Cowboys & Aliens
Set in the Old West in 1873, Cowboys and Indians are enemies, but when a mysterious spacecraft crash lands and Aliens emerge, the Cowboys and Indians must unite if they wish to stay alive against these strangers.
My Thoughts:
When I first heard the idea of Cowboys Vs. Aliens I'll admit I thought it sounded pretty stupid. I didn't think there was any way that could be cool, I mean you would think the Aliens would eliminate some Cowboys pretty easily. But Andrew Foley and Fred Van Lente take a crazy idea and make it work with minimal effort. After reading this I admit it is much better than I could ever have imagined it being.
I would say the biggest message this story has comes when the Cowboys and Indians put aside their differences to form an alliance. On page 55, a Cowboy says "…thinking' they can push us off our world, just 'cause their guns are better! Oh. Uh…I'll just be quiet now" as an Indian gives him a stern look. While racism is nothing new, it was nice to see it presented in a fun but yet serious way, unlike you would normally see it presented.
One complaint I had was with some of the dialogue. A cowboy referred to a gun as hardware and I can't imagine people talking like that back then.The art is by Dennis Calero (prologue), Luciano Lima and Magic Eye Studios. It was nicely done and served perfect for the type of comic it was.
I'm not saying this is a groundbreaking achievement by any means but it is a fun story to read and that's all I was simply looking for so maybe that's why I enjoyed it. After reading this I am now looking forward to the live action movie more than I was. I hope they can improve the story and make it even better on the big screen. I would recommend this if you're looking for something fun and different. They just re-released this book in hardcover for $24.99 which is something to think about.
Rating: 3.5/5
