Best Alien Comics (September 2025)

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As a total film buff, I have to say the impact of Alien, released in 1979, is just huge. It really didn’t play by the rules of either horror or sci-fi – it smashed those genres together and created something completely fresh. And honestly, it changed things for women in those films too. Sigourney Weaver as Ripley wasn’t just a strong female character, she *defined* the modern action hero, and set a bar that’s still incredibly high today.

It’s no surprise that *Alien* led to a sequel, and eventually a whole series of films and other stories. The world of *Alien* has grown beyond the movies to include novels, video games, and the *Alien: Earth* streaming series, but it’s in comic books that the story has really flourished and expanded the most.

Best Alien Comics as of 2025

Since 1979, the world of *Alien* has spawned over 60 different comic book series and limited runs. While many tell completely new stories that build upon the universe seen in the films, some explore alternate versions of events or were based on ideas that didn’t make it into the movies. Others retell the original films or continue their storylines. Notably, the quality of many of these original comics was so high that they were later turned into novels and even films themselves.

Alien: The Illustrated Story

As a huge Alien fan, I recently discovered something really cool! Apparently, the very first comic book based on the original movie, ‘Alien: The Illustrated Story,’ came out way back in 1979. It was published in *Heavy Metal* magazine, which was aimed at adults. And get this – it was written by Archie Goodwin, a total legend in comics, and the artwork was done by Walt Simonson! That’s right, the same Walt Simonson who later became famous for his incredible work on *Thor*. It’s amazing to see where some of these creators started!

The comic book, Alien: The Illustrated Story, mostly follows the movie’s plot, but it does include some differences. One notable change is a scene where the alien creature shrinks down to fit inside a box to surprise Ripley. This happened because the comic’s creators, Goodwin and Simonson, were working with an early version of the script and a preliminary edit of the film. Consequently, the comic features several scenes that didn’t make it into the final movie release-though many of these were later added back into the 2003 Director’s Cut.

As a longtime fan of both comics and the *Alien* franchise, I have to say, *The Illustrated Story* isn’t just the first comic adaptation of the film – it’s a genuinely important piece of graphic novel history. It broke ground by becoming the very first graphic novel to hit the New York Times Bestseller list, and decades later, a beautiful 2013 reprint was rightfully recognized with a Harvey Award for best previously published work. It’s a testament to how well this story translates to the visual medium, and its lasting impact on the industry.

Aliens: Nightmare Asylum

When the movie *Aliens* came out in 1986, everyone expected a sequel to follow quickly. But *Alien 3* took six years to make, and fans were disappointed when it finally arrived. Many were upset by the deaths of the characters Newt and Hicks.

Things got more complicated when the first Alien comics from Dark Horse in 1988 started using these characters. The initial series, eventually called ‘Outbreak,’ showed Hicks and Newt leading a Marine team to wipe out the Xenomorphs’ home planet. The second series, later published as ‘Nightmare Asylum,’ focused on their struggle to survive on an Earth completely taken over by the creatures.

As a huge Aliens fan, I always thought ‘Nightmare Asylum’ was a standout comic. It was so good, in fact, that Dark Horse actually went back and republished it with a couple of character names changed – Hicks and Newt became Wilks and Billie. They had to do that to make the comic fit with what happened in ‘Alien 3’ and keep everything consistent with the films. Both the original and updated versions have been collected in several big omnibus editions over the years. The latest one, as of 2021, was ‘Aliens: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 1’.

Aliens: Labyrinth

Although many of the Alien comics used characters from the movies, most told completely new stories within the same fictional universe. Fans often consider ‘Aliens: Labyrinth’ to be the best of these comics. It first appeared in 1993 as a four-part series and has since been compiled into larger collections: ‘Aliens Omnibus Vol. 3’ (2008) and ‘Aliens: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 2’ (2022).

The story takes place on a distant, isolated research station in space. Dr. Paul Church is there studying how a captured alien creature, a Xenomorph, behaves. When the creature escapes, it’s alarming, but the main investigator quickly realizes someone intentionally released it as part of a planned murder.

Like the first *Alien* film combined science fiction and horror, *Labyrinth* delivers a murder mystery set within the *Alien* universe. While other stories have hinted that humans can be just as terrifying as the Xenomorphs themselves, *Labyrinth* takes this idea to a disturbingly new level. It also deepens the sense of danger surrounding the Xenomorphs by suggesting someone could control them and turn them into weapons.

Aliens vs. Predator

For years, fans had hoped to see a movie uniting the Aliens and Predators. That dream came true in 2004, but the two species actually first crossed paths in a short story published in 1990’s Dark Horse Presents #36. This story proved popular enough to be expanded into a five-issue comic book miniseries, simply titled Aliens Vs. Predator, later that same year.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of the Ryushi colony. It’s incredible to think about these people settling on what seemed like a peaceful agricultural world, completely unaware they were moving into the Predators’ hunting grounds. And the Predators themselves didn’t even *know* about the humans at first! What really makes it a nightmare is that the Predators had accidentally brought Xenomorph eggs with them – part of some old ritual – and those eggs ended up infecting the colonists’ animals. Suddenly, the humans were caught between two terrifying species. But then, something amazing happened. An older Predator, Broken Tusk, was injured and a human doctor helped heal him. In return, Broken Tusk decided to help the colonists survive – it’s a really compelling story of an unlikely alliance.

Machiko Noguchi quickly became a popular character with fans and went on to appear in more Aliens vs. Predator comics. You can find her story in the 2007 Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus, Volume 1, and the 2019 collection, Aliens vs. Predator: The Essential Comics Volume 1.

Aliens vs. Avengers

It’s no surprise that comics featuring the Alien battling superheroes have been popular. Dark Horse Comics teamed up with DC to create stories where Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern faced off against the Xenomorphs. These crossovers are generally well-done, often written by the same creators who worked on the Alien comics. But the new 2024 series, Aliens vs. Avengers, might be the most successful combination of superhero action and sci-fi horror so far.

Aliens vs. Avengers takes place in a different version of the Marvel universe, where Earth’s heroes face a seemingly impossible battle. When deadly Xenomorphs invade, they devastate humanity, forcing the Avengers to fight not for victory, but simply to survive and find a way to escape the planet.

Jonathan Hickman’s writing and Esad Ribić’s artwork truly shine in *Aliens vs. Avengers*. The story is more emotionally resonant and detailed than most Avengers comics, but it doesn’t skimp on the action – it’s fascinating to see how superheroes would hold up against the Xenomorphs.

How we chose the best Alien comics

When putting together this list of Alien comics, we aimed for a good mix of titles. We focused on how important each comic was historically, its overall quality, and whether it told a compelling story, even if you didn’t know the Alien universe. Unfortunately, finding these comics can be tough – many of the larger collections are out of print and just as hard to find as the original issues.

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2025-09-15 21:29