphs as tough (pistol rounds? Meh, I say!), strong (destroying steel doors) and reasonably clever (destroying the power and finding stealthy workarounds rather than presenting themselves as targets). So when I pick up a comic of the same franchise, I'm expecting the heroes to overcome the same obstacles - not effortlessly and pointlessly blow through a dozen with a single pistol magazine. I'm looking for the clever and daring methods of dealing with the creatures that characterised the movies, not a "hurrr guns" approach (which certainly didn't work for Apone or any of the other marines!).
This is why the opening to Nightmare Asylum is brilliant. Five pulse rifle rounds to kill three Aliens? You think Billy and Wilks are absolutely boned. You have no idea how they're going to deal with the situation. But they do, against the odds, and with comparatively small injury.
And then things get worse for them.
That's good storytelling and appropriate use of the IP. Not only are the Aliens visually spot-on, as generally competent as they should be and in their element, the scenario is incredibly compelling.
Holy crappers man, I salute you MadassAlexl! That's exactly what I think of almost everything Aliens by DH! Maybe we have the same brain? I just don't understand how a writer or the execs at DH can watch a movie like Alien and Aliens than write some of these crappy absolutely trashy stories. I'll still keep buying them and Terminator though...
Having said all that, here's my review for Aliens: More than Human:
Story: 6.5, Location: 8, Alien Designs: 7.5, Art: 9.5, Coloring: 10, Covers: 9.
Story suffered a bit, Aliens again treated like a bunch of bugs...too much focus on a canyon, loved the Android. A bit disappointed with a bunch of characters with potential dying in the beginning.. Art & Coloring are fantastic.
Posted by Corporal Hicks
- Apr 26, 2010, 05:39:45 PMSo the TBP More Than Human should have been released a week or so ago:
http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/16-781/Aliens-More-Than-Human-TPB
http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/16-781/Aliens-More-Than-Human-TPB
Posted by Corporal Hicks
- Feb 02, 2010, 07:17:08 PMPosted by Mr. Domino
- Dec 23, 2009, 02:46:09 PMThe closest thing we've been given to an explanation was earlier in this thread, and don't expect too terribly much.
Posted by XenoVC
- Dec 23, 2009, 09:35:59 AMQuote from: RidgeTop on Dec 23, 2009, 09:28:18 AM
Could someone explain to me why the Aliens have those mandibles when they are not predaliens?
No explanation has been given other than a noting that they act and look different,Three World War may reveal why.
Posted by RidgeTop
- Dec 23, 2009, 09:28:18 AMCould someone explain to me why the Aliens have those mandibles when they are not predaliens?
Posted by Mr. Domino
- Dec 19, 2009, 04:20:56 PMQuote from: happypred on Dec 19, 2009, 06:57:18 AM
err, re-read pls
err, how about you explain what you meant, because you obviously weren't particularly clear.
Posted by happypred
- Dec 19, 2009, 06:57:18 AMQuote from: Mr. Domino on Dec 17, 2009, 07:12:28 PM
What? I feel the exact same way about Predator stories. Which is why I have no problem with Danny Glover and a blind Asian taking them out.
err, re-read pls
Posted by MadassAlex
- Dec 18, 2009, 12:55:12 AMI think we're both talking about correct context when it comes to EU material.
The difference is that I'm just more protective of the Alien as I feel it should be depicted.
The difference is that I'm just more protective of the Alien as I feel it should be depicted.
Posted by Mr. Domino
- Dec 18, 2009, 12:47:02 AMAlex, I agree with every point you just made. Although now I'm trying to figure out where this conversation started...
Posted by MadassAlex
- Dec 17, 2009, 11:15:39 PMQuote from: Mr. Domino on Dec 17, 2009, 03:54:04 PM
For the first part, while obviously not all writers could put elements of surprise and tension in equally, that's more the fault of bad writing than the narrative form. For instance, lets take a look at Berserker (or Frenzy), one of my least favorite books art-wise, but one I enjoyed for the story (even though it was done better in Tribes). Now, going into that book, you knew most if not all of those characters was going to die - they were criminals and scuzzballs for the most part after all. But before they even got onto the station, you found yourself caring about them a little bit, for all their quirks (something I'll address below) and by the time they were in the thick of it, you (or at least I) didn't want those characters to die. It was the knowing that they were in danger and wondering who, if any of them, would come out of that nightmare alive, that kept me glued to that book until the end. When Candyman got pigstuck from behind, it upset me, and I felt a genuine hatred for that Alien that I hadn't felt in any of the films post-aliens.
But then there are plenty of examples akin to Female War, which is a blatant attempt it "Yeah, it's like the second movie, but MORE BADASS". The writers can just f*ck off at that point - if I wanted ALIENS, I'd watch it. What I want is narrative variation based around the settings, organisations and (obviously) creatures that inhabit the franchise. What I don't want to see is a dumbass "nuke them all" plot that features Vasquez with long hair and Drake with a moustache.
Perhaps my standards are just too high here, or perhaps Nightmare Asylum just set me up for disappointment. Either way, I just feel that there are too many stories that are trying to cash in on what made ALIENS great without any of the skill of Cameron or the context of the narrative. And if it's not that, the writer's gone off on their own tirade and created something that may as well be its own, completely new narrative project, divorced utterly from the creature or franchise.
Are there exceptions? F*ck yes there are. Sacrifice was a great read. Rogue had some dodgy concepts but avoided the trope of "man-imposed genetic modifications are BETTER" and was a good time. The aforementioned Nightmare Asylum kicked ass at page one and stopped only when Ripley showed up with that stupid gun. Which was the last page, anyway. I'm not closed to the comics and such that are quality, but so often, they miss the point for me.
Quote from: Mr. Domino on Dec 17, 2009, 03:54:04 PMNow, as far as showing us that the aliens should be feared, this is less about how the aliens themselves are portrayed (although that does factor into it), but about how the characters they hunt are portrayed. If the writer of the book makes you care about the characters, like he did (at least for me) in Berserker, as well as a number of other books, then the knowing that they're up against a creature whose capabilities far outstrip their own makes tension for the book. I've found that the only times I've ever been the least bit on edge reading an Aliens comic or novel is when I cared about the characters. The Herk Mondo books? Fun, but I didn't care. Colonial Marines? Yawn. Criminal Enterprise? - I was just waiting for the bugs to get those sons-a-bitches.
We can break this down into two 'fears' - fearing the narrative consequences towards the characters, and 'fearing' the creature itself. The first one doesn't actually factor into how well the Aliens are depicted. If you care about the characters, then that's effective storytelling, but that's effective storytelling divorced from the Alien concept. It could be anything and you'd still fear the next page.
The thing that gets me about how the Alien is portrayed is that the writers don't only shoot themselves in the foot in terms of tension, they blatantly ignore the source material's depiction in favour of their own rip-off of Cameron's work. We'll take the second film as source material, because which DH writer or artist honestly gives a hoot about any other movie?
So even ignoring their acts of resilience in the other movies, ALIENS portrayed the Xenomorphs as tough (pistol rounds? Meh, I say!), strong (destroying steel doors) and reasonably clever (destroying the power and finding stealthy workarounds rather than presenting themselves as targets). So when I pick up a comic of the same franchise, I'm expecting the heroes to overcome the same obstacles - not effortlessly and pointlessly blow through a dozen with a single pistol magazine. I'm looking for the clever and daring methods of dealing with the creatures that characterised the movies, not a "hurrr guns" approach (which certainly didn't work for Apone or any of the other marines!).
This is why the opening to Nightmare Asylum is brilliant. Five pulse rifle rounds to kill three Aliens? You think Billy and Wilks are absolutely boned. You have no idea how they're going to deal with the situation. But they do, against the odds, and with comparatively small injury.
And then things get worse for them.
That's good storytelling and appropriate use of the IP. Not only are the Aliens visually spot-on, as generally competent as they should be and in their element, the scenario is incredibly compelling.
Posted by Mr. Domino
- Dec 17, 2009, 07:12:28 PMQuote from: happypred on Dec 17, 2009, 06:38:57 PM
if only you could be that forgiving when it's a predator doing the killing
What? I feel the exact same way about Predator stories. Which is why I have no problem with Danny Glover and a blind Asian taking them out.
Posted by happypred
- Dec 17, 2009, 06:38:57 PMQuote from: Mr. Domino on Dec 17, 2009, 12:57:45 AM
Yes, in some of the examples I listed above, one lone guy with a gun takes out the alien, but that's because in the story that the author wanted to tell, he was the only guy with a gun, and a story where the Alien kills everyone is just not dramatically satisfying to a majority of readers.
if only you could be that forgiving when it's a predator doing the killing
Posted by Mr. Domino
- Dec 17, 2009, 03:54:04 PMQuote from: MadassAlex on Dec 17, 2009, 09:24:18 AM
1. It refuses to credit one of the best creature designs and concepts with the narrative care it deserves.
I don't even know how to address this because I just disagree completely. It may have to be left at that, because this would be a really long discussion that I feel sure would devolve fairly quickly.
Quote from: MadassAlex on Dec 17, 2009, 09:24:18 AM
2. It doesn't provide tension. We know that when Aliens appear, they'll be shot down. It's a given. We don't care about the battle scenes because nothing unpredictable ever happens. If Aliens were powerful in small numbers as the movies portray them and used stealth tactics effectively, there'd be elements of surprise and tension that are absent from the gung-ho treatment of Aliens as is.
It's not so much about Aliens destroying everything and more about showing us that they should be feared, not just saying it.
For the first part, while obviously not all writers could put elements of surprise and tension in equally, that's more the fault of bad writing than the narrative form. For instance, lets take a look at Berserker (or Frenzy), one of my least favorite books art-wise, but one I enjoyed for the story (even though it was done better in Tribes). Now, going into that book, you knew most if not all of those characters was going to die - they were criminals and scuzzballs for the most part after all. But before they even got onto the station, you found yourself caring about them a little bit, for all their quirks (something I'll address below) and by the time they were in the thick of it, you (or at least I) didn't want those characters to die. It was the knowing that they were in danger and wondering who, if any of them, would come out of that nightmare alive, that kept me glued to that book until the end. When Candyman got pigstuck from behind, it upset me, and I felt a genuine hatred for that Alien that I hadn't felt in any of the films post-aliens.
Now, as far as showing us that the aliens should be feared, this is less about how the aliens themselves are portrayed (although that does factor into it), but about how the characters they hunt are portrayed. If the writer of the book makes you care about the characters, like he did (at least for me) in Berserker, as well as a number of other books, then the knowing that they're up against a creature whose capabilities far outstrip their own makes tension for the book. I've found that the only times I've ever been the least bit on edge reading an Aliens comic or novel is when I cared about the characters. The Herk Mondo books? Fun, but I didn't care. Colonial Marines? Yawn. Criminal Enterprise? - I was just waiting for the bugs to get those sons-a-bitches.
