Marvel's Alien (Volume 4) - Alien: Descendant

[Perfect-Organism]

Despite some flaws, overall, I'm loving this current series.  It feels like an Aliens comic should.  Or Alien, whatever.

Does anyone find it odd that the USCSS Boreas is lying on its side underwater, yet the crew is walking upright on the floor instead of on the starboard wall?  That artificial gravity is impressive!

[Corporal Hicks]

I enjoyed the second issue as well. Still not keen on this drone ships, but I got a kick seeing the Double Burner. We don't tend to see the USM weapons get much love so I enjoyed that choice. I wonder if that was another visual decision by Andrea? I do miss Tríona Farrell on the colours though. I'm not enjoying what Ruth Redmond is doing as much.

Very very curious to see where Declan is going with the flashbacks. I'm still wondering if Dayton

Spoiler

is supposed to have been one of the androids here.

[close]

And did I catch another suggestion that there's a wider awareness that the synthetics have regarding David and Paradise?

[Xenomrph]

How many trade paperbacks are there of the Marvel stuff so far? I found 4 on Amazon (Bloodlines, Revival, Icarus, and Thaw), did I miss any? Also are there any that suck and I shouldn't get?

Thanks!

[jacobo1122]

How many trade paperbacks are there of the Marvel stuff so far? I found 4 on Amazon (Bloodlines, Revival, Icarus, and Thaw), did I miss any? Also are there any that suck and I shouldn't get?

Thanks!

I think that's all, and on the way is next one, Descendant. As for their quality, I'm not a big fan of Philip Kennedy Johnson's run, that is first 3 trades. It's not abysmal and it has some interesting ideas, just doesn't do anything with them really. What is abysmal, it's Salvador Larroca's art, in first two trades. Larroca's is no longer present in Icarus, and art is actually decent in this one. Thaw is so far the best Marvel comic for me and maybe even one of my favourites even considering DH stuff. Both story and art are great. New creative team did great job and is continuing to do it in Descendant, at least in the first half of it so far.

[Xenomrph]

I'm reading Thaw, what is Epsilon Station and Project "Alpha"? Is that from earlier comics?

Edit— just finished it. So those white facehuggers make weird white Aliens? And Zahn's research that she injected herself with ended up being nothing in the end?

I think it left a lot of unanswered questions such that the ending wasn't particularly satisfying. Like, I mean, it wasn't bad, but it was still a little all over the place by the end.

[Corporal Hicks]

I'm reading Thaw, what is Epsilon Station and Project "Alpha"? Is that from earlier comics?

They're from the first Marvel series, Bloodlines.

So those white facehuggers make weird white Aliens?

They're another strain of Aliens.

[Xenomrph]

They're another strain of Aliens.

Do they show up anywhere else?

[Corporal Hicks]

The follow-up Annual called Regicide and then the next series, Descendant.

[Xenomrph]

The follow-up Annual called Regicide and then the next series, Descendant.

I just preordered the trade paperback for that, looks like it's out in early April.

Edit— volume 3 (Icarus) just came in the mail.

[BlueMarsalis79]

Lithograph Alien variant lol

[Chieftain Suom]

I love all the references Broccardo has made to previous franchise installments without making the series feel too familiar.

Did anyone catch the Boreas reg. number is the original release date of Alien in Italy?

That being said, were the trinkets that hung from Zasha's backpack references, if at all, to the little gashapons and novelty items seen throughout the Nostromo or are they a more direct reference to something outside of the franchise?

[Xenomrph]

I love all the references Broccardo has made to previous franchise installments without making the series feel too familiar.

What kind of references? I remember seeing a post-it note that said Seegson early in issue 1.

[Chieftain Suom]

I love all the references Broccardo has made to previous franchise installments without making the series feel too familiar.

What kind of references? I remember seeing a post-it note that said Seegson early in issue 1.

There were drinking birds that we originally saw on the Nostromo, a winch and rope system like the one Kane used to descend into the egg chamber, an ice axe like the one used in AVP? Maybe?, a wrench (if I remember correctly) like the one used in Isolation, the Seegson reference, of course, symbols from Ron Cobb's Semiotic Standard were plastered about, also in Descendant, the Italian release date of Alien in Italy (Broccardo's Italian), an Isolation style emergency call box in Descendant, and a few others.. but I'm still curious about the items dangling from Zasha's backpack haha
I reached out to Broccardo on Instagram, he's super fan-friendly, and he told me once the Descendant TPB is released, he'd post a list of all the references and homages he incorporated into his art! So cool.

[Perfect-Organism]

I posted this in the Thaw thread by mistake...

Spoiler

  Well they really jumped the shark with the latest issue in the series.  I mean I guessed that there would be a huge monster coming up as there were hints, but I didn't realize just how Godzilla this would feel.  It literally feels like Aliens vs. Godzilla on ice, and I'm not sure this is the right vibe or direction for the Aliens universe. 

[close]

I really thought they were going to attach the flying rescue vehicles to the Boreas to lift it.  To use cables is ridiculous.  This was a nadir of the series.  A great run is starting to stumble.

[Xiggz456]

Just read all 4 issues in one go and enjoyed it. Story kept me intrigued (especially the flashbacks) and the ending was wonderfully bleak. Some gorgeous panels from both Declan and Andrea absolutely enhanced the experience. My only real nitpick is the 4 issue constraint which IMO makes the story feel a bit rushed (which used to be my main gripe of the Darkhorse era). But I look forward to re-reading the series along with "Thaw" and the Annual to get the full Declan Shalvey experience.