Marvel Comics just released the first issue of its new Aliens vs Avengers miniseries—which, as the name suggests, is a complete unnecessary cash grab of two iconic Intellectual Properties mashed up together for the sake of brand synergy. These types of comics have always existed; they're usually fine if perfectly utilitarian and functional.
But for some reason, Marvel decided to commit to Aliens vs Avengers, hiring acclaimed comic writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribíc to create something that feels surprisingly exhilarating. The two previously worked together on Marvel's 2015 Secret Wars crossover, and Hickman, in particular, is typically known as Marvel's go-to guy for Big Ideas, such as his brilliant 2019 refresh/reboot of the X-Men franchise and his recent (albeit short-lived) cosmic G.O.D.S. epic.
Aliens vs Avengers isn't exactly a mind-bending conceptual comic like some of those other series. But it is a lot of fun. It's a continuity-free story that's set several decades into the future. The Shi'ar Empire (one of the Marvel Universe's go-to imperial extraterrestrial races) start experimenting with xenomorphs to achieve military superiority. As such, they run a few experiments with the eponymous aliens, including one on Planet Earth—which swiftly wipes out most of the population. The surviving humans are huddled together in a single city, protected by an elderly Hulk and Captain Marvel, along with the Miles Morales Spider-Man, and Valeria Richards, the daughter of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. (A mysterious Mr. Weyland is also bankrolling this scrappy crew of Avengers because of Brand Synergy, though I'm curious to see what Hickman & Ribíc do with this.)
What really makes the comic stand out is the way the story demonstrates just how powerful the xenomorphs are. Plenty of lip service is given in both the Aliens films and the real-world Xenomorphs, which are some "perfect species." In practice, this typically means watching them eviscerate a new set of characters we don't care about. In Aliens vs Avengers, however, Hickman and Ribíc create a controlled scenario that exploits the lifecycle of the xenomorph in a way that makes them essentially unstoppable, deftly illustrating just how efficient these creatures are. The fact that we get to see them completely overwhelm a bunch of super-powered characters that we're already familiar with adds to the power of this demonstration while also giving readers an immediate emotional investment.
For this reason, you don't actually have to care about Spider-Man or the Hulk, and even if they are brutally murdered on the page, you still know that the characters themselves will continue to exist.
For now—for what it is—the debut issue of Aliens vs Avengers made me squee with genuine delight on more than one occasion. It also made me viscerally understand just how "cleverly designed" the xenomorphs really are as a "perfect species." Sure, it's still an IP cash grab for brand synergy. But at least it's a damn good one.
