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ALIEN PARADISO #2: “In 2122, the multinational corporation Weyland-Yutani discovered a dangerous alien species known as Xenomorphs on the moon LV426.
After the crew of their ship the Nostromo was ravaged by the creatures, W-Y covered up the catastrophe, leaving space travelers vulnerable to the extraterrestrial threat. In 2153, criminal Ricky Valentine and his team arrived at the resort colony Paradiso to form an alliance with the Arrow of Gold cartel.
Alerted to the deal, undercover Marshals Dash Nanda and Lydia Reeves came to Paradiso to bust Valentine’s illegal enterprise. The meeting went awry when only one member of
the cartel showed — and an alien burst out of his chest! Now Paradiso’s owner, Carlito Magni, has put the entire island on lockdown — trapping his guests inside with a deadly Xenomorph while at least three other creatures roam the grounds, unbeknownst to the guests and Marshals…”-Marvel Comics
Steve Foxe (WRITER) Edgar Salazar (PENICLER) Victor Nava (INKER) Carlos Lopez (COLORIST) Peter Nguyen (XENOMORPH POV ARTIST) VC’s Clayton Cowles (LETTERS) Iban Coello and Yen Nitro (COVER)
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD**
Starting With the Art:
We have to start with the artwork because this run although 2 issues may be an early contender for best artwork in 2025. Carlos colors the Xenomorphs with a perfect shine to them. The sleek black color is shining off of the panels as they stalk their prey. Edgar and Victor draw the Xenomorphs with such a fluidity that leaves us in awe at how quickly they can move.
There is one scene in particular that is so mind-blowing it may also go down as the death of the year. The burst of reds mixed in with bits of the body as it explodes I don’t want to give too much away but, if you are one with a weak stomach look away. Peter again brings a uniqueness to this issue as we see through the eyes of the hunter. The 3d almost vibrating artwork is robotic but, there is a kill scene where the blood mixes in with the shine and again, it is so unique and amazing.
The Story:
Steve does a splendid job making this seem like every vacationer’s first-world problem being locked in and complaining. The inhabitants of the island are unaware of the danger they are in and it makes this story all the more exciting and slow building to a horrific event. We haven’t dove more into our cop friends but, we did get a flashback sequence into one of the characters who we thought were mere hired muscle.
Building on these side characters and fleshing them out allows the reader to connect and begin to care about what happens to them as this story unfolds.
Overall:
Alien Paradiso #2 continues to be an incredible entry into the Alien franchise. The slow building tense horror pays off as the kills are vicious and primal. This is an absolute must-read and pick-up.
OVERALL GRADE: 9.5/10
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