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

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