Alien Paradiso #1:
A crew of undercover police are sent to the vacation island of Paradiso to disrupt a potential deal going down. However, when Valentine arrives looking sickly to his deal the inhabitants of the island may be in for more than their monies worth.
Steve Foxe (Writer) Edgar Salazar (Penciller) Victor Nava (Inker) Carlos Lopez (Colorist) Peter Nguyen ( Xenomorph POV Artist) VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer) Iban Coella and Yen Nitro (Cover Art)
The Artwork:
This issue kicks off in a frightening display as our characters are being hunted and stalked by what we come to see is the Xenomorph. From the get-go Edgar, Victor, and Carlos display the brutality that can befall anyone and anything that comes across a Xenomorph’s path as we have bloody displays of heads being ripped in half and the creature using its spiked tail to drive through a victims chest.
It goes from brutal to a tonal switch of bright colors and vacation vibes, which I think the team handles so well and sets the stage for our story. Peter steps in to handle a unique POV perspective of the Xenomorph which is not something we’ve seen as an audience and it brings to life these creatures as more than mindless beings. Clayton drives home the terror in the tones by lettering a fantastic first issue.
The Writing:
Steve grabs the audience and preys on our fears of being hunted by the unknown with setting this story 18 hours in the future before walking us back. Traveling to an island and using it as a stakeout is a departure from the typical mundane ship settings we get in this franchise and it’s such a breath of fresh air.
Steve is able to capture the tonal shifts in the story and build a world outside of the norms. Even having the island figure heads shut down the island builds suspense in a unique way that works so well.
Overall Thoughts:
Alien Paradiso #1 brings the Alien franchise to the everyday common man. Taking readers to a relaxed vacation destination before unleashing horrifying and gruesome hell will instantly grasp your attention and raise our heart rates. This will be a must pull for fans of Alien as it’s a refreshing and unique take. Do not miss out!
9.5/10
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