I love a fresh take on a classic story. That is why I am enjoying pieces of media like Predator: Killer of Killers and the ongoing Alien: Earth, and that is certainly why I loved Alien: Paradiso so much. I only recently got into the Alien franchise, after watching Alien: Romulus, and since then, I have devoured every movie and comic available to me that takes place in the Xenomorph’s brutal universe. Alien: Paradiso, from writer Steve Foxe and artists Edgar Salazar, Jason Muhr, Victor Nava, Carlos Lopez, and Peter Nguyen, is an excitingly fresh take on Alien and was a true blast from start to finish.
As a trade paperback itself, Alien: Paradiso is great, but nothing over-the-top special. I love the casino designs on the credit page, and I was happy to see that the collection included five full-size variant covers. The covers, and variant covers, are beautiful, and I especially enjoyed the variants from J. Gonzo, Sumit Kumar, and Neeraj Menon, which can be seen below. For $17.99, I think this five-issue trade is worth the purchase, especially if you are a fan of Alien and want to beef up your Xenomorph comic collection.
Marvel
I am grateful that Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Studios has led to such great comic collaborations for franchises like Planet of the Apes, Predator, and, of course, Alien. The basic premise of Alien: Paradiso is that a pair of Colonial Marshals travel to a wealthy casino resort, Paradiso, to gather information on a galactic criminal leader, Ricky Valentine, when a group of Xenomorphs attacks the resort. The characters are forced to work together in an attempt to survive the Xenomorph attack, and the story is filled with plenty of drama, intrigue, and twists.
Perhaps my favorite part of this entire series is the art done by Peter Nguyen. While not the main artist for Paradiso, Nguyen is responsible for illustrating the “Xenomorph POV” sequences, an incredibly unique choice made for this comic. Throughout the series, the reader gets to view the Xenomorph’s assault on Paradiso through the alien’s eyes, offering an incredibly exciting new perspective on the iconic Xenomorph. The other art, from Salazar, Nava, and Muhr, is also excellent and truly brutal, showing the terrified emotions of the resort’s patrons and the monstrous deaths they all encounter. Plus, Carlos Lopez’s color is really excellent throughout the series.
Marvel
I thought the characterization of the main crew, namely Ricky, Tsula, Dash, Lydia, and Videl, was wonderful. They grounded a relatively short, limited series by being believable, appropriately reactive, and perfectly aligned with the world-building that other projects in the Alien universe have done. As with any piece of Alien media, there are plenty of wonderful twists, including the reveal that Tsula is actually the daughter of Thomas Kane, the Executive Officer on the USS Nostromo that first experiences the wonderful effects of a “chest-burster.” The final twist is a real gut punch, very much in line with the themes of unethical corporate practices and the impact of late-stage capitalism, and sets Paradiso up for a potential sequel comic.
I would highly recommend Alien: Paradiso to pretty much anyone. If you’re a lifetime fan of the Alien franchise, if you just recently got hooked on Alien: Earth, or if you have never touched a Xenomorph before, I think this collection is a great intro to the Alien universe. Touching on the greater themes present in the franchise, Alien: Paradiso grounds the violent story in solid character development, well-timed twists, and stunning art. You should pick this up!
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