For those that don’t know, comic collectors like myself have to plan our purchases two months ahead of time. A catalog comes out listing all of the comics, thousands of them, coming out in two months later (January has the March comics, for example). Readers like myself write up a list of which comics they would like, and hand that list to our local comic book stores. The stores then order the titles and two months later we buy them, all but guaranteed that the books we desire will be there waiting for us. This situation is how I realized Marvel was about to release an Aliens comic. 

The Alien franchise has not only spawned multiple movies but unknown to the casual movie watcher there are hundreds of tie in stories. Dark Horse Comics released many Aliens titles including crossovers with other characters. This is what led to Aliens vs Predator which then became a couple of films. There are also numerous novels taking place within their corner of the galaxy. 

I mentioned to friends within the blogging and podcast community that I have never watched an Alien movie. I’ve done the Predator ones. But that’s it. I’m well familiar with the series, it has existed as long as I’ve been old enough to be aware. I have nothing against it at all but I just never sat down to watch the movies. When I shared the Marvel Aliens comic with people I also wondered if I would understand what is happening, or be lost because of my unfamiliarity with the franchise. 

That was when my fellow geeks were up in arms. Aghast that I have never watched this. I used the resources of my geek community, my own collection, and my local library system. I buy so much that it turns out I did have a couple of Aliens things in my rooms already. Plus, thanks to Jason Gross of the Retro Network, I have some of the Aliens paperbacks in my growing genre collection. 

So in addition to all of the other ongoing projects on this site, I am now adding the Aliens franchise. I’ve borrowed the movies and I think I’ll start there. Then onto the novels and comics. I’ve also been picking up some more Aliens material for this idea while on my recent shopping trips. 

Plus, I have a goal end date for this. I’m going to try to finish this up by October. Why October? Because that is the current plan for Marvel’s Predator comics to begin. That sounds like a good time to finish up the Aliens works and jump into Predator, then part 3 will be the Aliens vs Predator works. 

So grab your face hugger plushie and curl up over the next year as I get into some sci-fi horror works.