Since I've managed to get myself addicted to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic, I didn't hesitate checking out the continuation of the first two Alien movies. Rewatching them was obviously loads of fun, and I'm starting to admire Ripley even more. The first film's claustrophobic atmosphere, the characters, the iconic scenes (like the bursting chest, which we all so fondly remember), and when Ripley finally manages to gain the respect of others (of which all but one are men) etc. When the aliens start wreaking havoc, it's just an exciting ride from start to finish, and I can't stress enough how much I love Geiger's design of the alien. The sequel is also entertaining, but I feel like its action-oriented approach doesn't work as well as the first one's stylistic choices and slow-burn sci-fi horror.

Anyway, at first I had a hard time getting into the comics, because my head just can't take even the slightest bit of scientific jargon. When the story got wind under its wings, reading flowed more easier. Some new interesting creatures appear when the teams explore more worlds, and overall the plots are alright. Devastating things happen, which makes the universe even more claustrophobic. Some aspects work, some not.

Addressing the art is kind of difficult, because it occasionally varies drastically between issues, ranging from beautiful linework and coloring to scenes that are just muddy color blotches. Some of it reminds me of certain 80s action flicks, which I appreciate in terms of color and overall style, but some characters were so poorly drawn they just looked like caricatures of themselves.

In Nightmare Asylum the text boxes and bubbles have for some reason been left uncolored, which makes it difficult to determine who the narrator is in each frame. An inexplicable personality change also occurs: before Newt was participating and trying to survive the best she could, but suddenly she's a wet puddle, who only sighs after her lover's body. Furthermore, I don't see why it's necessary to accentuate the curves of every single female character, even though they're wearing baggy jumpsuits. It's like they're participating in a wet jumpsuit competition. In space.

Although the stories are full of action, they're at the same time complex by examining the nature and biology of the alien colonies, but also the relationships of the humans the creatures are trying to squash. A recurrent theme of the universe is overestimating the power of the aliens. Thinking you're in complete control is a mistake. When something like the Bionational corporation is trying to exploit the creatures by hiding behind free enterprise and capitalism, chaos ensues.

The Aliens universe is also a great way to examine fear and its different forms. Can a human be as empty as the aliens and pretend to not know what fear is, like they do? In order to survive, is becoming an alien the best thing to pursue? Androids have also been developed further by giving them the belief that they're humans, and that creates one of the most harrowing scenes in the whole omnibus.

I have to agree with others about the ridiculously unnecessary name changes. It's Newt and Hicks. No reason to pretend otherwise, even though it messes with the timeline of the third film (which is crap anyway, so...).

The stories are bound to become repetitive and older material rehashed further in the next omnibuses (and some of the characters were admittedly horrifyingly one-dimensional), but just because I'm intrigued by where the things were left and because I still had fun with the stories, I'm continuing with the series in the future. I feel like the movies and the comics are different animals (or creatures) with slightly different forms and biology, and the enjoyment one gets from them is different, but they also complement each other.