It was bound to happen: today, we finally get Alien: Black, White & Blood. The now-iconic line of anthology comics traditionally features only the colors white and red and continues with the most bloodthirsty monsters to ever be conceived. In this case, though, green is also used, possibly to highlight the acid of the Alien and the unfeeling nature of sci-fi tech out of our hands. Past renditions of this series have included Deadpool, Wolverine, and Carnage, but now it’s time to let the blood flow with some interesting sci-fi stories. Three, to be exact!
The first of the three stories is by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, with art by Michael Dowling. The art is hyper-realistic, and it’s cool to see this story continue into the next issue. That’s also good because it does feel like only the start of something bigger.
Laid out here is a culture that has given up war and violence. That is, until they’re put between an Alien and escape. There’s a compelling larger story at work here about our humanity and hope for a purely peaceful society, but how can it exist when there are beasts like Aliens that know only how to kill and maim?
How cool is that Alien!
Credit: Marvel
Next up is “The Hunt” by Stephanie Phillips and Marcelo Ferreira. This story is about rich folks going on an expedition of sorts to hunt Aliens. It’s all very controlled with very little danger, or so they think. Phillips seems to be commenting on the super-rich and the ridiculous ways they entertain themselves, which sometimes gets them killed. The story boldly uses a bit of green, but red is the main color as colorist Pete Pantazis drenches backgrounds in it to convey utter horror. Ferreira leans into the shinier black Alien style, and it looks great.
Closing out the collection is “Maternal Instinct” by Ryan Cady and Devmalya Pramanik. This story reminded me of TKO’s Sentient, as it features a mothering computer program trying to save a child who is the only survivor on a ship. There’s a clever use of green to highlight the sickly Alien den and unnerving monitors. Pramanik draws a great alien, maximizing its detail with whites and blacks. Cady will make you feel for the computer program, which tries to walk the child through multiple dangers. It’s a nice chase story that ends with some hope for our kiddo.
Alien: Black, White & Blood #1 is off to a good start. This isn’t just a collection of Aliens ripping humans apart. However, it does have that, but compelling sci-fi stories about humanity, the humanity inside machines, and the audacity of the rich. Like any good sci-fi, it sports a message while also drenching its pages in blood.
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