Marvel Alien - For Aliens fanboys

I might check this out.

There are a bunch of drones and xenomorph warriors there. There is also the runner alien, Hammerpede, and the covenant xenomorphs evident.

And then there's this.

Shaw came to life and set out to destroy humanity?

That Marvel Alien is like a tasteless hotchpotch of poorly mixed alien leftovers, I can hardly think of something more uninspiring. 

It seems the end is nearer than ever.

Your complaint seems to be about relying too much on past things, right? I don't have any dislike against Aliens but I think that it's time to move on. The prequels tried new things but were not successful, but that isn't to say that trying something new in itself is bad.

What would you have liked them to do for you to be interested? I ask this as a person that isn't into expanded universe type things. We all have our likes and dislikes.

I would like to see new species, new worlds, and that, like Star Trek, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings tried and why not? Comics can be used for this before you try to throw it into movies. Try to throw other things into it, as long as the central theme and some of the related monsters are there.

Maybe try something with the engineers? Fire and Stone tried this so it can be done. They can try to expand on the engineers and introduce other civilizations that might be in competition with them over something.

Looking at the colors I would say that I don't like that light-blue thing. Keep it in the dark, it works best that way. If that's a sign of how they will do it in the future then they need to go back to the drawing-board. Keep the monsters in the dark, that goes for movies also. We'll see about the rest.

Anything but this.

Can you be more specific? Anything but seems to be a very broad answer. Can you give some example, so I can understand what you would like to see? Using a lot of familiar things isn't the way to go, I agree with that. Something with the Engineers could be interesting or even better introduce new things.

To be fair this was to be Expected as Comics are more Popcorn Action anyway... and while it may NOT give us any Deep Story or Back Ground especially those looking to get more Insight into the Engineers... this kind of Popcorn Action has a Market and a Viable and Profitable one for DISNEY.

There was some Original ish Ideas and NEW Directions with the Prequels but a LOT of that stuff just NEVER went down to well and to Further Explore such Directions could be something that SIMPLY would NOT make as Much Money as say seeing a Predator Rock up on a Engineer Installation and go Hunting! etc.

I think that YES as you say Thoughts_Dreams the PLOT of the Prequels could have OPENED UP to many Worlds, Species and Conflicts.. i think this is what Ridley Scott had in Mind... but we would SPLINTER OFF to a Different Direction  that would STEER from the Xenomorph which some Purist may FEEL is NOT what we should be doing.

so maybe trying to make our own Star Trek/Star Wars out of the ALIEN Franchise would be something thats a RISK, that you would then be Compared to TRYING to COPY those Franchises and the Chance of Success could be FAR outweighed by the Chance of Disappointment.

So maybe the Franchise has to STICK to its BASICS..

I think ONCE the Franchise has Ran its NEW COURSE and maybe Cooked the Goose a bit more... maybe then Disney could look at WHAT ELSE they could Explore... but i Suspect they would look to RETCON the Space Jockey.

But for NOW then Disney has to look at what is more Marketable to Fans and Especially the YOUNGSTERS and those who Enjoyed the OLD Comic Era of 90s when they was Younger.

Everything about this Marvel Alien seems silly, from what I've seen so far. To bring back Bishop is an even worse idea than to bring back Ripley. Not to mention the cat. For some reason it's a black cat. And then there are too many xenomorphs and a nest like in Aliens. And a red paint writing on a window: Alien inside. Inside whom?

I'm curious about one thing only in these comics: what's the name of the cat?

How is bringing Bishop back a problem?  He's a machine.  One of a particular model.  That sounds like saying 'bringing back an APC is silly because it was blown up in Aliens'.

S.M

Because he's a character that we have seen before. I would react in the same way if they brought back Ripley, Vasques, or even Dillon which is an interesting character by the way. Even if he's was an android he was acted as if he was a human although a very human-ish synthetic. Stop recycling things and do something new.

An APC isn't something that is programmed to remind of a human or that can do human things. Your idea works at a surface level but when you think about it a bit more it doesn't. Even machines can be programmed to perform different tasks. An APC isn't something that is programmed to remind of a human or that can do human things, androids in the alien-franchise do.

BD

“So maybe the Franchise has to STICK to its BASICS..”

The problem with that is like I wrote to SuperAlien that you get the 25th adventure of Bishop, you simply repeat the same thing too many times. Some might say that he is a legendary character and that Aliens was successful, but it's not fun to repeat the same thing again and again because you might take away what was special when they first introduced the character. I would react in the same way if they have Bishop in a future alien-movie if we will get one even if you explain it with that Bishop isn't a person but a series of androids like you could have David 8, David 9, and so on.

Speaking of basic, Daniels could be an example. To me she was too much like Ripley but with less personality. Unfortunately Shaw was annoying but that's not to say that you should rely the personality of a tried character, it means that you should do a better one. Other movies have gotten their characters right but without the Ripley thing so the Alien-franchise could do that also. What about a character that is shy, that is in the background that has to step up not because he or she is a strong character but because he or she has to forced by circumstances and we don't expect that from the character so when that happens we are like “wow! I didn't expect that”. To me that would be great instead of having another Ripley-person. Time to move on from legendary characters no matter how successful they were.

Another thing is to have a character that we like but that isn't too much of the focus. You focus more on team-dynamics. Most movies in the franchise has had a distinct main-character, what if that was less the case in a future movie. Would that work? Not sure but it’s an idea that they could try.

You mention to copy those things, I don't think that needs to be the case. If they do it in smart ways then I don't think that they necessarily need to be accused of doing that. As long as they are good movies that also have their own things even if they try to throw in things from other movies it might work. You need to be able to use new things while also find what makes alien into alien.

Superalien

You're right that they should try new characters, a comic book could be a place for that. If you see that something worked in the past then there's a risk to get stuck in that. After a while it gets boring so it's time to move on. Bishop was an android, you could get new android characters that are different in their personality. What about an android that has both sides of Bishop and David? Not sure what the purpose of an android like that would be but its something different but it must make sense so maybe that's a bad idea unless it’s an android made by other androids in a future where androids have become so advanced so they rebel against humans. They use an android that humans feel comfortable with that infiltrates human organizations. Maybe it's too much like Terminator.

They should try new monsters, at least that is something that the prequels did right. You are right that they don't need Xenos and a hive, time for something new. Aliens and Alien Resurrection did that, time for something else.

Saying that bringing back a dead human character is just like bringing back Bishop is beyond asinine.

This is effectively a relaunch with a new publisher and they'll be trying to attract new readers.  You go with what's familiar - Aliens, marines etc.  Bishop ties into that.  He's a machine - a model that works with marine units.  It makes perfect sense. Comparing him to a dead human is nonsense.

Dark Horse did the same thing by having their first series revolve around Hicks and Newt.

And how is horn-lady not "something new"?

I think Marvel missed another opportunity to start anew. They could have hinted to what's in the store already without using the same android, at least. This is so absolutely lame. Although I like Lance Henriksen, Bishop was pretty dull as a character, I actually think his best performance was in Alien3. Why bring him back? Because Marvel can only create popcorn, with superficial and predictable stories, so you get nothing more, but at least it is nicely packed, glimmering and glossy, with colorful ribbons around it.

Alien is not in good hands now.

I knew Marvel would screw this up

"I knew Marvel would screw this up"

I don't know about that...the comic seems very Alien to me....there isn't a sign of Captain America or Rocket Racoon blasting xeno's ( yet ).

I think we have no idea how bad this can go.

I'd much rather they stick to basics and not bring in superheroes and toss the xeno out with the bath water.

OK, we have some text samples of the new Marvel Alien. I have the feeling that the writing and the pictures don't exactly fit in the best way, except for, maybe the last image posted below, that's more in the spirit of Alien and resembling an image of Death itself, as portayed in medieval religious art.

An insatiable mass of writhing, gnashing death, hunting for any sprig of uncorrupted life.

Beetles on the corpse of creation.

Her eyes are blind, cloudy and still. Her breasts unburdened by breath or heartbeat.

Too sharp details of the xenomorphs and the blue background are something that I would have been avoided.

I would have blurred and darkened the monsters, in a lovecraftian way. What one can imagine from lesser detail could be a lot scarier that what one sees in spotlight. Rust and bones, decay, biomechanical Alien.

And there is no point to add the hammerpede, bad call, even if you use the Prometheus blue.

So, if Marvel want to get to the spirit of Alien, they have to get rid of the glitter and shine they are using for their superheroes. That's my opinion.

 The below image is actually a variant cover by Ryan Brown, and unfortunately my favorite will not be in the first Marvel Alien, which is illustrated by Salvador Larroca.

Such a pity.

There will be a new breed of xenomorphs, the Alpha.

I wonder if they got that inspiration from BigDave, who had a topic titled Alien Alpha.

S. M

“Saying that bringing back a dead human character is just like bringing back Bishop is beyond asinine.”

I wasn't trying to be that exact, my point was that it becomes about recycling characters. Get a writer that knows how to make good stories and well done characters while bringing something new.

“You go with what's familiar - Aliens, marines etc. Bishop ties into that.”

I understand that but then there is a risk that you get too much stuck in the past. From a business thing I get it when people buy familiar things but to me it's not fun to have a franchise where we see the same things over and over again. Maybe it works for a while but eventually people might get bored by it at some point.

“Dark Horse did the same thing by having their first series revolve around Hicks and Newt.”

I haven't read anything from Dark Horse, so I can't comment on that in detail. About Hicks and Newt they have never been my reason for finding this franchise interesting even though they are alright as characters.

The horn-lady and the Hammerpede yeah but most of the characters were either reminiscent of old monsters or characters that were reminiscent of old (soldiers) but it still has the Bishop-character, and more marines. Not to say that marines must be something bad but there is a risk that you treat it too much like it has been for many years. I would like to see new things, not rely on what we saw in the 1980s or whatever. The past has had its share of good things but some time you got to move on.

My hope is that they use the comics to try new stuff, new monsters, new worlds and that. It seems to me to be a less risky thing than to throw them directly into the movies. If people start to appreciate new things in comics then it might spread to the movies also (appreciation for new things, or attempts at new things).

Dark Horse eventually drifted away from Newt and Hicks after Female War as they began focusing on original characters and expanding out the alien universe beyond Ripley, Hicks, Newt, Bishop, Colonial Marines, and Weyland Yutani.

I mean Weyland-Yutani Corporation didn't even come into the picture until what Alien Berserker which was Book 5 or 6?

The Earth War series was very gutsy since it had the xenomorphs ultimately take over earth and it took several stories later until the Earth was reclaimed again by completely different characters unrelated to the original trilogy heroes.

There were a few comics centered around an unknown extraterrestrial protagonist fighting off the xenomorphs and one comic were an extraterrestrial cook was cooking a facehugger like a hamburger patty.

Now there was a few comics that didn't follow or were loosely connected with the main comics' continuity and were therefore standalone stories.

"To bring back Bishop is an even worse idea than to bring back Ripley."

As SM had Mentioned this is Viable... and Especially in a Comic/Animation  as you can still GET There Likeness without Expensive CGI (or Naff CGI) a Synthetic is IMMORTAL as long as their Memory Banks etc are Intact of have been Uploaded prior to Destruction etc.

But YES the Comic just seems to be a Fan Service Fest!

@Thoughts_Dreams

what i mean by going back to Basics is essentially what SM had wrote " You go with what's familiar - Aliens, marines etc" so its NOT so much about just Bishop but that the Comics and Games will likely STICK to what we are Familiar with from the Original Quadrilogy rather than go too DEEP into Mythos and things like the Prequels... essentially YES its a Fan Service... but it has a Market and would appear to be more FINANCIALLY a Safe Bet than to go and introduce something thats NOT-SO Familar, this was tried with the Prequels but the Fanbase seems to NOT be as Receptive.

So they will LIKELY stick to what they DEEM had worked and what is WELL KNOWN about the Franchise... which i am NOT a FAN of as all these Comics/Novels do seem to just Re-Hash the same thing and they can  get Repetitive but there is a Market for it..

A Big Gripe for me is INDEED the bringing back of Characters who are GONE/DEAD from the Franchise, but these Comics, Books and Games would do so to MAKE MONEY and they are essentially like Retcons/Reboots of Sorts.

NOW i dont mind when we have Stories that are SET in the Franchise with certain Characters that are Loosely Connected like Amanda Ripley and her Adventures.. but i dont AGREE with Stories like where Ripley has other ALIEN/XENOMORPH encounters prior to ALIENS or after etc.

I would rather them do a Comic Continuation to Alien Resurrection where we could see RIPLEY 8 Evolve into that kind of Female we see in THIS Comic ;)

Regarding a BISHOP Story... well they could have Recovered him from Fury 161 and used his DATA to Study the Xenomorph/Findings.... you could have his AI then realize the Company are trying to OBTAIN a Specimen and then find a WAY or someone to UPLOAD him to a New Model in a attempt to SABOTAGE the Companies Plans.

Maybe we should NOT take the Comics too Seriously and just Enjoy them as Alternative Canon and Fun?

I would LOVE to see more Mythos, Engineers, Starbeast and a HR Giger meets HP Lovecraft kind of Universe but i am NOT sure we would ever get something like that.