CBR Aliens Inhuman Condition

 

Time to review a pretty unique story, a little "sidenote" in the universe of Aliens!

Want more Alien/Predator-related reviews? Check the following!!

Predator 1 / Predator 2 / Predators

Predator: Concrete Jungle (comics) / OMNIBUS Vol.1 / Vol. 2 / Vol. 3 / Vol. 4
Predator: Concrete Jungle (game)
Alien 1 / Aliens / Alien³
Alien³ (game)

Comic title: Aliens: Inhuman Condition 
Art by Sam Kieth
Written by John Layman

Published by Dark Horse Comics
From 2013
Lineup Alien series
Format: Harcover trade Paperback collecting the Inhuman Condition back-up story from Dark Horse Presents #12-17.

In 2009, for the 30th Anniversary of the release of the original Alien and in anticipation of 2010's blockbuster Predators, the Aliens series returned to Dark Horse after over a decade of silence.

There hasn't been more Alien or Predator comics since the bad reception the Xenogenesis storyline put a stop to these stories.

Dark Horse new plans for the series proved to be a very smart move, they wouldn't publish on-going series and several other minis and saturate the market, but only produce new material from time to time when a new occasion or a solid story presented itself.

These new stories wouldn't be plagued by years of continuity but brand new "fresh" takes, for new readers and fans alike.

Set after the Alien infestation of Earth hinted at the end of Alien Resurrection.

Aliens: Inhuman Condition is a graphic novel that collects a tale originally published in the Dark Horse Presents anthology series.

It's the distant future.

The takes place on an unspecified Scientific Colony. (probably the planet LV-426 as the "Engineers" spacecraft seems to hint)

All new security synthetics are being built in secret.

Jean DuPaul is a Socialization Specialist for the Weiland-Yutani company.

She has just return to work after a traumatizing experience.

She just survived an horrific tragedy, she had been stuck in the middle of an Aliens infestation for three weeks. A "dear" friend of her died protecting her.

Now she is back at work.

She is rather fond of her work, teaching these "artificial persons" how be "human" to better integrate human society in the colonies.

The stories often flashes to the end of the week, after an incident happened, as the Xenomorphs run rampant in the base, Jean is seen talking to Bear, an (in)animated robot plush-doll apparently.

When the corporates decided to launch a new line of better androids, and dispatch and test their old models on a deadly hive nearby, Jean decides she can't take anymore of it.

Inhuman Condition is a very unusual and different Aliens story.

First off, it avoids the cliché and overused Colonial Marines angle most Aliens stories depict.

And her the Alien creatures are actually much more of a background element. They're still a threat, mind you. But the danger lies amongst the humans.

It's a well done return to the tone set in the original Alien film here.

The story was written by Chew creator John Layman. His story is dark, really original and well thought. It does come full circle at the end and there's some very interesting twists.

Things might not turn out to be what they appear at first...

Inhuman Condition was illustrated by veteran artist Sam Keith - whom I'm personally most a fan of his work on The Sandman and Lobo comics. He had already worked on some Aliens comics back in the 1990s actually.

His art seems a bit unusual for this sort of story at first, but it perfectly set the tone of the plot. His characters are full of life.

Though his Aliens here do look a bit cartoonish compared to the rest.

It's a much smaller and simpler scale-story than the movies. A return to the series' roots in horror and science-fiction.

It only goes to show that the most dangerous specie of all really is man.

Overall, it's a well written story. One of the best Alien stories I've read!

A great interpretation of the Aliens mythology from an award winning author!

I hadn't seen such an original story set in the Alien franchise since Ridley Scott's original to say the least.

This book was released as a "Deluxe" Hardcover edition. They couldn't have given a better treatment to this 50 or so-pages story. Dark Horse didn't use to make hardcover editions until not that long ago (their first one was a Star Wars' Darth Vader mini-series from a couple years back).

If you're a fan of the series or not even that familiar with it, this is a well worth recommended read for a great, dark and twisted one shot story.

I give it:

2.5 / 3 Aaylas!