Alien: The Illustrated Story

by Archie Goodwin, Walt Simonson (Illustrator)

Overview

Vacant. Two space helmets resting on chairs. Electronic hum. Lights on the helmets begin to signal one another. Moments of silence. A yellow light goes on. Electronic hum. A green light goes on in front of one helmet. Electronic pulsing sounds. A red light goes on in front of the other helmet. An electronic conversation ensues. Reaches a cresendo. Then silence.

And when the silence is broken... the crew of the Nostromo must grapple with a terrifying life force they cannot leash, nor even comprehend - the Alien!

The stunning color graphic novel of Ridley Scott's legendary sci-fi thriller!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781161296
Publisher:	Titan
Publication date:	09/04/2012
Series:	Alien
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	1,104,580
Product dimensions:	7.22(w) x 10.12(h) x 0.26(d)

About the Author

Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work. For Warren he was chief writer and editor of landmark horror anthology titles Creepy and Eerie, and for Marvel he set up the creator-owned Epic Comics as well as adapting Star Wars into both comics and newspaper strips.

Walt Simonson is one of the most highly regarded comics creators around, having written, pencilled or inked Batman, Michael Moorcock's Elric, Fantastic Four, The Hulk and Superman, to name but a few!

Editorial Reviews

"As I read it, I kept thinking, 'This is a super-strong adaptation,' and, 'If the movie were never made, and no one had ever seen Alien, this graphic novel would probably be considered one of the best sci-fi comics ever.'" – Comic Book Resources

“An incredible example of how to adapt a motion picture into a graphic novel.” – TG Daily

“Incredible...the illustrated story of Alien is unlike any movie adaptation I've read. It manages to capture the essence of the film, the pacing, the terror, and the lived in feel better than any film-to-comic I've ever encountered. Reading the book, I could even hear the notes from Jerry Goldsmith's score and the actual sound design.” “The sequential storytelling on display, an incredible collaboration between between Goodwin and Simonson working from the shooting script (and early cuts of the film), is as elegant and well-paced as a comic can be.” – Huffington Post

“"entirely satisfying...should be seeked out by any fan of the franchise." - GeekNewWave

From the Publisher

When director Ridley Scott's highly influential, nail-biting horror/sci-fi film Alien was released in 1979, Heavy Metal Communications published this first graphic novel adaptation—staking territory in the nascent market. Goodwin served as chief writer and editor for Warren's Creepy and Eerie horror anthologies while concurrently writing Star Wars for Marvel. He and Simonson (famed for a stint on Thor) had previously collaborated on the award-winning "Manhunter" series. Together they relate the story of the space tug Nostromo's crew, whose investigation of a mysterious signal leads to the discovery of a deadly stowaway. VERDICT In 64 pages, the deliberate pacing of the film is tightened, but Goodwin preserves the story's dialog and action. Simonson finds room to emphasize key visuals from inside the immense spacecraft to scenes of horrific gore. Recommended for adult collections where Alien films are still popular. Also available is the "Original Art Edition" (ISBN 9781781161302), a stunning reproduction of Simonson's artwork, facsimile pages of Goodwin's original script, and a Simonson interview.—S.R.

Library Journal