Aliens is one of the most influential sci-fi movies of all time, it has reached everything from movies to television to video games. This genre buster has spawned a loyal and feverish group of fans. As a proud member of this group, I anxiously awaited this comic reboot looking forward to diving into the universe once again.

Note: Aliens: Fire and Stone #1 takes place before the events of Prometheus: Fire and Stone #1.
We are immediately thrown into the action as we witness civilians of the ill-fated colony Hadley’s Hope being slaughtered by xenomorphs. This was a neat beginning, as this is a topic not often visited. A glimpse into the fate of the colonists was a nice touch. As everyone is escaping, we are introduced to Russell who oversaw the terraforming operation.
After running into Genevieve Dione (supervisor and teacher) and Nolan Cale (prospector and surveyor), Russell formulates a plan to leave the planet. I must admit, in all of my viewings of Aliens I had never once considered that some of the colonists might have made it off the planet. This is a nice twist to the mythos and also aids in merging the world of Prometheus.
As is the case for most first issues, the goal is to grab your attention enough to warrant reading the entire series. I felt Chris Roberson did an excellent job with the pacing. There is a nice balance of action, suspense, and character introduction. The three main characters seem interesting, especially Russell. Is he a reformed company man after these events or does he still have his own agenda?
Patrick Reynolds does his part making everything come alive. He captures the tone of Aliens with a military and gritty vibe. The xenomorphs look fantastic, looking like the wonderfully terrible creatures they are. The humans are well done too, pairing up well with Roberson’s dialogue.

Summary

Back to back solid debuts for start of this story arc. I will not ruin it, but I did enjoy how the issue merged the worlds of Aliens and Prometheus. So far, so good for Dark Horse. Let us hope they can breathe new life into Predator and Aliens vs. Predator as well!

Release Date: 9/24/14

Writer: Chris Roberson

Artist: Patric Reynolds