REVIEW: ‘Alien vs. Captain America’ Issue 1

Alien vs Captain America Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics and written by Frank Tieri, with art by Stefano Raffaele, Neeraj Menon, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

Towards the end of World War II, the Red Skull finds alien eggs that could help him win the war.

There’s a seamless merging of the two franchises into the start of Alien vs Captain America Issue 1. Taking place in the depths of the war, Red Skull and Hydra are looking for an advantage. They were actually looking for something else, an ancient city that serves as a reference to another area of the Marvel Universe. Horror and World War II work tremendously well together.

Very quickly, the alien eggs are turned into wounds, tested on civilians in twisted ways, leaving bloody scenes of devastation behind, with the signature time bomb that comes with the Xenomorph. All that stands in their way is Captain America and the soldiers. Alien vs Captain America Issue 1 is all about bringing the chargers in and setting the scene. In fact, the last page is slightly jarring due to its sudden ending. As part of a buffet volume, it’s probably not noticeable, but it’s a peculiar conclusion to the single issue.

In the first chapter of this crossover, many of the wartime heroes make an appearance. They aren’t explored in great detail yet, but they’re personalities are starting to show. At the top of the tree is Captain America. This is not the Cap of the present, who is allowed some levity. He’s in the middle of a tiring and violent war, even before the aliens are introduced. He’s stern and serious. More joviality comes from the confidence and bravado of Bucky and Nick Fury.

Much of Alien vs Captain America Issue 1 focuses on the villains, however, highlighting their evil depravity. The quest for power and the most lethal weapons causes them to be as cruel as they like. Any prisoners are merely test subjects, food, and hosts for Red Skull’s alien allies. The art isn’t especially rich, but there is enough menace and fear to set the tone.

The art crafts an insidious and gruesome setting. Even without the vicious Xenomorphs and their spawn, Alien vs Captain America Issue 1 looks grim and nefarious. Raffaele opts for a modern design of Captain America, even in World War II, with the rounded shield. Similarly, the Hydra agents have that iconic uniform. Both Red Skull and Baron Von Strucker, notorious leaders of Hydra, appear in this opening chapter, both looking monstrous and evil.

But the true stars of the show are the newcomers. The Aliens are all incredible. At first, the face huggers are the early signs of what’s to come. They are gloriously horrifying, found along a gorgeously illustrated old temple that carries its own history. But there is also a Xenomorph queen who is delightfully frightening. For my money, the best monster design in history is absolutely given the respect it deserves. It’s enormous and towering, with each part of her body built for slaughter.

The colors are wonderfully atmospheric. The shades are very dark and natural, with the only light primarily shining from diamond torches. There is a slight vibrancy to Cap’s costume, but not so much that it looks out of place. The texture and color of the Xenomorph are also sensational, with its oily black skin taking on a blue hue in the right light. The lettering is very easy to read, and the screams are loud and bloodcurdling.

Alien vs Captain America Issue 1 reinvigorates the Marvel Heroes vs monsters idea. It’s an inventive concept that means Cap doesn’t have a slew of reinforcements, and the war story fused with sci-fi horror is a fantastic combo. Tieri laces the Xenomorph queen into Hydra’s plans without much warping or difficulty, and the art captures both the time period and the monstrous, gory enemies that the humans have stumbled upon.

Alien vs Captain America Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.