Tag Archives: alien vs. x-men

Mini Reviews: Badrock #3, Hillbilly: The Treason of Twelve-Toe Maggie #1, Adventure Time Halloween Special, lien vs X-Men #1, Hello Kitty #2

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Cover of 'Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World' comic featuring Hello Kitty with a magnifying glass, My Melody, and Kuromi holding a bag, with colorful background and playful elements.

Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.

These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.

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Badrock #3 (Image) – Badrock went from being heartfelt, nostalgic, and a little badass to dumb in a hurry. Rob Liefeld, Seth Damoose, and Pedro Estouco serve up reheated Cold War leftovers in a half-assed dystopian world in Badrock #3. I’m also surprised Disney hasn’t sent their lawyers to take out the blatant Deadpool ripoff aka Vandel. But, hey, the action is still pretty cool, and Damoose set up a nice tech vs brawn battle when Badrock and the generically Asian superhuman Chynamo (Wtf is that name?) throw down. Overall: 5.7 Verdict: Pass

Hillbilly: The Treason of Twelve-Toe Maggie #1 (Dark Horse) – This is my first entry into Eric Powell’s Hillbilly stories, and it didn’t disappoint. He re-tells the tragic backstory of Rondell the Witch Killer and sets him off on a new adventure trying to get a magic hat from a particularly spry witch for the titular Twelve-Toe Maggie. There’s a folk poetry to Powell’s writing style, and I love all the digressions and talk of biscuits and molasses. This is basically Appalachian Hellboy/Witcher, and I’m here for it and want to go back and read the previous volumes. Finally, Eric Powell’s art style finds the right balance between pretty and ugly, and I love his design for Leon the wood booger. (I think he might be Mothman.) Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy

Adventure Time Halloween Special (Oni Press) – Finn and Jake come face to face with the grey areas between heroes and monsters in the dungeon crawling spectacular Adventure Time Halloween Special from Jeremy Malloul, Adam Seats, and Rebecca Nalty. Jake’s desire to fill up his adventurer punch card backfires, and he and Finn end up as minions in a dungeon with Seats twisting them into stranger shapes as the story progresses. However, walking in the monsters’ shoes basically upends their entire worldview. I love Adam Seats and Nalty zine-style art work and all the RPG references. It’s a fun bizarro version of Adventure Time, and Skeleton Princess is my new fave. Overall: 8.4 Verdict: Buy

Alien vs X-Men #1 (Marvel) – The xenomorphs cut through Marvel’s merry mutants with glee and green gore in Kieron Gillen and Gerardo Borges’ Alien vs X-Men #1. I love the blending of the Astonishing X-Men and Utopia eras, and Gillen and Borges’ take no prisoners approach to character deaths. There’s some crazy body horror stuff going on too. In the Chris Claremont/Dave Messina backup story, Kate Pryde becomes besties with the Brood Queen. This story is a little overwritten, but I’m here for the evil, villainous sapphic vibes between Kitty and Magik. Overall: 8.1 Verdict: Buy

Hello Kitty and Friends: Hello World #2 (IDW Publishing) – Hello Kitty #2 is a super cute celebration of community and also a darn good mystery. Seriously, Mariko Tamaki and Cody Lemieux pull out all the classic mystery stops, including red herrings and one heck of a cliffhanger. They also go deep into the Sanrio bench in this issue while focusing on My Melody’s daily life. (She’s totally me when I’m planning for events at work even though I have more of Kuromi’s sense of style.) This comic is truly my monthly oasis from all the bad things in the world. Overall: 8.9 Verdict: Buy

Alien vs. X-Men #1 is Summer Popcorn Entertainment to Just Roll With and Not Ask Questions

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Alien vs. X-Men #1

They went looking for a Phoenix egg. They found something else. The X-Men return to Earth with deadly cargo, and a violent battle between mutant and alien begins. And will an unexpected ally turn the tide in the X-Men’s favor? In this special crossover decades in the making, the next evolution of Marvel’s mightiest mutants begins! Will anyone survive the experience? Alien vs. X-Men #1 delivers an exciting start but it’s also best to not think to hard about the details.

The concept of the X-Men battling xenomorphs sounds awesome on paper. And, the comic would likely be entertaining enough to just have a battle between the two forces. But, writer Kieron Gillen takes it all a bit further with a debut issue that not only gets to the action and horror we want but adds in an even greater hurdle for the X-Men. It’s not just xenomorphs they’re battling, it’s xenomorphs who have absorbed mutant powers and now have access to them. It’s something interesting and different, but also some of it you just need to roll with.

There’s a lot to like about the debut issue, Alien vs. X-Men #1. Gillen does a great job in setting the concept up and really getting the ball rolling. This isn’t a first issue that builds until an end teaser. Instead, we get a team of X-Men wiped out and another team having to battle these superpowered xenomorphs.

The issue hits a lot of solid beats like a warning video, the shock of the first engagement, and the realization at how deadly this new enemy is. It also does a good job of recognizing the X-Men already has the Brood… and it’s all a little familiar.

What’s great is Gillen thinking through how the xenomorphs would impact the mutant powers. What would actually protect people against the acid blood? Who is more agile and faster? But there’s also some questionable choices. A xenomorph with Wolverine’s abilities gives them adamantium claws and not bone? Small details like that will get some to be taken out of the otherwise solid start.

The art by Geraldo Borges is solid with color by Andrew Dalhouse and lettering by Travis Lanham. The team does a great job of giving a comic that has the feel of an X-Men story but with something a little sinister within. But, that actually makes the horror work even more. Where parts of the comic feel like any battle you’d see, things go horribly wrong for many and it all comes off even more shocking. There’s a chaotic aspect to the big engagement and the art helps enhance and amplify that.

But, there’s more than just that. Chris Claremont provides another story with Dave Messina on art, Rain Beredo on color, and Lanham again handling the lettering. This one has Kitty dealing with the Brood and feels like it plays a bit more to the hardcore fans who know the history of Kitty Pryde and the Brood. While not a bad story, it’s one that’ll really be measured by the overall arc.

Alien vs. X-Men #1 is a fun and entertaining start and goes further in ways I wouldn’t have expected. It’s summer popcorn fun in that it’s best to not think too much of the details and just go with the crazy directions. Here’s hoping it packs more surprises and lets face it, more xenomorph/mutant combinations.

Story: Kieron Gillen, Chris Claremont Art: Geraldo Borges, Dave Messina
Color: Andrew Dalhouse, Rain Beredo Letterer: Travis Lanham
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Alien vs. X-Men #1

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Alien vs. X-Men #1

(W) Kieron Gillen, Chris Claremont (A) Geraldo Borges, David Messina

X-MEN VERSUS XENOMORPHS!

They went looking for a Phoenix egg. They found something else. The X-MEN return to Earth with deadly cargo, and a violent battle between mutant and alien begins. And will an unexpected ally turn the tide in the X-Men’s favour? In this special crossover decades in the making, the next evolution of Marvel’s mightiest mutants begins! Will anyone survive the experience?

Plus: The first chapter of an all-new story by the legendary Chris Claremont featuring Kitty Pryde, the Brood and the Xenomorphs!

Cover of AVX: Alien vs. X-Men comic featuring Wolverine, characters in action with aliens, bold title design, and list of contributors.
A scene from a comic book set in deep space, featuring characters Cyclops, Beast, and others confronting a villain. They are demanding the Phoenix egg, while a captive character, who appears distressed, is depicted inside a glowing egg. The background shows a spacecraft and space.
A close-up of a character with long white hair, screaming in agony as metallic claws emerge from a bloody explosion, highlighted by a dramatic red background and the word 'SNIKT' in bold letters.
A comic book page featuring a tense scene with characters discussing a recent event. Wolverine and others are portrayed in a dynamic pose, with one character holding a bloodied weapon. The dialogue reveals underlying conflict and character dynamics.
A dark, sci-fi scene depicting characters in a mysterious, eerie environment with organic structures and an open doorway revealing figures outside. A conversation bubble hints at tension and curiosity.
A comic book panel featuring a group of characters, including a man in a blue costume with a visor, a woman with long blonde hair, and a character with claws, looking alarmed as they encounter a large creature. The creature has a blue face and intense yellow eyes, while slime drips from plant-like features above them.

Mutantkind Must Survive the Deadliest Species in the Galaxy in Alien vs. X-Men!

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This September, Marvel Comics and 20th Century Studios join forces for a special crossover saga decades in the making: Alien vs. X-Men!

Following the blockbuster success of Alien Vs. Avengers, Marvel’s bold Alien line of comics evolves, pitting the Children of the Atom against the universe’s perfect organism! Blending super hero storytelling with cosmic horror, the saga will be written by visionary X-Men writer Kieron Gillen and illustrated by acclaimed artist Geraldo Borges. The series will also feature a four-part bonus story by legendary X-Men creator Chris Claremont, who brings the Xenomorphs into conflict with his own parasitic extraterrestrial creation: the BROOD!

The X-Men went looking for a Phoenix egg. They found something else.

The X-Men return to Earth with deadly cargo, and a violent battle between mutant and alien begins. Will an unexpected ally turn the tide in the X-Men’s favor? Will anyone survive the experience? The next evolution of Marvel’s mightiest mutants begins!

Plus: A young Kitty Pryde faces her greatest nightmare when she’s hunted by two of the galaxy’s greatest terrors: the Brood and the Xenomorphs!

Check out covers by Ryan Stegman and Ivan Shavrin and preorder Alien vs. X-Men at your local comic shop today!