Dark Horse are the go-to publisher when it comes to licensed adaptations, so it should come as no surprise to see they've been trying their hand at the Aliens universe again.
What makes this book so special, however, as opposed to previous Alien comics, is that James Stokoe (whose duties include both writing and art) really captures the essence and claustrophobia of the film series. It's a genuine horror book through and through, and Stokoe's writing really manages to create an authentic atmosphere on the page. Its crowning achievement, however, is that it produces a story that doesn't feel derivative of the original 1979 feature, or even its sequel.
Creepy, authentic and above all fresh, Dead Orbit is the perfect book for someone looking to experience the franchise away from the big screen.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
