The Alien comic books are part of the Alien franchise and have had several titles published based on the license, most of which are part of the Dark Horse Comics line, but other comics by other distributors have been made. Marvel Comics obtained the license to the Aliens, Predator and Alien vs. Predator comics following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company.
Alien: The Illustrated Story Alien: The Illustrated Story is a critically acclaimed graphic novel adaptation of the original 1979 movie Alien, published by Heavy Metal magazine the same year. The creative team consisted of Archie Goodwin as the scriptwriter and Walt Simonson as the artist. It won the Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2013.
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the most well-known publisher of Aliens comics, having published many limited series from 1988 to 1999. Publishing took a hiatus until 2009. The Predator creature exists in this extended comic universe due to multiple Alien vs. Predator crossovers.
Comics TitleIssuesPublication dateNotesLimited seriesAliensvol. 1#1–6May 1988 – July 1989Sequel to the 1986 film Aliens. Also known as Aliens: Outbreak. Adapted into the novel Aliens: Earth Hive (1992).vol. 2#1–4August 1989 – May 1990Sequel to the first series. Also known as Aliens: Nightmare Asylum. Adapted into the novel Aliens: Nightmare Asylum (1993).Aliens: Earth War#1–4June 1990 – October 1990Sequel to Aliens (vol. 2). Also known as Aliens: Female War. Adapted into the novel Aliens: The Female War (1993).Aliens: Genocide#1–4November 1991 – February 1992Adapted into the novel Aliens: Genocide (1993)Aliens: Hive#1–4February 1992 – May 1992Later known as Aliens: Harvest. Adapted into the novel Aliens: Alien Harvest (1995).Alien 3#1–3June 1992 – July 1992Comic adaptation of the 1992 film Alien 3.Aliens: Newt's Tale#1–2June 1992 – July 1992Aliens: Colonial Marines#1–10January 1993 – July 1994Originally meant to be a 12 issue limited series.Aliens: Rogue#1–4April 1993 – July 1993Adapted into the novel Aliens: Rogue (1995) Aliens: Labyrinth#1–4September 1993 – January 1994Adapted into the novel Aliens: Labyrinth (1996) Aliens: Music of the Spears#1–4January 1994 – April 1994Adapted into the novel Aliens: Music of the Spear (1996) Aliens: Stronghold#1–4May 1994 – September 1994Aliens: Berserker#1–4January 1995 – April 1995Adapted into the novel Aliens: Berserker (1998) Aliens: Havoc#1–2June 1997 – July 1997Story by Mark Schultz, every page of the story is drawn by a different artist.Alien Resurrection#1–2October 1997 – November 1997Aliens: Alchemy#1–3October 1997 – November 1997Aliens: Kidnapped#1–3December 1997 – February 1998Aliens: Survival#1–3February 1998 – April 1998Aliens: Apocalypse- The Destroying Angels#1–4January 1999 – April 1999Aliens: Xenogenesis#1–4August 1999 – November 1999Aliensvol. 3#1–4May 2009 – November 2009Aliens: Fire and Stone#1–4September 2014 – December 2014Fire and Stone crossover event tie-in comics.Prometheus: Fire and Stone#1–4Aliens: Defiance#1–12April 2016 – June 2017Prometheus: Life and Death#1–4June 2016 – September 2016Life and Death crossover event tie-in comics.Aliens: Life and Death#1–4September 2016 – December 2016Aliens: Dead Orbit#1–4April 2017 – December 2017Aliens: Dust to Dust#1–4April 2018 – January 2019William Gibson's Alien 3#1–5November 2018 – March 2019Aliens: Resistance#1–4January 2019 – May 2019Aliens: Rescue#1–4July 2019 – October 2019Alien: The Original Screenplay#1–5August 2020 – December 2020Comic adaptation of the original 1976 screenplay for Alien by Dan O'Bannon.One-shotsAliens Mini-Comic#1February 1989Short story including a portfolio of high-quality prints.Aliens: SacrificeMay 1993Aliens: SalvationNovember 1993Prestige format.Aliens: Earth Angel#1August 1994Reprints the 13-part story from Previews (vol. 3) #1–12 and (vol. 4) #1.Aliens: Mondo PestApril 1995Reprints "Mondo Pest" stories from Dark Horse Comics #22–24.Aliens: Mondo HeatFebruary 1996Sequel to Aliens: Mondo Pest.Aliens: LovesickDecember 1996Aliens: PigMarch 1997Aliens Special#1June 1997Aliens: PurgeAugust 1997Aliens: Glass CorridorJune 1998Aliens: StalkerAliens: WraithJuly 1998Aliens: Colonial Marines – No Man Left BehindJuly 2012Tie-in comic to the Aliens: Colonial Marines video game.Alien Isolation2014Prometheus: Fire and Stone, OmegaFebruary 2015Fire and Stone crossover event tie-in comic.Prometheus: Life and DeathApril 2017Life and Death crossover event tie-in comic. Not to be confused with the miniseries listed above.CrossoversNot including Predator crossovers.Superman/Aliens#1–3July 1995 – September 1995Co-published with DC Comics.Batman/Aliens#1–2March 1997 – April 1997WildC.A.T.S./Aliens#1August 1998Co-published with Image Comics. Reprinted in StormWatch Vol. 5: Final Orbit collected edition.Aliens vs. Predator vs. The Terminator#1-4April - July 2000Green Lantern Versus Aliens#1–4September 2000 – December 2000Co-published with DC Comics.Superman/Aliens 2: God War#1–4May 2002 – November 2002Batman/Aliens II#1–32003Judge Dredd versus Aliens: Incubus#1–4March 2003 – June 2003Co-published with 2000 AD.Aliens Vampirella#1–6September 2015 – February 2016Co-published with Dynamite Entertainment.OtherAliens: TribesAugust 1992Hardcover graphic novella. 1000-copy Limited Edition. ISBN: February 1993Softcover edition graphic novella. ISBN: Aliens: Space Marines#1–121993Mini-comics packaged with Aliens action figures sold by Kenner Toys.Aliens: Fast Track to HeavenNovember 2011Deluxe-sized hardcover graphic novella by Liam Sharp. ISBN:
Stories Stories based on the Alien franchise published in other comics, such as the Dark Horse Presents anthology title. Story titleIssuePublication dateNotes"Theory of Alien Propagation"Dark Horse Presents #24November 1988Title of the story is taken from the reprint in Aliens Omnibus. Originally untitled."Part One: Advent"Dark Horse Presents #42–43July 1990 – August 1990Two-part story."Part Two: Terminus""Countdown"Dark Horse Insider #14–27September 1990 – October 1991Fourteen-part story."Reapers"Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary SpecialApril 1991Title of the story is taken from the reprint in Aliens Omnibus. Originally untitled."The Alien"Dark Horse Presents #56November 1991Story is separated in two halves, the first at the beginning of the issue, and the second at the end."Horror Show"Dark Horse Comics #3–5October 1992 – December 1992Three-part story."Earth Angel"Previews (vol. 3) #1–12, (vol. 4) #1January 1993 – January 1994Later reprinted as a one-shot by Dark Horse."Alien 3: Terminal Addiction"Alien magazine (vol. 2) #12June 1993Published by Dark Horse International."The Taste"Dark Horse Comics #11July 1993"Backsplash"Dark Horse Comics #12–13August 1993 – September 1993Two-part story."Cargo"Dark Horse Comics #15–16November 1993 – December 1993Two-part story."Alien"Dark Horse Comics #17–19January 1994 – March 1994Three-part story."Mondo Pest"Dark Horse Comics #22–24June 1994 – August 1994Three-part story."Incubation"Dark Horse Presents #101–102September 1995 – October 1995Two-part story."Lucky"A Decade of Dark Horse #3September 1996"Headhunter"Dark Horse Presents #117January 1997"Borderlines"Dark Horse Presents #121May 1997"Tourist Season"Dark Horse Presents Annual 1997February 1998Indicia date says February 1998."Once in a Lifetime"Dark Horse Presents #140February 1999Free Comic Book Day: Aliens / Predator May 2009Story is untitled. Issue also features a Predator story.Free Comic Book Day: Aliens/Predator, Aliens Day Edition Story is untitled. Issue also features a Predator and an Alien/Predator story."Inhuman Condition"Dark Horse Presents (vol. 2) #12–17May – October 2012Six-part story."In Space No One Can Hear You Slay"Free Comic Book Day and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 / The Guild: Beach'dMay 2012Crossover story with Buffy the Vampire Slayer."Field Report"Dark Horse Presents (vol. 3) #2September 2014"Extravehicular"Free Comic Book Day 2016: GeneralMay 2016
Marvel Comics TitleSeriesIssuesPublication dateNotesAlien1#1–12May 2021 – July 2022Aliens: Aftermath#1September 2021Epilogue to the 1986 film Aliens.Alien Annual#1September 2022Alien2#1–6November 2022 – April 2023Alien3#1–5June 2023 – October 2023Alien Annual#1December 2023Alien4#1–4January 2024 – April 2024Alien: Black, White & Blood#1–4April 2024 – July 2024Anthology series.Aliens: What If...?#1–5May 2024 – September 2024Aliens vs. Avengers#1–4October 2024 – June 2025Crossover event with Avengers.Alien: Romulus#1December 2024Prologue to the 2024 film Alien: Romulus.Alien: Paradiso#1-5December 2024 - April 2025Alien vs. Captain America#1–4November 2025 – February 2026Crossover event with Captain America. Alien: King Killer#1-5April 2026 - August 2026Alien vs. X-Men#1-September 2026 - Crossover event with X-Men
Other Story titleIssuePublication dateNotes"Do Aliens Dream?"Skeleton Crew magazine (vol. 2) #2July 1990Published by Argus House."Crusade"Aliens magazine (vol. 2) #13–20July 1993 – February 1994Only the first eight parts were published. The last two parts were supposed to be published in issues #21–22, but were delayed to issues #23–24 which were cancelled. Aliens: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 2 by Marvel printed the final issues in January 2022.
Cancelled stories and titles TitleOriginal publication dateNotes"Matrix" in Aliens magazine (vol. 2) #25July 1994An illustrated novella written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Chris Cunningham, was solicited for issue #25 of the magazine but was never published due to its cancellation with issue #22.Aliens: Hive Wars1998Similar to Aliens: Space Marines, the mini-comic series was going to be packaged with the Hive Wars action figure line by Kenner Toys.Star Trek: The Next Generation/Aliens: Acceptable LossesApril 2017Announced in October 2016 at MCM London Comic Con as a intercompany crossover between Dark Horse and IDW. The VP of Publishing of Dark Horse, Randy Stradley, later posted on Facebook saying that the title was cancelled.Aliens: Colonial Marines – Rising Threat #1–8September 2019 – April 2020Cancelled eight issue limited series serving as tie-in to Aliens: Fireteam Elite by Cold Iron Studios, due to allegations against the writer of the comic, Brian Wood.
Collected editions
Dark Horse Comics