I’ve always been fascinated by the future timeline that much of the Alien series exists in. I choose to call it a “functional future” or a “crappy tomorrow” because so much of what we see is from a working-class perspective. There are no glittering fortresses or huge sunlit vistas that allow our characters to really appreciate the beauty of human progress over hundreds of years. Instead, we’re usually on a cargo ship or a prison or a remote settlement that we barely pass. The Alien series has long been an ode to people doing their best to survive in a system that values their ability to fulfill their role over the quality of their lives.
That’s why when Alien: Paradiso was announced, I was so intrigued by its possibilities. This is a story that takes readers out of the usual dark, cramped (and slimy) hallways in the rest of the series and shows them how the other half lives. And as we know from countless Alien movies and expanded media, the other half is mostly a bunch of selfish bastards. It’s a perfect setup for a creature feature, but Steve Fox’s plot expands on that fascinating premise.
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There’s a lot of table setting in this first issue, with the titular Paradiso, a resort for the richest idiots in the universe, and their path when a horde of Xenomorphs is unleashed on an unsuspecting population. We are introduced to a number of characters that we find intersect with each other. people. And what a group they are. There are two undercover agents trying to end a nefarious cartel, a staff of equally beautiful androids, a criminal mastermind with literal golden arms, and a courier carrying one of the scariest packages imaginable. . Paradiso also allows for some quiet time with other employees and guests, giving the place a lived-in feel before the carnage begins.
And, well, that will happen. Despite the heavy lifting of introducing all these characters and stakes, this creative team still finds plenty of space in the book to introduce the red stuff. The issue opens with a very violent sequence that shows the carnage that awaits in Paradiso, hooking the reader in right before we see how things got so bad. Edgar Salazar comes up with some truly gruesome deaths for these people, and Peter Nguyen provides some bizarre pages from the xenomorph’s perspective. Carlos López’s colors pop throughout this production, giving us a brighter world than we’ve seen in previous Alien stories, but don’t forget that blood, rust, and slime are all important hues in this world. Please.
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Salazar’s character acting and body language also go a long way in selling us the character’s personality, and it meshes very well with Fox’s snappy script. Even though this is done with more blue-collar characters in the background and a more glossy atmosphere, Paradiso still has a lot to offer, which past movies and comics have weaponized perfectly: eating the rich. ” It’s undeniably packed with energy.
Yes, there’s a lot going on in this first issue, and there’s not a lot of serious Xenomorph action aside from the opening and cliffhanger, but this is still a fascinating opening chapter. The stakes are established for both the alien threat and the criminal element going on behind the scenes, and I’m already liking some of the characters. It feels like a new type of alien story from Marvel, so I’m looking forward to reading more. It’s like a cross between Alien and White Lotus with a little bit of Casino Royale, and all these elements work together to make this miniseries unmistakably great as it unfolds. It should create something special.
Alien: Paradise #1 Review: Eat the Rich
Alien: Paradise #1
Combine “Alien” with “The White Lotus,” and add a little bit of “Casino Royale,” and you get “Alien: Paradiso,” a new twist on the long-running series. I highly recommend this first issue.
It transplants the Xenomorph into a setting not normally seen in this franchise. This feels new.
It takes time to establish the characters and their various plot threads before things take a turn for the worse
Wild violence and action, including an original Xenomorph POV shot
It mostly worked for me, but your mileage may vary depending on your pacing. Lots of settings and not much action other than the first and last page
