The Good
Fire and Stone's release schedule is a bit baffling. We're constantly jumping between points in time as new issues come out, and to some degree, that hurts the experience and can be a little jarring. However, writer Chris Roberson's story in ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE is adapting to this style of storytelling very well. It's delving into Prometheus and creating its own satisfying story without focusing too much on what's going on in the other titles. Even though this one has "ALIENS" slapped on the cover, it feels way more about Prometheus and how that movie impacted LV-223. The aliens are there for occasional scares and to stir up drama between the humans, but Derrick Russell's journey and discoveries are way more interesting. It's finally starting to address more elements from the movie and has now opened the door to so much more potential. Love or hate Prometheus, you're likely reading the book because you care about this mythos, and it's very, very exciting to witness Derrick's investigation and the discoveries he makes as he revisits familiar locations. Nothing significant has happened just yet, but the potential is there and I'm definitely curious to see how it unfolds. Oh, and that cliffhanger? You have my attention, ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE.
I'm enjoying Roberson's story more and more, but it's artist Patric Reynolds and colorist David Palumbo that really makes this comic leave an impact. As I said in the last review, Reynolds' pencils remind me a bit of Jock's work. The more jagged and rougher character work feels just right for this situation. The work on the Xenomorphs is terrific as well. They're every bit as twisted and frightening as they should be. When they emerge, you can understand why the humans are filled with terror. Even though the story takes place in a lush environment, Palumbo's colors are never too bright and this gives this book the atmosphere it needs. The location still looks alive and flourishing, but it's done in a manner that compliments the constant flow of horror and thrills. And how great is David Palumbo's cover? It does an excellent job capturing all of the raw fear and desire to live that these humans are experiencing.
The Bad
The survivors keep arguing about whether they should defend or go on the offensive, but we have no idea how either plan makes even an ounce of sense. How do they hope to build up defenses or fight creatures when, so far, their only strategy is "RUN!" if they see one? Are there extra weapons I'm unaware of? If so, why don't they bring them as they explore? These things are slaughtering them in every encounter, so I'm not sure how "build makeshift weapons" could hope to turn the tide at all. I also feel like the Xenomorphs' formidably is being downplayed a bit if humans are able to elude them by climbing the side of hills/mountains. Those creatures have us totally outclassed physically and, if spotted, they shouldn't have much trouble catching up, even if the terrain's a bit challenging.
The Verdict
ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE #2 thrives because of the gripping artwork and legitimately interesting mystery it's building. We're finally starting to get back into what happened in the movie and receive some proper follow-up. Whether we'll get any satisfying answers has yet to be seen, but this second issue makes some very interesting developments and leaves me wanting more. The drama between the human survivors isn't compelling and that takes away from the better scenes, but this is still a book that's full of thrills, intrigue, and some mighty fine looking art.