Dark Horse To Reboot Comic Series

[Ultramorph]

Chris Roberson spoke to CBR today, and dropped some info on his Aliens series:

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/07/talking-comics-with-tim-chris-roberson-on-edison-rex-aliens/

Scott Allie recently tweeted about your upcoming Aliens: Fire and Stone work in an interesting way: "Just read the final issue of Aliens: Fire & Stone. We asked @chris_roberson for a Twilight Zone ending. We got one. Bravo." Without giving anything away, care to discuss what he meant by Twilight Zone?

Well, one of the things that Scott and I discussed from pretty much the first moment that I was brought onto the Aliens project was that we wanted to get back to the "haunted house" feel of the original film, and away from the more militaristic vibe that the franchise took on with the second film and beyond. I love Colonial Marines and logged a LOT of hours playing as one in the Aliens Vs. Predators 2 game on my PC years ago. But the characters in our new series are not people trained to deal with dangerous combat situations. They are blue collar workers, technicians, engineers, teachers, and so on. And so the vibe of our story, from beginning to end, isn't about big action showdowns, but about a different kind of survival, or lack thereof. That's probably the most definite I can get without venturing into spoiler territory!

Secondly, what is it like to work with a widely respected and experienced editor like Allie?

It's fantastic, of course! I've been a fan of Dark Horse since the earliest days of the company, and a fan of the stuff that Scott has done since he came onboard, so it's been a real thrill to be a part of it. And everyone on the team, from my direct editor Philip Simon to my collaborator Patric Reynolds and on, has been just an absolute pleasure to work with!

CBR interviewed you about this upcoming Aliens work back in March. Then you noted: "Dark Horse got their hands on some production bible stuff from the studio, and we got to see a little bit of that." As a fan of the original films, how thrilling was it to get ahold of that material or what little you got to see of it.

I've just been continually impressed with how detailed everything that we've seen from Fox about the Aliens universe is. They really do take that universe seriously! And that's been a very useful resource, but also kind of a challenge, because there are high standards we have to reach!

Also, in that interview, you mention going back and rewatching the films for inspiration/background on the project. What was it like to watch the films through the eyes of a veteran writer (as opposed to your mindset when you first saw them years ago)?

I actually rewatched and re-rewatched (sometimes repeatedly) all of the films, but the first two in particular. And it is kind of humbling to see how perfectly put together both Alien and Aliens are from a narrative standpoint, and what a phenomenal job that the filmmakers and screenwriters and in particular Sigourney Weaver did in developing Ripley as a character. And just as a viewer who tends to pay attention to the nuts and bolts of filmmaking, it's pretty remarkable that those two films haven't really aged at all in the intervening decades. They look as good or better than anything that's in theaters now!

Not much new, but he seems to be echoing Jim Moore in saying that Fox is taking the universe seriously these days. He probably saw some early stuff from the W-Y Report. Also, a "Twilight Zone" ending? Sounds interesting.

[happypred]

The longest preview yet?

http://blurppy.com/2014/09/02/get-your-first-look-at-dark-horse-comics-aliens-fire-stone-1/

[Kimarhi]

........................preview made me have childhood flashbacks


got all nostalgic and shit.

[axor]

is he fighting an engineer?

[MrSpaceJockey]

Was Calpamos ever a official name.  I feel like it was invented for the Alien wikia and now, in an act of irony, it's inclusion in this comic will really render it official.

[Quarax]

Was Calpamos ever a official name.  I feel like it was invented for the Alien wikia and now, in an act of irony, it's inclusion in this comic will really render it official.

That's what it seems like: http://www.alienexperience.com/forum/index.php?topic=7203.0

I wonder what wikis he was referring to there. This is the earliest use I could find: http://alienfilmspedia.wikia.com/wiki/Archeron_(LV-426)?action=history

[MrSpaceJockey]

Hm, you're right.  I've definitely stumbled across that page before but I never realized his query dates back to 2009, while I only saw the name Calpamos on a wiki page dated to 2012.  Peculiar.

Also, ugh, that alienfilmspedia misspells Acheron. 

[Corporal Hicks]

The Alien TBP is out today.

http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/22-322/Aliens-Fire-and-Stone-TPB



The most terrifying creatures in the universe collide!

During a vicious xenomorph outbreak, terraforming engineer Derrick Russell leads a desperate group of survivors onto a rickety mining vessel. They hope to escape the creatures overrunning their colony—but they'll face horrors both in space and on the strange planet where they crash. Ties in with the Prometheus and Aliens films! Collects the four-issue miniseries.

* From critically acclaimed writer Chris Roberson!

"This is the way I want an Aliens comic to be: frantic, exciting, scary, and well illustrated."—SciFiPulse

A Universe of terror drawn to one world!

CREATORS

Writer:
Chris Roberson
Artist:
Patric Reynolds
Colorist:
Dave Stewart
Cover Artist:
David Palumbo
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science-Fiction
Publication Date:
May 13, 2015
Format:
FC, 104 pages; TPB, 7" x 10'
Price:
$14.99
Age range:
14
ISBN-10:
1-61655-655-2
ISBN-13:
978-1-61655-655-6

[Ultramorph]

The complete Fire and Stone hardcover has an official release date and some interesting info:

Dark Horse will collect the five divergent miniseries crossovers that documented a new chapter in the doomed Prometheus expedition from different perspectives (see "Dark Horse Adds 'Prometheus,' Reboots 'Aliens,' 'Predators,' & 'AvP'") in Prometheus: The Complete Fire and Stone.  The book collects the Prometheus: Fire and Stone, Aliens: Fire and Stone, Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone, and Predator: Fire and Stone four-issue miniseries, as well as the Prometheus: Fire and Stone -Omega one-shot.  The 480-page release will also include over 80 pages of new material.  Release is planned for October 21. MSRP is $49.99.

http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/31661/dark-horses-high-profile-october-hardcovers

I'm very interested to see the 80 pages of extras! I hope some of it is the original, pre-restart "lost issues."

[RakaiThwei]

I'm very interested to see the 80 pages of extras! I hope some of it is the original, pre-restart "lost issues."

By "lost" issues, are we talking about Fire and Stone as it was originally intended before Fox's mandate of the changes?

[Ultramorph]

Yup.

[RakaiThwei]

Yup.

I saw some of the ideas which they had, especially for Elden in the Prometheus TPB.

Apparently, he was going to be a Sil like creature. Even going as far as to switching genders, being labled as Eldena, and was depicted being pregnant in female form... pregnant with facehuggers, which would've birthed "artificial' aliens.

[Ultramorph]

They certainly had some weird ideas.

I like how they were originally going to show the evolution of the Deacon into the traditional Xeno.

[cloverfan98]

The complete Fire and Stone hardcover has an official release date and some interesting info:

Dark Horse will collect the five divergent miniseries crossovers that documented a new chapter in the doomed Prometheus expedition from different perspectives (see "Dark Horse Adds 'Prometheus,' Reboots 'Aliens,' 'Predators,' & 'AvP'") in Prometheus: The Complete Fire and Stone.  The book collects the Prometheus: Fire and Stone, Aliens: Fire and Stone, Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone, and Predator: Fire and Stone four-issue miniseries, as well as the Prometheus: Fire and Stone -Omega one-shot.  The 480-page release will also include over 80 pages of new material.  Release is planned for October 21. MSRP is $49.99.

http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/31661/dark-horses-high-profile-october-hardcovers

I'm very interested to see the 80 pages of extras! I hope some of it is the original, pre-restart "lost issues."

I have yet to read any of the four series so this is great news for me. I will definitely be picking this up.

[TheBATMAN]

Not to be a pessimist but I'd say the 80 pages of extras will just be the combined sketch book notes rather than 'new' material per say.