If there’s one thing the Alien franchise understands, it’s that greed gets punished—in this case through exploding chest 
cavities and widespread terror.
From Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox comes Alien: Thaw by Declan Shalvey and Andrea Broccardo. If you’re at all familiar with any iteration of the Alien franchise, then you already know the basics. In this particular outing, a small team of scientists on a remote ice moon are searching for usable sources of water while also conducting some covert scientific research. There’s Batya Zhan, her daughter Zasha, and Batya’s partner Dayton. Zasha’s father died in a workplace accident and since then, Dayton has stepped up to fill the role of both teammate and surrogate father after months of isolation. Things really start getting interesting when Zasha finds a strange organism frozen in the ice and the small team brings it back to the research facility for further study. Always a good idea, right?
A pregnant Zatya tries to use the find to secure overdue transport off the moon and back to civilization, but instead attracts the attention of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation—a familiar presence across the Alien franchise. After hearing of the lifeform the Zhans have discovered, Weyland-Yulani buys the entire research company and arrives on the moon with a squadron of armed goons with itchy trigger fingers and limited common sense. Only problem is—that one organism was not the only thing buried in the ice. And with so much human activity, things are starting to melt. You can guess what happens next.
Having worked with IP such as Moon Knight and Deadpool as well as independent titles like Bog Bodies, Shalvey is no stranger to writing gritty and complicated characters trapped in progressively worsening circumstances. From the very beginning of the story, he establishes the isolation and the danger of the situation with a relatively likeable set of characters who are unable to escape their circumstances despite the progressively dire state of their situation. As things go from bad to worse, Shalvey fully confronts the capitalistic greed that underlies the bad decisions in any Alien story. As people put profit and legacy over common sense, safety protocols and rational thinking go out the window.
However, from the soldier who puts his own survival over the corporate mandate to Zasha’s desire to protect her mother—Shalvey finds moments of reason and empathy to ground the story in worthwhile ways. Some of the dialogue throughout feels a bit off, there are some plot holes and questions which hang over the narrative, the timeframe of the whole disaster is a bit too condensed, and the creators aren’t breaking any particularly new ground with this comic—but Shalvey has a talent for throwing characters into the mix and pacing out a story of conflict and survival—all of which he brings to bear on this narrative.
Meanwhile, Broccardo’s art goes for a certain amount of comic stylization without shying away from the gruesome violence of the Alien presence. As the creatures carve their way through the hapless grunts dragged along on another ill-fated mission, there is enough blood, burst chests, and viscera to convey the severity of this mistake without reveling in the gore. The characters are distinct, the action and emotions come through clearly, and there are some truly cinematic moments delivered as the researchers and corporate stooges uncover a whole lot more than they bargained for beneath the ice. Even in comic form, there’s a certain awe to watching a swarm of apex predators descend on their unwary and often unsavory prey.
Marvel lists a parental advisory for this title, and it’s definitely aimed at an older audience. However, the language is surprisingly censored throughout, so the main issue is the violence and gore which is graphic but not excessive. To be perfectly frank in assessment, Alien: Thaw is familiar, a bit underdeveloped, rushed, and kind of lacking in its final delivery of its ideas. It’s not the best writing Shalvey has delivered, nor is it the best Alien story on the market. It’s often illogical and occasionally a bit silly despite all the death and such. That being said, if you or your readers are particular fans of the franchise or are desperate for some more sci-fi horror comics, there’s still a bit here to enjoy. I can see the flaws clearly, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying myself or appreciating the few moments throughout that really do manage to shine as yet another profit-chasing bureaucrat leads a group of underlings to mass destruction. Alien: Thaw doesn’t have enough space to do everything it wants to—and it doesn’t always entirely make sense—but it’s a dramatic, cool, and gooey anti-greed story all the same.
Alien: Thaw
By Declan Shalvey
Art by Andrea Broccardo
Marvel, 2023
ISBN: 9781302947668Â
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Creator Representation:Â Irish,
