The second issue of James Stokoe’s interesting Aliens: Dead Orbit sees our rescue crew working to keep the three mutilated individuals introduced in issue one alive. They’re grotesqueries to look at, and it seems a little unlikely that any one of the three would even care to survive, looking like they look, but they’re crucial to the story, as they inadvertently bring the focal crew face-to-face with the dreaded Xenomorphs.

While the first issue in this limited run proved relatively tame with few appearances from the aliens themselves, Stokoe abandons the patient, character developing approach in favor of a more savage chapter. The gore is intensified here, and the aliens aren’t just lurking in the shadows for issue two.

We see a disgustingly gorgeous sequence about midway through the book that fans of Ridley Scott’s original Alien film are bound to love. You know what that means: CHEST-BURSTERS (look for an amazing spread). No, that’s not much of a spoiler, by the way. This incident obviously sets in motion a frantic war between man and monster, and as the book edges to its close, things really begin to heat up.

Perhaps it is simply the fact that I’m a diehard Alien fan, and perhaps it’s just the fact that Stokoe is a stud – either way, I’m enjoying the hell out of this book, and I can really appreciate the gradual escalation of violence and carnage. Sometimes it’s best to ease into brutality, and Stokoe obviously gets that. He also has a firm grasp on visual storytelling, as there are a number of effective pages that feature not a single word of dialog.

The third issue of this mean story should see things inch toward a huge climax. And given the noticeable enhancement in savagery on display in this book, and another excellent final shot, it doesn’t seem to be a far stretch in assuming things are only going to get bloodier in the third book. I’ll be there for the ride, no doubt!

Order the book right here.

Rating: 4/5