At the 4:40 mark in this video, John Layman (Chew) talks about a new Aliens series with art by Sam Keith:
http://video.comicbookresources.com/cbrtv/2011/cbr-tv-cci-john-layman-on-chew-aliens-morgan-spurlocks-comic-con-documentary-and-more/ (http://video.comicbookresources.com/cbrtv/2011/cbr-tv-cci-john-layman-on-chew-aliens-morgan-spurlocks-comic-con-documentary-and-more/)
When I first heard Sam Keith was on it, all i could think of is OH SHIT FEMALE WAR. But Im still excited.
I think I found a peak of what he's working on.
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F--r2ZZBCx_l0%2FTeEub-fBRjI%2FAAAAAAAAAZ0%2FYAbfIhl-cJg%2Fs1600%2Fa%2B.jpg&hash=e00b96e2a587e08449ca251f4914a41421d11e0e)
Kinda wish we didn't get one alien story every year or so if we're lucky though.
Oh man...not Sam Keith.
So we've got a talking pink teddy bear, mother issues, a different Sam Keith art style...I'm not too keen at the moment.
http://samkieth.blogspot.com/ (http://samkieth.blogspot.com/)
And here's his blog.
I've always liked Keith as an illustrator. Never really dug his art in a comic format even in the MAXX.
But I like what I see so far.
Keith was awful choice for Aliens. Ditto Sandman.
Eh, I'll still buy it. :P
This series sounds like an improvement over the artwork from 3 World War and Predator (2009).
I thought there was a drastic improvement over the first two issues of Female War, so if he can keep it toned down, maybe.
He is like the Jean Pierre Juenet of Alien comics.
Strause Brothers more like.
Quote from: SM on Aug 09, 2011, 11:32:05 PM
Strause Brothers more like.
Agreed. I look forward to any new Aliens comic series, but Sam Keith again? I'll buy it, but won't expect much from the art.
So long as it's better than the art in AvP Three World War, I'll be alright with it.
I'm not excited for this art :-\ But i hope the comics are good! And if thats what the aliens are gonna look like... I'm gonna have to give someone an alien anatomy lesson! (not meaning like i'm the best artist in the world...)
Three World War had spiffy, fancy colors... but the lineart was HORRIBLY lacking (and not to much story either) but thats newer comics for ya.
I guess i just compare it to a couple of my favs: Labyrinth and Stronghold. The art was FANTASTIC in those.
Thought I was the only one that liked stronghold around these parts.
Quote from: Kimarhi on Aug 24, 2011, 03:54:04 AM
Thought I was the only one that liked stronghold around these parts.
I love it :D Glad to meet a fellow fan!
Stronghold is a lot of fun. It's not my favorite Aliens comic, but the last page is absolutely perfect.
Good to see that the Aliens franchise hasn't been forgotten
Considering we've got a new videogame coming out early next year, a Nintendo DS game coming out in a couple months, and a new movie directed by Ridley Scott, I'd say it's far from forgotten. :)
Anyone heard anything as to when we can expect this series to hit the comic shops?
Considering we still haven't seen Fast Track to Heaven, I wouldn't think very soon.
DARK HORSE PRESENTS #12
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi939.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fad234%2Fvspawn%2Fdarkhorsepresents12a.jpg&hash=e1811d8dcde30480b7858a35230f3acbd913263e)
John Layman (W), John Arcudi (W), Carla Speed McNeil (W/A), Steve Niles (W), Evan Dorkin (W/A), Tim Seeley (W), Francesco Francavilla (W/A), Dean Motter (W/A/Variant cover), Jim Valentino (W/A) , Mike Baron (W), Harlan Ellison (W), Sam Kieth (A/Cover), Christopher Mitten (A), Victor Drujiniu (A), Steve Rude (A), and Jonathan Case (A)
This issue is packing a brand-new Aliens story by Chew's John Layman and legendary artist Sam Kieth, the return of Jim Valentino's Normalman and Dean Motter's Mister X, and last but not least, the reemergence of Mike Baron and Steve Rude's intergalactic fighting force, Nexus!
80 pages, $7.99, in stores on May 23.
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/1202/10/darkhorsemay.htm (http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/1202/10/darkhorsemay.htm)
Awesome...she found an Alien bobblehead!
Really though, I'm excited for a new Alien story.
Spoiler
Seriously though...looks like a bobblehead.
Quote from: vikingspawn on Feb 10, 2012, 02:37:41 PM
DARK HORSE PRESENTS #12
http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad234/vspawn/darkhorsepresents12a.jpg
John Layman (W), John Arcudi (W), Carla Speed McNeil (W/A), Steve Niles (W), Evan Dorkin (W/A), Tim Seeley (W), Francesco Francavilla (W/A), Dean Motter (W/A/Variant cover), Jim Valentino (W/A) , Mike Baron (W), Harlan Ellison (W), Sam Kieth (A/Cover), Christopher Mitten (A), Victor Drujiniu (A), Steve Rude (A), and Jonathan Case (A)
This issue is packing a brand-new Aliens story by Chew's John Layman and legendary artist Sam Kieth, the return of Jim Valentino's Normalman and Dean Motter's Mister X, and last but not least, the reemergence of Mike Baron and Steve Rude's intergalactic fighting force, Nexus!
80 pages, $7.99, in stores on May 23.
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/1202/10/darkhorsemay.htm (http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/1202/10/darkhorsemay.htm)
to me that looks really strong! is it a coincidence that they show us some xeno in a creational process, like the most want to see it in prometheus? ;D
Oh shit, new Aliens story in DHP. That hasn't happened in, like, a decade haha.
I guess the "Prometheus" centric comic adaptations will be announced in the June solicits.
???
I thought they'd ramp up the comic promotion for the movie a month before...
I don't think we're getting a Prometheus adaptation, to be honest. The press solicitation for the Prometheus art book claims that that book is the only tie-in anything we're getting for the movie.
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 10, 2012, 06:16:57 PM
I don't think we're getting a Prometheus adaptation, to be honest. The press solicitation for the Prometheus art book claims that that book is the only tie-in anything we're getting for the movie.
not even a comic like those "predators-prequel comics"? ???
that would be interesting, cos they might show the true origin of the xenomorph. in EU-manier of course ;)
Wow...I'm excited for this, the art looks quite nice
Weren't Alien and Predator once very prominent in Dark Horse Presents? I am glad to see Aliens back in!
Well I wouldn't say "very prominent" - out of like 120+ issues, they probably show up maybe a dozen times at most.
QuoteHarlan Ellison (W)
That Ellison?
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 12, 2012, 01:10:36 AM
Well I wouldn't say "very prominent" - out of like 120+ issues, they probably show up maybe a dozen times at most.
Really? Wow I must be seriously misremembering or something then.
Yeah, the Internet tells me there were 201 issues of DHP across all 3 of its runs (to date), and here's a complete list of Aliens/Predator/AvP stories from Dark Horse Presents:
Alien
- Theory of Alien Propagation (DHP #24)
- The Alien (DHP #56)
- Reapers (DHP Fifth Anniversary Special)
- Incubation (DHP #101-102)
- Once in a Lifetime (DHP #140)
- Headhunters (DHP #117)
AvP
- The Web (DHP #146-147)
Predator
- God's Truth (DHP #46)
- Demon's Gold (DHP #137)
You might be thinking of the "Dark Horse Comics" serial anthology series, which also had a bunch of A/P/AvP stories too. DHP was always in black-and-white, DHC was always in color.
I've always been curious, what was the point of having DH Presents and DH Comics? Was one more geared toward a younger audience?
Thank God, I thought Dark Horse would never release another Aliens comic.
I wonder if this is the actual work they did or something side to it? I'm trying to get in touch with the pair to chat with them.
You realize they've recently released Fast Track to Heaven, right?
Yeah, I know but I was starting to worry that that would be the only Aliens-related work that we'd be seeing in years.
Quote from: happypred on Feb 13, 2012, 04:51:38 PM
I've always been curious, what was the point of having DH Presents and DH Comics? Was one more geared toward a younger audience?
DHP was always in black-and-white, since originally all of Dark Horse's work was strictly in black-and-white (including the first Aliens series they did), so DHP stayed true to that. DHC was always in color, so I guess it was around so they could tell stories in color if they wanted to without "compromising" DHP.
I really hope this is a fresh start. I can not tell you how disappointed I was when the 2009 series decided to keep to the convoluted contradictory continuity circle-jerk that Dark Horse made of the earlier Aliens & AvP comics.
If we're lucky, this new series will start with the films as a base and ignore the comics that came before.
Not sure why everybody is down on Sam Keith. I know his art is strange and psychedelic at times but if you ask me it fits in a way, especially when thinking about the shape of the derelict. Personally I enjoyed the original prints of Earth War. The shitty recolor they did for Female War is what ruined people's perceptions if you ask me.
It's difficult to cry foul on the use of an individual artist when it comes to an anthology series. They are all temporary, so just roll with it.
However, I am concerned about the writing. I can't recall having ever read anything by John Layman but if Fast Track to Heaven is any indication then Dark Horse really needs to step it up in the quality control dept. That whole thing was just stupid with it's pretentious Biblical references and generic scarred up soldiers ::)
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 13, 2012, 07:32:57 PM
DHP was always in black-and-white, since originally all of Dark Horse's work was strictly in black-and-white (including the first Aliens series they did), so DHP stayed true to that. DHC was always in color, so I guess it was around so they could tell stories in color if they wanted to without "compromising" DHP.
Ah, thanks. I've personally always preferred color, but I suppose black and white has its artsy appeal
Quote from: HybridNewborn on Feb 14, 2012, 12:05:32 AM
I really hope this is a fresh start. I can not tell you how disappointed I was when the 2009 series decided to keep to the convoluted contradictory continuity circle-jerk that Dark Horse made of the earlier Aliens & AvP comics.
If we're lucky, this new series will start with the films as a base and ignore the comics that came before.
Gonna disagree there, there really isn't a reason to ignore the older comics.
The new comics can always ignore the old ones, but they can never wipe them out of canon unless they say that those stories were actually dreams, etc.
Quote from: EarthAngel on Feb 14, 2012, 12:35:45 AM
Not sure why everybody is down on Sam Keith. I know his art is strange and psychedelic at times but if you ask me it fits in a way, especially when thinking about the shape of the derelict. Personally I enjoyed the original prints of Earth War. The shitty recolor they did for Female War is what ruined people's perceptions if you ask me.
It's difficult to cry foul on the use of an individual artist when it comes to an anthology series. They are all temporary, so just roll with it.
However, I am concerned about the writing. I can't recall having ever read anything by John Layman but if Fast Track to Heaven is any indication then Dark Horse really needs to step it up in the quality control dept. That whole thing was just stupid with it's pretentious Biblical references and generic scarred up soldiers ::)
I have to agree with the first half of your post. I never understood why so many folks out there seem to hate an artist's work because it's different from the norm. I guess I'm just more passive when it comes to these sort of things - I see the multitudes of comics and stories as unique entities that are all good in their own way. I'm going to be purchasing the new series once it releases regardless of prior public opinion :) Also need to pick up Fast Track to Heaven.
Like that'd stop you.
Right, this is the same series them pair were working on: "same story. they've decided to serialized it in DHP before collecting it."
Comics sales and print runs are in the toilet these days. Dark Horse has been sending alot of their series to the recent 80 page Dark Horse Presents monthly lately. It's probably cheaper for them to include it inside an 80 page anthology than spending money on print run for a regular Aliens 4 issue mini-series that'll probably sell even lower than the last 2009 series.
A foolproof way to keep it from selling lower than the 2009 series is to make new Aliens/Predator/AvP series that don't suck.
Quote from: predxeno on Feb 14, 2012, 04:27:26 AM
The new comics can always ignore the old ones, but they can never wipe them out of canon unless they say that those stories were actually dreams, etc.
If they refer in any meaningful way to the third or fourth films, then they're following the movie continuity, not comic continuity.
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 15, 2012, 11:17:36 PM
A foolproof way to keep it from selling lower than the 2009 series is to make new Aliens/Predator/AvP series that don't suck.
The best parts of those books were the Raymond Swanland covers. They really fumbled the ball with that mini relaunch. Horrible blotchy computer inking on the art pages. It's like they inked over the pencil art with sharpie markers. Or lipstick.
:-\
Quote from: Xenomorphine on Feb 15, 2012, 11:37:16 PM
Quote from: predxeno on Feb 14, 2012, 04:27:26 AM
The new comics can always ignore the old ones, but they can never wipe them out of canon unless they say that those stories were actually dreams, etc.
If they refer in any meaningful way to the third or fourth films, then they're following the movie continuity, not comic continuity.
This isn't accurate, especially since it's all one continuity. :P
:D
Not sure a continuity with myriad irreconcilable contradictions can be accurately referred to as "one continuity".
And yet I just did it, and FOX does it too. :P
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 16, 2012, 07:09:37 AM
And yet I just did it, and FOX does it too. :P
Just because it can be said...
Doesn't mean it makes sense.
Everyone's entitled to their own opinions. :)
You didn't DO anything. No one has reconciled the contradictions because they can't be reconciled.
And retconning =/= reconciliation.
Least not how it's done on this forum.
Quote from: SM on Feb 16, 2012, 09:21:35 AM
You didn't DO anything. No one has reconciled the contradictions because they can't be reconciled.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.
Quote from: SiL on Feb 16, 2012, 09:24:01 AM
And retconning =/= reconciliation.
Least not how it's done on this forum.
By definition retconning can be a form of reconciliation.
"I'm going to ignore this because this other thing said something different" isn't reconciliation. Which is what retconning on this site amounts to.
Quote from: SiL on Feb 16, 2012, 09:34:21 AM
"I'm going to ignore this because this other thing said something different" isn't reconciliation. Which is what retconning on this site amounts to.
If reinterpreting something results in fixing the problem, that certainly is reconciliation. :)
Also the users on this site don't retcon - retcon would imply we were actually contributing something official to the franchise, and we're not. We're interpreting things other people have officially created, that's a pretty important distinction.
'Aliens' retconned the existence of a Queen into the (off-screen) backstory of 'Alien'. The fans making up explanations for incorporating egg-morphing anyway is not a retcon. The AvPR blu-ray mentioning egg-morphing, however, could be seen as a retcon since it's officially licensed material.
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 16, 2012, 09:37:16 AM
If reinterpreting something results in fixing the problem, that certainly is reconciliation. :)
True.
But ignoring something isn't the same as reinterpreting it.
It can be... from a certain point of view.
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FOTgt6.jpg&hash=1f7a8443eed6e4ab89167f0459fbdbe49a1b4988)
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 16, 2012, 09:37:16 AM
If reinterpreting something results in fixing the problem, that certainly is reconciliation. :)
Also the users on this site don't retcon - retcon would imply we were actually contributing something official to the franchise, and we're not. We're interpreting things other people have officially created, that's a pretty important distinction.
'Aliens' retconned the existence of a Queen into the (off-screen) backstory of 'Alien'. The fans making up explanations for incorporating egg-morphing anyway is not a retcon. The AvPR blu-ray mentioning egg-morphing, however, could be seen as a retcon since it's officially licensed material.
The queen wasn't retconned, because they didn't have to alter anything previously established to create her.
Reinterpreting something so that it fits with canon sounds fine, but I've never seen someone on this site try and actually sort out the mess that is the EU and try and interpret it to where it all makes sense, retcon or no.
It would be a
daunting task.
QuoteThe queen wasn't retconned, because they didn't have to alter anything previously established to create her.
Sure they did, Cameron ignored the original egg-morphing concept. That, and a retcon is something that merely changes how you view previous works - it introduced the Queen concept, something that didn't previously exist in 'Alien'.
QuoteReinterpreting something so that it fits with canon sounds fine, but I've never seen someone on this site try and actually sort out the mess that is the EU and try and interpret it to where it all makes sense, retcon or no.
Predxeno and I do it fairly frequently. :P
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 16, 2012, 04:08:37 PM
QuoteThe queen wasn't retconned, because they didn't have to alter anything previously established to create her.
Sure they did, Cameron ignored the original egg-morphing concept. That, and a retcon is something that merely changes how you view previous works - it introduced the Queen concept, something that didn't previously exist in 'Alien'.
QuoteReinterpreting something so that it fits with canon sounds fine, but I've never seen someone on this site try and actually sort out the mess that is the EU and try and interpret it to where it all makes sense, retcon or no.
Predxeno and I do it fairly frequently. :P
That isn't what retcon means.
Retroactive continuity (retcon for short[1]) is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. From Wiki.
Egg morphing wasn't in the theatrical release, so there was no retcon required. All Cameron had to do was think up the queen and put her in the film. It was kind of natural considering facehuggers come from eggs and are parasitic, the insect thing, I mean.
Depends on how you want to look at it. We didn't know what the facts were surrounding the eggs in 'Alien', and 'Aliens' changed that. Likewise, the opening to 'Alien3' was a retcon - all of a sudden there were eggs on the Sulaco.
"Some retcons do not directly contradict previously established facts, but "fill in" missing background details, usually to support current plot points." also from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroactive_continuity#Addition). That's exactly what happened with the Queen concept, which is why the Queen is a retcon.
From Wiki:
QuoteRetcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course of events that would not have been possible in the story's original continuity
When you retcon something, the entire point of what makes it a retcon is that you have to change something that's already been established within a canon.
No origin for the egg was ever established in Alien, therefore the queen didn't change anything. It was simply the expansion of the Alien creature.
If Cameron did something like change the acid blood, and made up a story about how the Hadleys Aliens were exposed to something that neutralized their acidic blood, that would be a retcon in order to facilitate that change in fact established by Alien.
The queen is not. We can just agree to disagree, because that's my final answer. No negativity intended.
Very well, RagingDragon, you've made your point. Xenomrph's and my point is that we try to reinterpret the events of all the EU and movies so that they all fit in 1 continuity.
I am aware of this noble crusade.
What was the purpose of discussing whether the creation of the queen was a retcon or not?
The topic was continuity, in a thread about a new Aliens comic. :laugh:
A comic would definitely be taken more seriously, and lend a hand to repairing the franchise, if it were to stay as close to the movie canon as possible. But nobody holds comic books to that kind of standard anymore.
Regardless of whether people or not have that standard, comics do have a significant influence over the AVP EU canon.
QuoteWhen you retcon something, the entire point of what makes it a retcon is that you have to change something that's already been established within a canon.
No you don't, and I specifically cited a part of that very Wikipedia article that says as such. The Queen *is* a change. Previously it didn't exist, and now it does. That is a change.
QuoteA comic would definitely be taken more seriously, and lend a hand to repairing the franchise, if it were to stay as close to the movie canon as possible.
A lot of the EU does stay close to the movie canon (although "movie canon" is a hard thing to define, since the movies themselves vary so drastically from each other in terms of style, tone, and content - for example, which "movie canon" would you prefer they stay close to? 'Alien', or 'Aliens'?). Staying close to "the canon" isn't the solution. Having a quality product is the solution. 'Aliens' strayed from 'Alien' in a lot of ways, but most people ultimately didn't have a problem with it because it was a good movie.
Agreed, but still disagree about retcon point. By that logic, every change to a property would be considered retcon. I thought the entire point of having the word was to define when a writer went back and changed something established in the past to make the present story consistent?
Aliens didn't contradict anything in Alien that it couldn't explain. Even if the egg-morphing was in the theatrical release, it doesn't make the queen a retcon because for all we know, the aliens could do both life cycles. No foul requires no explanation, just expansion.
The EU has problems, but it pales in comparison to the AvP movies and their cornucopia of sloppy continuity errors.
The comics are just all over the place, and I think this is made worse by the fact that there hasn't really been a solid Aliens comic on-par with the movies and their level of storytelling and production since Nightmare Asylum. Some nice side stories, Eternal is one of my favorites, but no big central series that gives people that same magic that the movies had.
QuoteAgreed, but still disagree about retcon point. By that logic, every change to a property would be considered retcon.
Only changes that affect older materials or prior events. Introducing the Queen changed our perception of the eggs onboard the Derelict, especially for those who had read the movie's novelization or script and knew about the egg-morphing idea, because the implication was that all the eggs on the Derelict were the crew of the ship, morphed into eggs. It calls back to Lambert's ominous line when they're exploring, "Where's the rest of the crew...?".
The introduction of the Queen changed that, and filled in that gap in the Alien's lifecycle.
The revelation that Leia is Luke's sister is a retcon, but it doesn't actually contradict anything we didn't know - it just fills in more information, and by doing so it changes how we view those two characters and their interactions up to that point. Such as the scene in Empire Strikes Back where Leia kisses Luke - that scene evokes a completely different reaction from the audience with the later knowledge that they're brother and sister, even though that "fact" doesn't actually change anything within the story itself.
The 'Saw' series is filled top-to-bottom with retcons, revelations that certain characters were in certain locations or did certain things which changes your perceptions of how those events originally played out. The events themselves didn't change, but learning that other things were happening "off-camera" that don't actually contradict what was going on in the prior movies, they just fill in blanks.
QuoteThe EU has problems, but it pales in comparison to the AvP movies and their cornucopia of sloppy continuity errors.
I dunno, I've been able to work around a good number of the "continuity errors" in the AvP movies.
I understand your points. We'll just have to have different definitions of retcon, as the word retroactive continuity implies changing something in the past to allow for the present and that's what I believe it means.
The thing about the eggs in the derelict all being from the crew I have several issues with. Where was the drone to incapacitate and turn all of them into the eggs? Why did a ship that size have so many crew members? How did they all get so neatly placed in the holding areas that looked like they were specifically designed to transport large numbers of eggs? From the audiences point of view, it appears that the eggs were very much there on purpose, hence the protective fields, and that the Derelict might have actually been piloted by only a single crew member thanks to the one funky seat. I always thought that, or that the rest of the crew was killed by the jockey chestburster that also was missing.
I'm sure if you read the novel you could have arrived at the more unnatural conclusion of "all of these eggs may have been morphed" since that deleted scene was the only evidence of any life cycle at that point, but the normal reaction to an egg is "what laid the egg?" The queen to me was just a natural next step.
I've just never heard that theory and don't buy it at all. It's very illogical unless it was explained in the story, like the Jockeys let the Aliens morph a bunch of eggs for them in a controlled setting.
Quote from: Xenomrph on Feb 16, 2012, 08:17:23 PM
I dunno, I've been able to work around a good number of the "continuity errors" in the AvP movies.
Yes, I bet you have.
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstarsmedia.ign.com%2Fstars%2Fimage%2Farticle%2F875%2F875845%2Fhero-showdown-indiana-jones-vs-han-solo-20080521032849568-000.jpg&hash=98fad89abbcfb683a27586c95c75d09af9d83f2c)
;)
Quotethe word retroactive continuity implies changing something in the past to allow for the present and that's what I believe it means.
Retroactive means it's taking something in the present and applying it to the past. That's what the word means (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retroactive). :)
Quote
The thing about the eggs in the derelict all being from the crew I have several issues with. Where was the drone to incapacitate and turn all of them into the eggs? Why did a ship that size have so many crew members? How did they all get so neatly placed in the holding areas that looked like they were specifically designed to transport large numbers of eggs?
While those are valid points, the "crew is the eggs" intention is actually what was intended by the egg-morphing scene when they were making the movie. The original filmmaker's intention was that the audience was supposed to see the egg-morphing scene and make the connection that that's where eggs come from, and therefore all the eggs on the Derelict were once living beings that got egg-morphed. I'm not just making that up off-the-cuff as an alternate interpretation, that's literally the point of the egg-morphing scene according to the creators.
Keep in mind that the hole Kane descends through isn't a natural hole, it's got burnt and corroded edges all around that look like acid-scarring. It's not like it was an intentional hatch or ladder descending into the cargo hold. Also, the eggs aren't in neat rows in 'Alien' - they're scattered all over, just like they are in the hive in 'Aliens'.
Yes, they change the past from the present, or basically change something in the present that effects the past. I think we're dancing around word use.
I didn't know that about the origins of egg-morphing and the derelict scenes, it's very interesting. I do recall the eggs being scattered around very hive-like, and the floor had sticky resin covering it, but I always assumed it grew from the eggs.
The egg-morphing is very alien, but it seems like the queen made the alien a more dangerous and rapidly-producing organism. In my personal opinion, I like to think that all of the life-cycles apply to the alien, they're just for different circumstances to ensure survival.
hanks for sharing your knowledge of the movies, I enjoy learning new things about them after all of these years. I'm too cheap to get the Anthology, only have the Alien Triple Pack from Wal-Mart :D Shame on me.
QuoteIn my personal opinion, I like to think that all of the life-cycles apply to the alien, they're just for different circumstances to ensure survival.
That's how the "Weyland-Yutani Archive" on the AvPR blu-ray approaches it - it reintroduced the egg-morphing concept into "the canon" and said it was an alternate method used in certain situations, but that the queen method is their normal reproductive method.
Maybe we spend more time discussing the new Keith/Laymen entry instead of bickering over the same life cycle and canon arguments that already have dedicated threads? For instance, the bobble head could have been an experiment conducted by human scientists in a lab which became over run and eventually hived. It doesn't likey have anything to do with Prometheus or the SJ's, as much as I would like for it too.
Bad(ish) news.
John Layman and Sam Keith are in the credits for Dark Horse Presents #12, #13 and #14 (#15 isn't up yet), and are listed as writing Aliens in #12 and #13. Maybe by four-issue mini-series, he meant four-part serial. :(
Good news
Ghost is getting rebooted in #13! :D
Quote from: dragonthingy on May 07, 2012, 02:02:30 PM
Bad(ish) news.
John Layman and Sam Keith are in the credits for Dark Horse Presents #12, #13 and #14 (#15 isn't up yet), and are listed as writing Aliens in #12 and #13. Maybe by four-issue mini-series, he meant four-part serial. :(
Good news
Ghost is getting rebooted in #13! :D
Why is Layman's and Keith's new Alien series bad news?
He was saying it was bad news that it wasn't an actual separate miniseries but was just a serialed story in DHP.
Wow is that a brand new Alien comic book series if so thats great.
When will it come out?.
It's not, it's a new Aliens story being printed in a few issues of Dark Horse Presents.
QuoteWhy is Layman's and Keith's new Alien series bad news?
Because-
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Faznbadger.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F11%2Fqueen_mother.jpg&hash=73d2e6400c6cf5b420382461a6474014470d1ff1)
Quote from: SM on May 08, 2012, 11:07:58 PM
QuoteWhy is Layman's and Keith's new Alien series bad news?
Because-
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Faznbadger.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F11%2Fqueen_mother.jpg&hash=73d2e6400c6cf5b420382461a6474014470d1ff1)
Where is that comic scan from? It looks so familiar.
Earth War.
The first time Sam Kieth did Aliens.
And sucked hard.
I think a massive reason for the bad art in Earth War was the absolutely abominable colouring Dark horse had in the late 80's and early 90's. I think it reached its worst in Earth War and Rogue (good god, Rogue). The colouring for the DHP cover is noticeably better.
The colouring, while bad, was only one factor. The artwork was simply rubbish. And the writing wasn't much better to be honest.
Coming off the heels of Book 2 only made it 100 times worse.
To be fair the 90s were a terrible time for comic coloring.
Computers were just getting good and affordable enough for companies to use digital coloring and digital color separation, but most of it sucked. It was a trial period. There were some good computer colorists, but it didn't become widespread until the late 90s/early 2000s. Also the popular digital coloring style of the 90s was airbrushing and it didn't quite work usually.
The 80s still used manual hand coloring, and as a result the coloring was not as detailed, but they felt more solid. The 2000s-current digital coloring just blows everything else away though in terms of detail and effects though.
I don't buy that as an excuse. Book 2 was awesome as it gets (okay it was airbrushed). But there were many Aliens comics that followed in the early 90s that didn't have shit artwork or colouring. Some did, but a lot didn't.
SM is right...kinda just the facts ;)
I'm willing to give Sam Keith the benefit of the doubt, maybe his ability to draw Aliens has improved in the 20 years or whatever since Book 3 came out, I dunno. I haven't seen any of his recent work.
Then again maybe we'll have a repeat of AvP Three World War where the covers were pretty great, but then the interior art done by literally the same artist was total shit. :(
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/Previews/18-000?page=0 (http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/Previews/18-000?page=0)
The first two pages are on preview. The art's wierd and different, but still good IMO.
Wait, Dark Horse Presents is in color now? Its whole gimmick back in the day was that it was always black and white.
I know this was a while back now, but I just gotta address this:
Quote from: RagingDragon on Feb 16, 2012, 09:02:51 PM
The thing about the eggs in the derelict all being from the crew I have several issues with. Where was the drone to incapacitate and turn all of them into the eggs? Why did a ship that size have so many crew members? How did they all get so neatly placed in the holding areas that looked like they were specifically designed to transport large numbers of eggs? From the audiences point of view, it appears that the eggs were very much there on purpose, hence the protective fields, and that the Derelict might have actually been piloted by only a single crew member thanks to the one funky seat. I always thought that, or that the rest of the crew was killed by the jockey chestburster that also was missing.
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi331.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fl476%2FMr_Domino0990%2Feggchamber1.jpg&hash=f1c81ab810c5677aaf9d3c1953685ce80d1b3fd4)
Don't tell me you never wondered what eldritch horrors lay around that corner.
That corner probably haunted me more in my youth than any other part of the film.
QuoteDon't tell me you never wondered what eldritch horrors lay around that corner.
More of the same.
seems interesting, the writer writes the comic book Chew so the comic does have hope.
Quote from: Xenomrph on May 12, 2012, 06:01:23 PM
Wait, Dark Horse Presents is in color now? Its whole gimmick back in the day was that it was always black and white.
Dark Horse Presents Volume One was in Black and white, since all of their comics were at the time. When they started doing things in colour, they kept DHP in black and white and created Dark Horse Comics, which was the same except in colour. Eventually, both were cancelled in the late 90s/early 2000s. They then made Dark Horse Presents Volume Two in colour as an online comic, before cancelling it 2010 I think. They then created Dark Horse Presents Volume Three, which is in colour.
Quote from: SM on May 12, 2012, 11:38:08 PM
QuoteDon't tell me you never wondered what eldritch horrors lay around that corner.
More of the same.
What makes you think that? How do you know?
That's Mr. Domino's point and that's what makes it scary. :)
Quote from: Mr. Domino on May 12, 2012, 10:02:20 PM
Don't tell me you never wondered what eldritch horrors lay around that corner.
Probably space dogs in biological suits.
Quote from: dragonthingy on May 13, 2012, 01:30:25 AM
Quote from: Xenomrph on May 12, 2012, 06:01:23 PM
Wait, Dark Horse Presents is in color now? Its whole gimmick back in the day was that it was always black and white.
Dark Horse Presents Volume One was in Black and white, since all of their comics were at the time. When they started doing things in colour, they kept DHP in black and white and created Dark Horse Comics, which was the same except in colour. Eventually, both were cancelled in the late 90s/early 2000s. They then made Dark Horse Presents Volume Two in colour as an online comic, before cancelling it 2010 I think. They then created Dark Horse Presents Volume Three, which is in colour.
Wasn't the first Predator comic one of Dark Horse's first ever all color comics? I seem to recall the letters page at the end of one of the issues praising the fact.
As for Aliens Book 2's art...it is probably some of the hands down best art I have ever seen in a comic. That guy is amazingly talented with an airbrush.
Dark Horse Presents #15 also has part of the Aliens story, meaning that it will run from #12 to at least #15. But it doesn't mention that its the final installment of the story...
Quote from: dragonthingy on May 12, 2012, 02:44:50 PM
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/Previews/18-000?page=0 (http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/Previews/18-000?page=0)
The first two pages are on preview. The art's wierd and different, but still good IMO.
ugh... More of the same...
I'll get it for nostalgia's sake.
In comic shops tomorrow:
http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/18-000/Dark-Horse-Presents-12-Sam-Kieth-cover (http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/18-000/Dark-Horse-Presents-12-Sam-Kieth-cover)
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/952 (http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/952)
Finally...
;D
Awesome find. I'm buying the digital copy of it; I'll wait for some kinda TPB before I buy it in print, especially if the only reason I'm getting it is because of just 1 story in the entire book.
EDIT: Holy Shit, the digital version of the book is $6.99. I love the book, but I don't want to spend that amount of money only for one story. Has anyone else bought/read this Aliens story yet? How long is it and is it any good? If it's only a short story, I may wait for a TPB, but if it's a long one that actually has a good plot, I may consider buying it.
Overall, I've really hated the model for the new DHP since it's inception a year ago. $7.99 is too much to ask people to pay when you're only giving them 8-9 pages of any given story, and as such, I've not yet started getting the book.
That being said, having preordered all the Aliens issues, and having flipped through today's issue without actually reading it yet, I'm much more excited to read a few of the other things in it than the Aliens tale, which looks to be shit (not judging on the story yet, but Layman and Keith make for a bad combo in this particular fictional universe). But, in the back of the book, there's the first chapters of a new Dean Motter Mister X story and a new Baron & Rude Nexus tale, along with a pit of prose from Harlan Ellison, all of which sound awesome. So, my advice - come for the Aliens, stay for the stuff that's actually worth reading.
ok, So aftering reading this comic i was reallly disappointed by the overall art and writing :-\. Layman just gives us a taste of the story of the 8 page spread and it didn't hold me maybe it was the lack of pages but the art is what threw me off. The Aliens just don't look right. Good thing i picked up The untold stories Punisher max that day. ;D