Alien fans have an awful lot to look forward to right now. We’ve got the long-awaited Alien TV series coming to FX next year, and there has been a surprisingly steady string of video games to keep us occupied. But it all comes back to the movies and, for the first time in seven years, Xenomorphs will be back on the big screen in August as director Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus is nearly upon us. But that’s not all! Marvel Comics is going to help keep the action going off-screen with an official prequel that will tackle one of the film’s lingering mysteries.
Marvel has announced Alien: Romulus #1, a one-shot comic prelude that will arrive in October exactly two months after the film hits theaters on August 16. The book comes from writer Zac Thompson (Absolute Carnage) and artist Daniel Picciotto (X-Force). The publisher has also revealed not one but two different covers for the book, with the main cover by Leinil Francis Yu and a variant cover by Björn Barends. We’ve got both of them below for you to check out.
While no official synopsis has been provided, we get a vague description that reads, “Marvel’s one-shot will take place prior to the events of the film, providing an illuminating backstory behind the film’s main threat.” The publisher also promises “an all-new story revealing secrets of the film’s legendary antagonists and this issue shines light on them all!” Intriguing, no doubt, but frustratingly vague to be certain. That probably has a lot to do with avoiding spoilers for the film, which I, as a fan, appreciate. Thompson had this to say about the book:
“The Alien franchise is responsible for my lifelong love of body horror, so needless to say, I’m ecstatic to be contributing a small piece to the canon. Working with Fede Alvarez to craft a prequel to Alien: Romulus was a genuine dream come true and a responsibility I don’t take lightly. The result is a thrilling, terrifying story that slowly gestates into something wholly unpredictable.”
Disney and 20th Century Studios have truly put their weight behind this movie. Not only are we getting a tie-in comic, but the trailers have been truly impressive, and theaters are even getting an absolutely insane Xenomorph popcorn bucket to enhance the experience. For a movie that was originally going to be dumped directly to Hulu, this has become a real cinematic event. In the film…
“While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
Look for Alien: Romulus #1 on shelves on October 16. For more, be sure to check out the limited edition Romulus cover for FANGORIA #24.
