Marvel continues to capitalize on the work previously produced under Dark Horse Comics’ original Aliens licensing agreement with the first Epic Collection in the series.
The new Aliens: Original Years Epic Collection contains the first few limited series previously collected in Marvel’s Aliens Omnibus Volume One from 2021, beginning with the very first original six-issue Aliens mini-series by Mark Verheiden and Mark A. Nelson from 1988.
The 1989 four-issue follow up (also called Aliens) by Verheiden and Denis Beauvais and 1990’s Aliens: Earth War (four issues), once again by Verheiden and Sam Kieth, are also featured here.
Aliens stories from Dark Horse Presents #24 and #42-43 by Paul Guinan, Anina Bennett, Ron Randall, and Roger Casselman are also included in the collection.
The majority of the stories take their cue from James Cameron’s Aliens film, serving as unofficial sequels to the 1986 film, with plenty of Colonial Marines and the returning Corporal Hicks and an adult Newt. Ellen Ripley is conspicuously absent from the tales, probably due to the fact that 20th Century Fox was planning more films at the time, eventually releasing Alien 3 by first time director David Fincher in 1992.
With Marvel’s new 20th Century Studios imprint and a ton of back catalogue stories to draw from, look for more volumes in the Aliens Epic Collection series in the near future.
The Aliens: Original Years Epic Collection contains 448 pages for a suggested retail price of $39.99.
Check out the cover by Beauvais (which originally appeared as the cover for Aliens #1 in 1989) and look for the first volume at your local comic shop on March 15.
