SUBSCRIBE
F O R T R E S S
No Result
View All Result
  • MOVIES
  • TV
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • COMICS
  • SNEAKERS
  • TOYS
  • VIDEO
  • WIN
Fortress of Solitude
No Result
View All Result

Alien Dead Orbit TPB Review

Home > Comic Books > Aliens: Dead Orbit Review – A Naive Work Of Art

Aliens: Dead Orbit Review – A Naive Work Of Art

Brett BrutonbyBrett Bruton
February 13, 2018
in Comic Books
Tags: AlienComic Book ReviewComics Books

Aliens: Dead Orbit is a four-issue miniseries written, illustrated, and lettered by James Stokoe, and it may be the best Aliens comic I’ve read in years.

Aliens: Dead Orbit Review

I’ve written before how Alien stories have a nasty habit of cannibalising, then regurgitating, their own plot-lines, and from the offset, Dead Orbit appears no different. A rag-tag crew man a derelict space station, Sphacteria, orbiting a nondescript planet [he types, awkwardly foreshadowing the title], have to deal with a seemingly unmanned salvage vessel that autopilots into their vicinity. Being the good Samaritans (and Weyland-Yutani company people) that they are, they set off to investigate. A terrible accident forces them to evacuate, but not before they rescue three badly disfigured members of the floundering vessel’s crew. As the Sphacteria’s doctor tries desperately to keep the three alive, the rest of the crew work on figuring out how and why they’ve arrived in the first place. But, PLOT TWIST, they’re not alone!

Sound familiar? It is. And it’s perfect.

Aliens: Dead Orbit Review



Dead Orbit is the most faithful Aliens comic I have read in the last decade. While it has its fair share of faults (I’ll get to those in a minute), at its core, it is an exciting, engaging tale that draws heavily from the tonality of the original films, not for cheap, pop-nostalgic head nods, but because the author appears to legitimately care about the source material. Upon the mire that is Ridley Scott’s post-Prometheus cluster f**k, Dead Orbit lies like a life-raft – or perhaps some kinda Giger-esque gondola – ready to lift you up, out, and carry you away on an exciting, claustrophobic ride through tight corridors, pneumatic doors, blood, guts, and cigarette smoke.

At least four of my favourite things.

What impresses most is Stokoe’s ability to successfully translate the sense of claustrophobic isolation that permeates the first two films onto the two-dimensional pages of a comic. The word that best describes his illustrative style is ‘viceral’, and he uses it to its fullest potential, cramming the frames and panels with incredible detail and almost obsessive linework to the point that each page is a work of art unto itself. Stokoe’s story is told as much through the artwork as it is through the text, weaving the narrative through copy and visuals to create a tale that is almost filmic in its experience. You NEED to examine each panel. While many artists will try to sum up the action of a scene in one full page, action-packed expose, Stokoe forces you to eke through the tension step by step in a fashion that is most reminiscent of the original Alien film. His panel work is like an anxious heartbeat beating a tight tattoo across the pages.



Aliens: Dead Orbit Review

This is a stand-alone comic by a writer and artist who understands the franchise, free of any lip service to the convoluted set of new canon that has bubbled up since Prometheus. It is a book that anyone can enjoy, whether you’re a dedicated fan of the Alien universe such as I, or stepping into it for the first time.

None of this is to say that it is perfect, however. As I mentioned, the story has its faults, not the least of which is a strange sense of naivety that carries through in the writing, from the first page all the way to the last. Perhaps this has to do with James Stokoe being primarily an artist, not a writer (Wikipedia doesn’t list a single writing credit under his name). The tale is told in media res, starting towards the end, then veering back and forth through time, mirroring action along the top and tale of the story that, while not unreadable, feels clunky and at times unnecessarily confusing. It’s a tactic often employed by young writers to create tension or set up twists (I have been guilty of it myself) and, while not bad per se, can too easily be used to disguise a story lacking in dynamics.



Aliens: Dead Orbit Review

Similarly, while the level of detail in the line work in Aliens: Dead Orbit is truly commendable, I found the character illustrations verging on amateur. While in no way a deal breaker, it’s simply… disappointing. In a book where every inch of each page is filled with a unique flair and almost tactile detail, the familiar, stylised anime-esque expressions are a letdown.

All this said, the most disappointing thing of all was that I didn’t get to read Aliens: Dead Orbit as a physical book. I can’t help but feel that I missed something of the experience scrolling through it on my tablet instead of leafing through it page by page. It’s a book that I want to hold it in my hands. It feels emotive and substantial, like a worn, old VHS or a 90’s grunge gig poster.

Aliens: Dead Orbit is a beautiful, naive work of art that I would be happy to have on my shelf.

ShareTweetSend
ADVERTISEMENT

POPULAR

  • The 15 Most Powerful Anime Characters Of All Time

    The 15 Most Powerful & Strongest Anime Characters Of All Time

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Top 10 Best Anime Series Of All-Time

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The 15 Most Powerful Characters In The Marvel Universe

    26 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 12 Most Powerful Characters In The DC Universe

    180 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Wyatt Russell Receiving Death Threats For John Walker Captain America

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Related Posts

dear dc super-villains
Comic Books

Dear DC Super-Villains Review – Fun Reading!

March 26, 2021
Daisy Ridley Should Play Ellen Ripley's Daughter In An Alien Sequel
Movies

Daisy Ridley Should Play Ellen Ripley’s Daughter In An Alien Sequel

by Staff Writer
February 26, 2021
Alien TV series
Movies

New Alien Series In Development At FX

by Charlene Badasie
December 11, 2020
Star Trek: Hell’s Mirror
Comic Books

Star Trek: Hell’s Mirror – In Every Revolution, There’s One Man With A Vision

September 15, 2020
Xenomorph Disney
Movies

Could the Alien Xenomorph be a Disney Princess?

by Rick Austin
July 22, 2020
ADVERTISEMENT

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fortress of Solitude

Fortress of Solitude

Fortress of Solitude has become one of the most popular geek entertainment interest websites in South Africa and covers news and reviews on movies, games, comic books, gadgets, TV series, toys, sneakers and more.

The articles on Fortress of Solitude are written by a group of talented, professional and experienced freelance writers, all experts and leaders in their various fields.

Categories

  • Board Games
  • Books
  • Comic Books
  • Competitions
  • Gaming
  • Internet
  • Movies
  • Podcast
  • Sneakers
  • Tech
  • Toys
  • TV Series

Newsletter

Sign up for news in your inbox.

  • For more information on COVID-19
  • About Us
  • Authors
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy & Site Disclaimer
  • Contact Fortress of Solitude

© 2021 Fortress of Solitude, a division of Fortress Entertainment. Registered in South Africa. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • TV
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Comics
  • Sneakers
  • Toys
  • Video
  • Win
  • Contact

© 2021 Fortress of Solitude, a division of Fortress Entertainment. Registered in South Africa. All Rights Reserved.