Dark Horse Announces Aliens: Defiance

[Perfect-Organism]

This art already looks to me like its up there with Den Beauvais and mark A. Nelson...

[Russ840]

This art already looks to me like its up there with Den Beauvais and mark A. Nelson...

For me, so far from what I have seen, it's better.  The level of detail is amazing and the atmosphere, even from preview pics, is completely 'Alien'.  All the extra research and reference in Tristan's work is pushing this up high.

For me to say it's better, in my opinion, than Den and Mark is saying something because I hold them I such high regard.

[Perfect-Organism]

This art already looks to me like its up there with Den Beauvais and mark A. Nelson...

For me, so far from what I have seen, it's better.  The level of detail is amazing and the atmosphere, even from preview pics, is completely 'Alien'.  All the extra research and reference in Tristan's work is pushing this up high.

For me to say it's better, in my opinion, than Den and Mark is saying something because I hold them I such high regard.

I will say that the technical illustration is superior to Mark A. Nelson's.  Nelson just sort of "went for it" and designed a bunch of gadgets, vehicles, and places that didn't really reflect the films nor any "common sense" design.  If you stop to look at some of those designs, you quickly realize how implausible they are.  I will say the Benedict was a really cool spaceship design and it was inspired by the shapes of the drop-ship.  I haven't seen a spaceship design as good since then in the Aliens series.

Regarding Den Beauvais, I will have to wait until the Defiance book comes out to compare, but from a technical statndpoint, I can say that Den Beauvais was bulletproof.  His designs in the book were clearly inspired by both Alien films up to that point and then he built a lot of great stuff on top of that.  The colors were spot on.  Often even incorporating some of the lighting techniques that James Cameron used.  Even the bullet count on the M-41A was taken into account.  Seriously take a look at the number of shells that were fired in relation to the counter.  There was a lot of detail in there.  Also, his perspectives were spot on.  In those days, he didn't have the benefit of looking at a video game to get the objects and perspectives right.

Now mind you, the way Tristan does it is spot on as well.  You should always use the best and most current tools at your disposal to get the illustrations right.  I see that Tristan has done just that, and as an admirer of good comic book art, I can only appreciate it.

[tyrannosaurusjones]

To be fair, I'm doing a lot more than just using Isolation for perspectives -- if that were the case then I'd be extremely limited given some of the locations we hit, but I AM using Isolation as a pretty strong reference point, just because in my mind, it nailed everything down, and a lot of the places we visit are places Sevastopol has (hospitals, fuel depots, airports, bars, office blocks, etc.) so seeing what's used and how is definitely something.

But to add to that, I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for Denny or Mark. And Mark's been a tremendous support on Facebook. They laid the groundwork, and I'll add Plunkett to that, and Mignola. Even Maleev's AVP stuff was a big inspiration.

[Perfect-Organism]

I hope what I said didn't come across the wrong way.  What I'm saying is that there are now all these great tools at your disposal such as a much more fleshed-out EU world and also video games that, while some are better and some are worse, do help to set up the "places" which you might reference as an artist.  It would be foolish to ignore all that.  So the fact that you are referencing Isolation, and even Resurrection, is 100% spot on.  That's what I would have done in your place, and so far the results have been fantastic.  I can't wait to have the book in my hands.  But by the same token, we have to give Denis Beauvais props for doing some amazing stuff without having those resources at hand.  I mean if you look at every location that he painted, it literally works correctly with all the other locations.  It's like he drew out a blueprint first and then filled everything in.  It's uncanny, the amount of detail he put in, and he had virtually zero EU material to go by.  He only had the 2 movies, plus the spaceship "The American" which Mark A. Nelson designed.  That was everything.  It was just a different "analog" reality that Beauvais was functioning in at that time, and your "digital" reality is different too.

The underpinning common denominator here is amazing talent.  It shines through when we see your inking work prior to the addition of color and digital overlays.  The stuff looks awesome.  I haven't been this excited about an Aliens series in decades.

[tyrannosaurusjones]

Oh, no, no, sorry I got you perfectly, I was writing that out on my phone and a bit distracted. Yeah, I think the thing is exactly as you say, now there's so much there that entrenches that universe as a particular thing that going the way Nelson and co did back then would feel off. It could work, but when something is so far from broken...

[Corporal Hicks]

For those who couldn't watch it on IGN.

Can't wait to get a copy in hand! I'm buying duplicates of the first few issues, trying to get my friend into it.

[426Buddy]

Oh, no, no, sorry I got you perfectly, I was writing that out on my phone and a bit distracted. Yeah, I think the thing is exactly as you say, now there's so much there that entrenches that universe as a particular thing that going the way Nelson and co did back then would feel off. It could work, but when something is so far from broken...

Hey Tristan, just wanted to let you know how cool it is that you are checking in here at the forums,  it's definitely appreciated . I can't wait to get my copy of the 1st issue and I selfishly hope you get to work on more Aliens related projects going forward lol.

[HuDaFuK]

...it's definitely appreciated

Apart from making the wait intolerable

[Perfect-Organism]

...it's definitely appreciated

Apart from making the wait intolerable

I still can't believe Mista Fuk is this excited about a comic book.   

[Ultramorph]

Not specifically Defiance-related, but Tristan has an awesome poster coming for an Australian screening of Aliens on Aliens Day.
https://twitter.com/tyrannojones/status/723374859804250112

[426Buddy]

Excuse me while I stare at that art in awe lol

That is an amazing poster

[HuDaFuK]

Freaking awesome, but that's to be expected at this point

[KiramidHead]

That is the weirdest damn totem pole I have ever seen.

[T Dog]

Awesome poster. I really like any art featuring The Engineers so much more than the movie versions.