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Alien: Isolation #3
Aliens: Resistance
An evil corporation's secret bio-weapons program is putting all of humanity at risk. Ellen Ripley's daughter must fight the horrific xenomorph threat.
Following the events of Alien: Isolation, Amanda Ripley is kept silent by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation about the xenomorph threat. Enter Zula Hendricks, an Ex-Colonial Marine, in need of Ripley's help to expose a sinister bio-weapons program. The duo teams up against the sinister corporation's upgraded arsenal as they journey through space from research lab to test facility designed to keep the darkest atrocities secret!
Critically acclaimed writer Brian Wood (The Massive, DMZ, Briggs Land) returns to Aliens to pen the harrowing efforts of Ripley and Hendricks to bring down the Weyland-Yutani weapons program. With hair-raising art by Robert Carey (Power Rangers, The Phantom).
Collects Aliens: Resistance 1-4 comic series.
Following the events of Alien: Isolation, Amanda Ripley is kept silent by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation about the xenomorph threat. Enter Zula Hendricks, an Ex-Colonial Marine, in need of Ripley's help to expose a sinister bio-weapons program. The duo teams up against the sinister corporation's upgraded arsenal as they journey through space from research lab to test facility designed to keep the darkest atrocities secret!
Critically acclaimed writer Brian Wood (The Massive, DMZ, Briggs Land) returns to Aliens to pen the harrowing efforts of Ripley and Hendricks to bring down the Weyland-Yutani weapons program. With hair-raising art by Robert Carey (Power Rangers, The Phantom).
Collects Aliens: Resistance 1-4 comic series.
96 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2019
8 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Brian Wood
1,182 books963 followersBrian Wood's history of published work includes over fifty volumes of genre-spanning original material.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
From the 1500-page future war epic DMZ, the ecological disaster series The Massive, the American crime drama Briggs Land, and the groundbreaking lo-fi dystopia Channel Zero he has a 20-year track record of marrying thoughtful world-building and political commentary with compelling and diverse characters.
His YA novels - Demo, Local, The New York Four, and Mara - have made YALSA and New York Public Library best-of lists. His historical fiction - the viking series Northlanders, the American Revolution-centered Rebels, and the norse-samurai mashup Sword Daughter - are benchmarks in the comic book industry.
He's written some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, including Star Wars, Terminator, RoboCop, Conan The Barbarian, Robotech, and Planet Of The Apes. He’s written number-one-selling series for Marvel Comics. And he’s created and written multiple canonical stories for the Aliens universe, including the Zula Hendricks character.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 12, 2019
Definitely not the caliber of story I expect from Brian Wood. This is meant to be a sequel to the video game Alien: Isolation. Of course, I only found that out after the fact as there's nothing to explain this in the comic itself. The story is very confusing if you haven't played the game or read the tie in novel because Wood doesn't establish any of the characters or what has happened in the past even though he references it. He just expects you to have played and remember what happened in a video game 5 years ago. Typically, Dark Horse's Aliens books stand on their own. This is certainly not the case here. The storytelling in the first couple of issues is really light on dialog even though Wood establishes a lot of complicated world building with Weyland-Uitani. I didn't really know what was going on when the two main characters were running all over that facility. Robert Carey's art was pretty solid even if the characters were somewhat static.
August 17, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
With the Alien franchise, it is no surprise that throughout 40 years of its existence, it has been stretched in all kinds of direction, looking to expand its universe in unimaginable ways to tease and seduce fans. With its beautiful design for the xenomorph, its dystopian outlook on life and its futuristic vision for technology, the angles to exploit are infinite. In fact, the franchise isn’t just pure horror with gore to elevate the intensity, it’s also about the exhilarating tension that is built up before every kill and all the action sequences that could be imagined between humans, androids, and aliens. Where it is the most exciting is when prequels and sequels are created based on Ellen Ripley’s adventures following her tetralogy on the big screen. Only if it’s done right, though.
What is Aliens: Resistance about? Set after the events of the video game Alien: Isolation, the story follows Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, and Zula Hendricks, an Ex-Colonial Marine, as they join forces to expose a bio-weapons program. While the xenomorph threat continues to grow, this team-up find themselves on a journey through space and countless research labs as they discover some of the most unthinkable creations that could ever have been thought of. It is only in their power to put their lives on the line to take down the Weyland-Yutani weapons program before it introduces the beginning of the end for mankind.
There’s nothing pleasant about seeing a critically-acclaimed writer like Brian Wood to dish out such a poor and unimpressive four-part comic series. Although I went into this one thinking that an original story might be waiting for me, it turns out that a dialogue-light and a context-less plot is all I was going to be served. Thrown into a universe set 15 years after the events in Alien (1979), this sequel to a video game made no effort in drawing the reader into this story. The threat is intangible, the direction is invisible, there’s simply nothing in Aliens: Resistance that was remotely comprehensive.
As if it to make matters worse, the artwork was far from being exceptional. Although I found the environment drawn by artist Robert Carey astonishing at times, there was way too much inconsistency in his technique for me to wholly appreciate his vision. The most bothersome element of his work lies in his character designs. Their facial expressions are plain bad with matte-black eyes and lips that make no sense at all. Their proportions are also unexplainable, reminding me of sketch drawings created to brainstorm for ideas. As a whole, the colouring is decent but the flow in the artwork is absent and this graphic novel’s short-length simply does not help its cause.
Aliens: Resistance is a poor attempt to extend a video game’s story and suffers immensely in both plot and art with little contextualization or purpose in its narrative.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
June 15, 2019
What a mess. Hendricks and Ripley, the main characters, are completely unrecognisable as the same characters from the books and the game. Furthermore, they have absolutely no rapport together. It doesn't help that the art makes them look like weird, bland ageless fashion drawings.
The plot is barely existent, and ends on a huge cliffhanger. Don't waste your time on this, especially if you have any fondness for the characters in their respective media.
Read as four single issues.
The plot is barely existent, and ends on a huge cliffhanger. Don't waste your time on this, especially if you have any fondness for the characters in their respective media.
Read as four single issues.
October 4, 2019
This was...not good. Story underdeveloped and rushed (and not complete at the end).
July 31, 2019
Good art and a fun Alien story!
June 15, 2019
Wow.
This was... Awful.
None of the characters interact well together. Zula is not the same Zula as we knew from Defiance... and she wasn't that great even then. And Amanda is nowhere near the character we played in Alien: Isolation. What is she even doing here? Do we need to have the Ripley or Prometheus brand slapped on to every other Alien-story now-a-days?
This was... Awful.
None of the characters interact well together. Zula is not the same Zula as we knew from Defiance... and she wasn't that great even then. And Amanda is nowhere near the character we played in Alien: Isolation. What is she even doing here? Do we need to have the Ripley or Prometheus brand slapped on to every other Alien-story now-a-days?
July 5, 2021
I was confused reading this, as it felt as though I had missed a comic series at some point. Only by reading other reviews here on Goodreads was I able to figure out that this comic series is a sequel to the Alien: Isolation video game.
Since I wasn't familiar with the game, I felt like I started in the middle of the story. That being said, I was able to catch on and from there it was a decent story. Still though, I wish Dark Horse had made it clearer this was based on the game so I would have known that going in. Overall an okay Aliens story, but not up to the usual Dark Horse standards.
Since I wasn't familiar with the game, I felt like I started in the middle of the story. That being said, I was able to catch on and from there it was a decent story. Still though, I wish Dark Horse had made it clearer this was based on the game so I would have known that going in. Overall an okay Aliens story, but not up to the usual Dark Horse standards.
March 28, 2023
Kind of a weak follow-up to Woods' last alien story. This time, it's Amanda Ripley and Zula teaming up, which sounds great, but feels more like a game or movie tie-in with a less than interesting mission. Feeling rushed most of the time, and besides some neat kills, this is more of a forgettable story. 2.5 at the highest.
August 23, 2024
This whole thing felt rushed and half-assed! Ugly artwork, an unoriginal story and a lack of rapport with Zula and Amanda made this short series a chore. What a waste of two brilliant characters, it's safe to say I really didn't enjoy this.
February 23, 2020
Not a bad short graphic novel . Not sure why many rated it so low . I enjoyed it for what it is . Another alien story . Not an overly great one I agree but an average one nonetheless.
August 14, 2025
I love Alien, I loved the game and now... This comic is supposed to be sequel of the game. I ADORE the artstyle but the story is just disappointing. You could have done so much more, it had incredible potential. But the actual product feels so rushed and incomplete.
May 17, 2019
Read this once, a few days later I wasn't sure if I did so I re-read the last two issues, then a few hours later I couldn't recall anything about it, except that it stars the woman from the prior Wood Aliens book and Ripley's daughter from the Isolation videogame. And a plot to experiment on people? There's a colony or something. Anyway, forgettable. Or maybe I was just too tired that day.
October 23, 2021
This book continues the story in Aliens: Defiance, which remains to be one of the better Aliens stories I've had a chance to read. And while this book isn't quite as great, it was nice to revisit these characters with the addition of Amanda Ripley, which had been referenced before.
This story has us following them as they continue their efforts to counter what Weyland-Yutani is clearly trying to do in terms of weaponizing the xenomorphs. Thus this book follows more of an action story pace as they continue to try to thwart those efforts in their own way. It has that vibe of two people (and an android AI) against the world, but it also makes their efforts feel a little futile.
Art is still solid and the story is pretty good but without the full-scale ambition and gravitas of Defiance. I still enjoyed it but I don't know where they're going to take things from here.
This story has us following them as they continue their efforts to counter what Weyland-Yutani is clearly trying to do in terms of weaponizing the xenomorphs. Thus this book follows more of an action story pace as they continue to try to thwart those efforts in their own way. It has that vibe of two people (and an android AI) against the world, but it also makes their efforts feel a little futile.
Art is still solid and the story is pretty good but without the full-scale ambition and gravitas of Defiance. I still enjoyed it but I don't know where they're going to take things from here.
August 23, 2019
Aliens: Resistance is the first comic I've read since Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire came out in '96. So obviously, I rarely read comics, but I was willing to make an exception in this case. I was intrigued by the story of Alien: Isolation and wanted to see how the story continued. Published here for the first time is the full collection of the Alien: Resistance comics--originally four volumes, but now combined into one. You can still buy the issues separately, so be careful not to get confused between the single volume collection (which is the product I'm reviewing here) and the separate volumes. If you are not familiar with the story from Alien: Isolation (either through the videogame, novelization, or the IGN animated series) I would familiarize yourself before tackling Resistance.
Alien: Resistance takes place three years after the events of Alien: Isolation. Amanda Ripley's friend, Zula Hendricks, approaches Amanda with some intel on a Weyland-Yutani research facility that is conducting some less-than-legal experimentation. The two heroines team up, and with the help of a disembodied android, seek to hunt down and destroy the installation.
Right off the bat, I was disappointed that Resistance turned out to be much less of a sequel to Isolation than I anticipated. We get a whopping six pages or so to get us caught up, and then Amanda and Zula are off on some ill-defined mission to destroy some ill-defined installation. The beginning of the story is a tad confusing, and I had to read through it several times to understand exactly what was going on. The dialogue is rather sparse, so you don't get a lot of help in understanding what is going on. I never felt that the story grabbed me, or was compelling enough to make me really care about the characters. There are some entertaining action scenes, though.
Where Resistance shines is in its visuals. I much enjoyed the artwork in the comic by Robert Carey. I can best describe it as angular and edgy, and in a good way. Carey has created some very unsettling imagery (and sometimes gory, if that bothers you) that creates an excellent mood that feels right at home in the Aliens franchise. There are also some bleakly beautiful renderings of outer space and futuristic cityscapes. Also present is some great cover art by Roberto de la Torre. In the back of the comic you can find some sketches/concept art that is fun to look through.
If you're willing to overlook an underwhelming storyline and characterization, give Aliens: Resistance a shot. While it doesn't serve terribly well as a sequel to Isolation, the comic does feature some superbly moody art and fun action sequences.
NOTE: But of course there's a sequel! Aliens: Rescue is the four-volume sequel. Volumes one and two are already available digitally, and volumes 3 and 4 are forthcoming. All four volumes will be available in one collection in February, in both print and digital formats.
Alien: Resistance takes place three years after the events of Alien: Isolation. Amanda Ripley's friend, Zula Hendricks, approaches Amanda with some intel on a Weyland-Yutani research facility that is conducting some less-than-legal experimentation. The two heroines team up, and with the help of a disembodied android, seek to hunt down and destroy the installation.
Right off the bat, I was disappointed that Resistance turned out to be much less of a sequel to Isolation than I anticipated. We get a whopping six pages or so to get us caught up, and then Amanda and Zula are off on some ill-defined mission to destroy some ill-defined installation. The beginning of the story is a tad confusing, and I had to read through it several times to understand exactly what was going on. The dialogue is rather sparse, so you don't get a lot of help in understanding what is going on. I never felt that the story grabbed me, or was compelling enough to make me really care about the characters. There are some entertaining action scenes, though.
Where Resistance shines is in its visuals. I much enjoyed the artwork in the comic by Robert Carey. I can best describe it as angular and edgy, and in a good way. Carey has created some very unsettling imagery (and sometimes gory, if that bothers you) that creates an excellent mood that feels right at home in the Aliens franchise. There are also some bleakly beautiful renderings of outer space and futuristic cityscapes. Also present is some great cover art by Roberto de la Torre. In the back of the comic you can find some sketches/concept art that is fun to look through.
If you're willing to overlook an underwhelming storyline and characterization, give Aliens: Resistance a shot. While it doesn't serve terribly well as a sequel to Isolation, the comic does feature some superbly moody art and fun action sequences.
NOTE: But of course there's a sequel! Aliens: Rescue is the four-volume sequel. Volumes one and two are already available digitally, and volumes 3 and 4 are forthcoming. All four volumes will be available in one collection in February, in both print and digital formats.
December 12, 2021
Комусь видалася світлою ідея об’єднати в одну команду героїнь з двох медіа, але франшизі це на користь не пішло. Франшиза “Чужих” взагалі дуже дивна в плані розвитку ідей. Дві основні події і розширення завдяки серії книжок, які мало хто читав. Все інше - танці на кістках та перебирання старого.
Отже, героїня з “Опору” (комікс про загін повсталих дроїдів), об’єдналася з героїнею “Ізоляції” (гри про космічну станцію та чорну скриньку “Ностромо”), аби вивести корпорацію “Вейланд-ютані” на чисту воду, надавши докази того, що вона проводить нелюдські експерименти з використанням чужинської біологічної зброї. І це все називається "Ізоляцією-3".
За доказами треба потрапити на планету, де проводяться ті самі експерименти, дістати звідти жертву експерименту та звалити. Примітивно та прямо.
І знову чужі на відкритому просторі не працюють. Дві жіночки їх тут пачками валять, хоча у другомі фільмі для цього знадобився десяток колоніальних піхотинців. Та й не сприймаються героїні як особистості, нам наче про одного і того ж персонажа розповідають.
А фінал такий, що питаєш себе “Нафіга?”
Художній стиль не сподобався, замало деталізації. Вдалися лише модифіковані вейландівські дроїди. Відчуття страху ніщо із зображеного не викликає, локації підібрані так, що й чужому нема де сховатися, та й самі чужі завжди на виду, аби про них не забували.
Непотріб.
Отже, героїня з “Опору” (комікс про загін повсталих дроїдів), об’єдналася з героїнею “Ізоляції” (гри про космічну станцію та чорну скриньку “Ностромо”), аби вивести корпорацію “Вейланд-ютані” на чисту воду, надавши докази того, що вона проводить нелюдські експерименти з використанням чужинської біологічної зброї. І це все називається "Ізоляцією-3".
За доказами треба потрапити на планету, де проводяться ті самі експерименти, дістати звідти жертву експерименту та звалити. Примітивно та прямо.
І знову чужі на відкритому просторі не працюють. Дві жіночки їх тут пачками валять, хоча у другомі фільмі для цього знадобився десяток колоніальних піхотинців. Та й не сприймаються героїні як особистості, нам наче про одного і того ж персонажа розповідають.
А фінал такий, що питаєш себе “Нафіга?”
Художній стиль не сподобався, замало деталізації. Вдалися лише модифіковані вейландівські дроїди. Відчуття страху ніщо із зображеного не викликає, локації підібрані так, що й чужому нема де сховатися, та й самі чужі завжди на виду, аби про них не забували.
Непотріб.
March 15, 2019
Eagerly waiting this, and eagerly waiting to get to pick up the third installment. I think I liked the art for the Defiance series, and think that having another 4 or 5 issues of that series, get some time for Zula to get a crew together before finding Amanda...that might have worked better, but I know that authors who write under established titles are often given fairly restrictive guidelines for what the franchise owners want. Also not sure how this is going to be tied up neatly in only two more issues. Fingers crossed!
So far this is personally a four for me, but I love to hear anything from Amanda and/or Zula, and didn't think that the one and two star reviews were exactly fair.
So far this is personally a four for me, but I love to hear anything from Amanda and/or Zula, and didn't think that the one and two star reviews were exactly fair.
April 6, 2020
Amanda Ripley and Zula Hendricks are together at last. Oh and a disembodied Davis is hanging around as well.
They are after Weyland-Yutani and the Aliens are secondary to their goals but as always you don't get one without the other. So, whilst trying to gain evidence about Weyland-Yutani, they end up being chased by the beasties and trying to save people's lives.
These are two great heroines with hopefully many more stories to tell. Another very good addition to the Aliens Universe.
We want more Davis as well!
They are after Weyland-Yutani and the Aliens are secondary to their goals but as always you don't get one without the other. So, whilst trying to gain evidence about Weyland-Yutani, they end up being chased by the beasties and trying to save people's lives.
These are two great heroines with hopefully many more stories to tell. Another very good addition to the Aliens Universe.
We want more Davis as well!
July 1, 2020
Las dos grandes heroínas de la franquicia Alien (con permiso de Ripley) por fin se unen para hacer frente a la amenaza xenomorfica y a Weyland-Yutani. Por fin empezamos a ver cómo la compañía aprovecha a los aliens, una trama que se dejó caer desde El Octavo Pasajero pero que nunca vimos explotarse de verdad.
El tono ya es pura acción y aventuras. Poco terror se siente. El apartado gráfico y estilo de dibujo cumplen sin más. A ver cómo culmina la historia.
El tono ya es pura acción y aventuras. Poco terror se siente. El apartado gráfico y estilo de dibujo cumplen sin más. A ver cómo culmina la historia.
September 21, 2021
I really likes that this has more environmental changes. They show earth cities to outer space, etc. It was nice feel of actual motions and change, where the first comic felt like they were stuck.
I do feel it was rushed, where Defiance had two volumes, this one only has one volume. So it feels a bit rushed, but this one was still a good comic.
I could see them adapting this comic series into an actual movie. I think it be really good.
I do feel it was rushed, where Defiance had two volumes, this one only has one volume. So it feels a bit rushed, but this one was still a good comic.
I could see them adapting this comic series into an actual movie. I think it be really good.
January 31, 2020
This is no Alien Defiance part 1 and 2 which are solid classics. Light on detail and no real attempt to highlight Weyland Yutani’s plans.
I feel these books need to really cement what they want to do next rather than just producing re-hashes of what we’ve seen before.
I’ll look forward to the next series and hopefully get some answers.
I feel these books need to really cement what they want to do next rather than just producing re-hashes of what we’ve seen before.
I’ll look forward to the next series and hopefully get some answers.
July 5, 2020
only the very end was really good and I don’t know if i’m stupid or what but everything leading up to the ending made no sense and was kinda jumbled together. good artwork tho, very much enjoyed the baby drawings
August 25, 2020
An ok story but felt rather choppy and rushed, as though we were already expected to understand these relationships without much interesting texture. Not a huge fan of hundreds of Xenomorphs being gunned down, bit overused. Artwork was good. But yeah, very rushed.
January 6, 2021
I feel like I'm doing a disservice to the ALIENS IP by reading so much of it out of order.
I like the art and I'm good with the story, but I feel like I'd have enjoyed it more if I had read one or more of Amanda Ripley's earlier adventures first.
I like the art and I'm good with the story, but I feel like I'd have enjoyed it more if I had read one or more of Amanda Ripley's earlier adventures first.
May 14, 2019
Let's wait. Anyway, I don't like this artist. Low quality.
July 15, 2019
Not a tight or strong story. Not real clear why they were doing what they were doing. Even the characters were drawn differently than before.
March 22, 2020
don't know what to make of it...felt like the story should have been longer.
And how they got to the planet was confusing ...it is like sinking ship?
Did that ending just happen?
And how they got to the planet was confusing ...it is like sinking ship?
Did that ending just happen?
September 26, 2020
A step down from Defiance. The characters aren't as interesting, the plot is barely there, and it's a pretty weak continuation of either Isolation or Defiance. Not much I liked about the art either.
February 11, 2021
Impossible situations with little hope of success. A slim chance is taken for a better future.
October 21, 2021
Quite a meh story with cookie cutter protagonists running around, shooting aliens and foiling evil corporate plots.
February 12, 2023
3.5 Star, unreasonable ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews