One Last Chance: Reviewing ‘Aliens Vs Avengers’ #2

Timelines. Invasions from other dimensions. Machines raining destruction upon all of humanity. Those are some Jonathan Hickman hallmarks right there.

All that and more is front and center in Aliens vs. Avengers #2, the next chapter in the universal colliding miniseries from Hickman, Esad Ribić, Ive Svorcina, and Cory Petit.

Beyond those wild out there concepts, another core element here is the spirit of heroes and humans shining through even in the face of their potential extinction. What Hickman presents in this issue is very much a lot of set-up, but the pacing of it and what it does keeps it all interesting. We’re shown how this invasion came to be, how the Xenomorphs came to the Marvel Universe, in an intriguing marriage to the film universe.

Essentially, the series posits what if the work of android David, and his doppelgangers, never stopped? It took over to the point of the Aliens film universe being wiped out. Leaving bored machines with a taste for destruction and wish to see all of humanity gone, turning their gaze to the multiverse. It’s such a comic book, and science-fiction as a whole, thing that it just flows so smoothly.

This is not one of those cases where the heroes are easily rallying, taking things back without losing much. Earth is a lost cause, most heroes and humans are long gone, and some we know well seemingly meet their end in this very issue (no body, no death…).

What potentially kills the momentum with this story is the fact that it’s already delayed with this issue, a whole two months between issues, and will be further delayed (third issue isn’t until February). Definitely turning into one of those wait for trade situations with a chunk of the audience, especially since there are so many books out there keeping track of things with such gaps is rough.

Hell, I had to really wrack my brain to recall what all had or hadn’t happened in the first issue. Granted, I’ve read over a hundred comics since I cracked that one open, so there is a whole lot of caped colorful stuff in this brain.

No doubt the epic and detailed work that Ribić creates takes time. There is a very moody atmosphere that is inherent in what he and Svorcina bring to the page.

Everything feels very light but also hefty at the same time, the presence on the page is full. Roughness is an essential part of their recipe. It’s fitting that this story is bringing elements of the film into the universe, because it would be easy to describe this artwork scale as “cinematic.” Personally though, I prefer not to make that comparison because these mediums are so different. There are films that would give anything to look as good as what Ribić puts onto the page.

Plenty of vision and thought are put into how to lay out every page, never leaving any room really unused. He fills even the open spaces with details or well-crafted set pieces, allowing the world, even as broken as it is, to fill lived in and worn. A color palette which relies upon more natural or toned-down elements plays into this. Shadows and darker hues have a larger mission to accomplish here as they set the overall tone.

This is not a flashy colorful superhero story after all, but the aftermath of what happens when the “fun” flashy times are over.

Dialogue is flowing freely and prolifically, as there is a lot to impart upon the reader. Giving it the right tonal range, emotional punch, and steady presence is what Petit does best. He allows the words to really stand apart but also together, as the reader takes it all in. It’s laid out in every panel so that it won’t overwhelm, no matter how many words might or might not be there.

Aliens vs. Avengers #2 is now available from Marvel Comics.