Alien: The Illustrated Story (Graphic Novel Review)

Alien: The Illustrated Story; Written by: Archie Goodwin; Art by: Walter Simonson
June 1979 Heavy Metal Communications (Rereleased in 2012 by Titan Books), 64 Pages

As tempted as I am to say "Just read it," I'll give this review of Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson's graphic novel interpretation of Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien just a bit more detail. 

Generally, something like this would be done as a cash grab, cheap pop art to make a quick buck. That's not what Alien: The Illustrated Story is. Writer, Goodwin, has found a way to perfectly streamline the film's story, telling it economically, while somehow losing little of the depth from a film that already has no fat. Meanwhile, Simonson's art panels are revelatory, bunching them on the page when necessary, perfectly picking his shots with just the right amount of splash panels when events need to breathe the most. The watercolor-esque artwork is gorgeous, even when it's gorgeously gory and disgusting. The result of Goodwin and Simonson's top notch work results in a book not just considered a classic in the film adaptation genre, but a classic of the entire graphic novel artform, and Alien: The Illustrated Story is a must read for fans of the format and the film alike.