The team went searching for the Phoenix Egg but instead found something much more deadly and now bring their deadly cargo on a collision course with Earth! It’s Xenomorphs against our beloved X-Men in a fight the mutants may not be able to win.
Creative Team: Kieron Gillen, Geraldo Borges, Andrew Dalhouse, Travis Lanham, Ryan Stegman, and Marcelo Maiolo.
This is a joint review by Matt and Eddie of Nerd Initiative!
The Story:
Matt: This has been a crossover that has been teased for months and I have had my eye on since the second it was announced. It’s safe to say Kieron was up to the task because this is how you kick off this event! The Xenomorph’s are already a terrifying entity on their own however, a new feature has been introduced into their lore that I wasn’t ready for. Introducing their ability to not only use the X-Men as hosts and one particular regenerative host over and over but, the Aliens have some of the mutants abilities now as well. This ramps up the terror factor immensely and adds a new element into the crossover spectacles. Gillian is taking this as an opportunity as well to use some of the lesser known X-Men as well and I could not be more excited.
Eddie: The X-Men are on a mission in deep space when they come across something of the likes they’ve never seen before. As the Blackbird returns to the Xavier Mansion, Storm and the rest of the team find out what has become of the X-Men who went to space.
Alien Vs. X-Men #1 is the latest in a string of crossovers with former Fox properties like Predator and Planet of the Apes. Kieron Gillen understands the task in front of him and approaches this story as a very fun “What If” scenario. He brings his aptitude for atmosphere and action that fans of Once and Future and Die appreciate. It’s what you need in this kind of comic book.
The Art:
Matt: Starting with the cover which is I love and need as a poster because Stegman and Maiolo bring the perfect blend of chaos and action to the forefront inviting us into what’s to come. It doesn’t take long for the blood and guts to be featured as there is a glorious splash page featuring Wolverine that the longer I stared at the more detail I found. The ability of Geraldo to capture the immense pain across victims faces and horror from our heroes brings to life how scary the Xenomorphs can be. Andrew brings to life the various powers and abilities through the vibrant colors and the acidic nature of the blood of the creatures as it mixes in with our array of characters. The lettering in this issue by Travis matches the chaos as it unfolds with everybody screaming in fear and fighting for their lives.
Eddie: Geraldo Borges and Andrew Dalhouse as the artist and colorist channel the aesthetic you would expect of an Alien project. Even if it takes place within this X-Men world, it has the distinct feel of what we would see if it was an Alien film. They don’t hold back at all. It’s creepy, kinetic, and visceral. Worth noting with this issue as well is that we get a short backup story from legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont featuring none other than Kitty Pryde. It serves as a kind of post-credits scene and expands this strange world we’ve entered here. It’s a nice touch and appears to be meaningful to this arc as we move forward.
Final Thoughts:
Matt: 10/10. Alien VS. X-Men #1 invites us into a new terrifying twist on the Alien VS. series showing the sheer violent and chaotic nature of the Xenomorphs and proving this will be no easy task for Xavier and his X-Men!
Eddie: 9/10. Geraldo Borges and Andrew Dalhouse as the artist and colorist channel the aesthetic you would expect of an Alien project. Even if it takes place within this X-Men world, it has the distinct feel of what we would see if it was an Alien film. They don’t hold back at all. It’s creepy, kinetic, and visceral. Worth noting with this issue as well is that we get a short backup story from legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont featuring none other than Kitty Pryde. It serves as a kind of post-credits scene and expands this strange world we’ve entered here. It’s a nice touch and appears to be meaningful to this arc as we move forward.
Overall Grade: 9.5/10
The Nerd Initiative crew will be taking over NYCC so if you see us say hello! Let us know how you feel about this issue and check out more reviews by Matt!
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