Alien’s New Planet Is a Huge Departure for the Franchise, But I Can’t Wait to See the Xenomorphs Tear It Apart

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Alien: Paradiso #1!Alien fans are about to get an all-new comic series to sink their teeth into, one that promises to be a huge departure for the franchise because of one seemingly innocuous but immensely significant thing: the setting. Alien usually uses elements of hard Sci-Fi in its stories, as shown with its very bleak outlook on humanity’s interplanetary expansion. However, this new Alien comic gives the franchise a much softer Sci-Fi tone with its new setting – and it’s going to be awesome to see the Xenomorphs tear it apart.

In 20th Century Studios solicitation for Alien: Paradiso #1 by Steve Foxe, Edgar Salazar, and Peter Nguyen, fans are given the official synopsis, main cover art (by artist Iban Coello), and variant cover art (by artist J. Gonzo).

Welcome to Paradiso, where the money flows like blood and the blood flows like acid! The Tulum of space, Paradiso is a hidden gem among the colonies with its tropical climate, white sand beaches and a remarkable population of hyper-wealthy criminals. When Colonial Marshals Dash Nanda and Lydia Reeves are sent there to bust a smuggling ring, they think they’ve hit the job-assignment jackpot. But the only ones getting lucky here are those HUNGRY enough to take what they need. Steve Foxe, Edgar Salazar and guest contributor Peter Nguyen shine neon lights on the horrors of the Alien franchise with a bold story of the gambles we must take to survive!

With the artwork and synopsis alone, fans know exactly what to expect from the upcoming 5-part series. A resort planet populated by super-rich criminals, a couple of space-cops looking to bust them, and the inevitable invasion of Xenomorphs prepped and primed to rip all of it to shreds. Alien: Paradiso has all the makings for an amazing Alien story, and this unique location is an interesting expansion of Alien lore.

Alien’s New Planet is Redefining the Nature of Humanity’s Interplanetary Expansion

Humans Seem Much More ‘Space-Faring’ than They Previously Have in Alien Canon

In nearly every Alien story, space travel is pretty much only possible through Weyland-Yutani or the United Systems Government. WY sends people across the cosmos for reasons that are beneficial to the company and (allegedly) all of humanity, including off-world mining operations and colonized settlements as a part of the company’s Building Better Worlds campaign. The United Systems Government controls the military and police, and funds special chartered settlements for certain religious organizations.

In other words, the world of Alien isn’t like Star Wars. People aren’t just getting in their spaceships and flying across the cosmos whenever they like. At least, not usually. And that’s why Alien: Paradiso is so interesting, because it presents fans with an entirely new subsect of humanity, complete with their own methods of space travel and homeworlds outside the control of Weyland-Yutani and the United Systems Government: organized crime. Planet-hopping crime syndicates, space-faring pirates, and all manner of scum and villainy in the galaxy will be explored in this new Alien series, which is an incredibly exciting prospect.

Alien: Paradiso is Exploring What Other Alien Stories Only Touched On

The Idea of Space-Faring Pirates was Explored in 1997’s Alien: Resurrection

A galactic criminal organization that thrives in the interplanetary landscape of humanity’s existence is a given, just as it is on Earth. Where there are people, there is crime, and there are those who get filthy rich organizing that crime. Despite that, however, Alien fans haven’t really seen it, except once. Alien: Resurrection introduced the crew of the Betty, space pirates who hijacked a colonist ship and kidnapped the people in stasis to sell to a group of military scientists experimenting on Xenomorphs. That is absolutely fascinating, and worth further expansion. And now, Alien fans are getting just that.

While there are still more questions than answers when it comes to this upcoming Alien series, it’s clear just from the covers and the synopsis alone that it’s going to be as unique as it will be exciting. Fans are getting a full introduction into the criminal underworld of the Alien universe, and just in time to witness the Xenomorphs tearing it apart.

Alien: Paradiso #1 by 20th Century Studios is available December 11, 2024.