I haven't read Gibson's second draft. I read the first draft many, many years ago.
Am I remembering things totally wrong? Because I recall some wild stuff in that first draft, like a battle with the aliens on the outer surface of the station, a mutant Queen launching spores into the air, and a scene with multiple chestbursters emerging from a single host and scurrying around.
I was disappointed to see that stuff taken out. Comics are one medium where you can show anything. I found the comic to be too restrained. Mostly talking heads with little alien activity. When aliens did appear, they were drawn in a way that I consider to be unflattering.
Listening to audio drama while perusing the comic book makes for a fun experience, despite my criticisms. It's great to have the crew from Aliens back, and since this is probably the closest we'll ever get to an officially licensed alternate continuity, I'll gladly take it over the movie Alien 3. It may be somewhat dull, but at least it's not depressing.