Dark Horse is redo the universe . Aliens , Predators , and Engineers will come together in 2014 when the Aliens , Predators , and Alien Vs . Predator comics get completely rebooted , along with the first Prometheus comic series , and joined together in a undivided persistence next yr . We spoke with all four writers — Chris Roberson , Paul Tobin , Joshua Williamson and Chris Sebela — to get all the details .
Chris Roberson on Aliens
Io9 : Are you keeping all of the original four movies as canyon ? Is there anything you ’re dropping ?
Roberson : in spades , everything in the original film is “ canon ” as far as I ’m concerned . We wo n’t be directly referencing anything that happen with Ripley and company , but nothing that we ’ll be doing will belie or battle with anything we ’ve go out before , either .
So that means the charcters are all unexampled , ripe ?
Roberson : This will be an solely original cast of grapheme . We might well have the periodic reference to someone that we ’ve seen on projection screen before , but they wo n’t be appearing “ on level , ” as it were .
Are there any major change that will storm readers of the late Alien comics ?
Roberson : One thing that [ editor in chief ] Scott Allie and I discuss when I was first take onto the project was his desire to get away from the more militaristic tonus of the franchise from the 2nd film onwards , and push back nearer to the “ revulsion ” vibration of the original film . So we ’re taking a like approach here . These are n’t soldiers aim for combat , but regular people whose life-time are thrown into topsy-turvydom when they encounter the unknown .
How much are you collaborate with the other writers to make a incorporated universe ?
Roberson : The level of collaboration here between the writers is pretty phenomenal , actually . Chris , Paul , and Joshua are all Friend of mine who I hang out with on a regular groundwork , but it was an interesting experience pay off to posture together in one elbow room with them and hash out the intricacies of these various characters and their individual stories , and how they would synchronize up and interact . When Scott brought me onboard , he described it as a “ writer ’s room , ” which is something that I had n’t really been a part of before . And when you factor in that we also had Patric Reynolds and the editorial geniuses from Dark Horse in the room , there was a lot of brainpower at piece of work putting these stories together .
What opportunity is the reboot providing that you ’re most excited about ?
Roberson : There is n’t any aspect of this that I ’m NOT turn on about ! I ’ve want to lick with Dark Horse since the company set up back in the ‘ fourscore , I ’ve been a fan of the Alien motion picture since I first saw the original movie when I was in middle school a few year before that , and I ’ve been hoping to collaborate with Patric Reynolds on something since I first realise his work . component in the fact that I ’m also collaborating with some of my favorite writer , who are all pals of mine , this is nothing but pull ahead for me !
Paul Tobin on Prometheus
Io9 : Are you focussing on new characters too , or will th this be the further dangerous undertaking of Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender ’s head ?
Tobin : We ’re definitely rivet on original graphic symbol . I think the Prometheus movie opened a wealthiness of head about the nature of the Engineers , and the extraterrestrial , and the universe as a whole . It ’s interesting how some people ascertain the movie with a feeling of , “ Oh , well , THAT answered some questions ! ” and others have a different reaction , seeing the oeuvre as a springboard for even further mysteries to be answered , for more to be explore . Myself , I love to focalize on what ’s still out there , both in the glory of exploration , and the repugnance of finding out answers you ’re not quick for . New characters fit us practiced for those purposes .
Will the Engineers be returning ?
James Tobin : They ’ll have a strong presence throughout the entire project , because the nature of the Engineers and the theme of innovation is a unattackable one throughout the whole of our project . Just what KIND of presence the Engineers will have … that I ca n’t unwrap at this meter . But they ’re too enigmatic a race to stay away from , and the way that the various specie interact … THAT ’S very fascinating to me . How do man see Engineers ? How do Predators see Engineers ? Where do we collide ? Find common ground ? When we first started have meeting to work out the overall story structure , these were some of the question we were asking each other , so we knew that the doubtfulness ask to be addressed in the level .
Have you been wreak with Ridley Scott or gotten any movie materials to aid write the comedian ?
James Tobin : No direct interactions . That ’s too bad , in some ways , because it would have been interesting to all snap up a beer together and hash out a story in some bar , in all probability at last end in a boozy do that Sebela would definitely win , owing to how he ’s the only one of us with a whiskers . On the snotty-nosed side , it ’s been fantastic that we ’ve all been believe to come up with the stories we need to tell , to work out out our own skeletons and flesh them out as we see set . It really collapse us a chance to showcase what we can do .
What can you tell us about the make this new world together ?
Tobin : This undertaking is a Brobdingnagian quislingism , and I ’m gayly finding myself at the nexus of it , as some of the overall cardinal points and reference will staunch from the Prometheus comic . This think of that we all have to figure out together constantly , verify our own storylines meld , and that I ’m not demolish plot points that others are hear to build . We ’ve had ongoing summit meetings , apartment meetings , party meeting , electronic mail , texts , earpiece call , and I would n’t doubt that editor Scott Allie will contact us all with sky - authorship at some point .
Will you be explore the same theme of meeting your God Almighty in the comic ?
Tobin : Definitely . The creator / creation root was a vast part of Prometheus , but it ’s such a huge subject that no movie can do more than cod the subject , unless it ’s ten hours long and requires brain implants . So … here in our overall labor we get to explore it a bit more . Still no brainpower implants , though . Maybe for the collected editions ?
Aliens , Predators and AvP are reboots , but the Prometheus comedian is all new . Are you covetous that the other author are come to reboot their serial but you have to start from chicken feed ?
James Tobin : I ’m both not - at - all jealous , and completely - totally envious . Starting from scratch is in reality easier than rebooting , because you get to decide not only where the puzzler pieces go , but what they are in the first place . And the undertaking is intertwined enough that no one author is standing alone … we ’re writing this in bicycle-built-for-two with each other , which have in mind we ’re all up in each others ’ sandboxes . That ’s ok with me , because each of us LOVES playing with persona , and when fiber are upstanding , substantial stories take bod . These guys are doing some of the best comics out there right now , with Chris Sebela on High Crimes , and Josh Williamson on Ghosted , and Chris Roberson on Edison Rex … all task that rely on strong fibre . So … jealousy cancel , because it ’s too much fun to work with these guys to think otherwise . On the other hand , having avail to establish their stories ( as they help build mine ) means I know what they get to play with , and deuced … that would be some play stuff to take further . I ’m also jealous of Roberson for getting to do work with Patric Reynolds , one of my favourite artists , but even there I can say , “ But … I get to work with Juan Ferreyra . So take THAT , suckahs ! ”
Prometheus was met with some criticism with fans — are you at all worried to be film it on with a comic ?
Tobin : Nahh . That clobber does n’t bother me . I actually care the strong disputation that stemmed from Prometheus , because it shows how much masses care about this grand overall universe that ’s been created . mass are always passionate about pic like Prometheus , because mysteries conduct to closed book , and people need to KNOW . So , we ’re here to give them some more answers . And a few more mysteries , too .
Do you design on cover any of the many mysteries the movie presented , such as the similar but different “ eggs ” between Prometheus and the first Alien movie ?
Tobin : Definitely going to be exploring several mysteries of that nature . The fun is in the surprisal of HOW those mysteries are pass to be explore . Josh had a mo at one of our summit meeting , something he mumbled while we were all rave at the same time and eating dwelling - made cookie ( we ’re freelancers , stand for we down all free food in the way of the Sarlacc Pit devouring Boba Fett ) when he said an offhand remark about an approach to a duet of these mysteries , and the whole way went silent , and then we all started nodding , writing down the bank note , so pleased with ourselves that we decided to pay back our corporate grandness by own a few more cookies .
Chris Sebela on Alien Vs. Predator
io9 : Does an AvP comic mean value that Aliens and Predators will never receive in their solo titles ?
Sebela : Right now nothing is off the table as far as how big or brainsick we ’re conk out to get on any of these books , but if you ’re look for the most Alien and Predator fundamental interaction rush for your buck , then AvP is going to be a very wise investment .
Are both AvP moving-picture show going to be canon , or just the solo picture show ?
Sebela : I ’m just stick with the solo movies , because I suppose they build up an interesting mythology of their own that fits in well with the cosmos we ’re building . I think the AvP flick have a lot of interesting things going on , but they seem to exist in their own little bubble , one that ’s very far away from ours , and , personally , I need to keep myself as gratuitous of all past tense AvP encounter , to start from a clean slate and progress my own take on this mythical case - off .
Can you say anything about the protagonist ?
Sebela : I hate to be the “ I wish well I could narrate you this super cool thing but I ca n’t ” cat , but I wish I could order you this ace coolheaded matter , but I ca n’t . What I can say is that the protagonists are go to be just as important as the titular battling creatures , they ’re not there just to be monster fresh fish or to serve as threats we have to reactively consider with . They stand on their own , and they have a past tense that makes their present even more fraught with risk . Putting it another way , we could do a Koran just about these champion and it would still be an astonishingly cool book that fit perfectly well within this domain of alien and piranha and engineers .
How will AvP take issue from the Aliens and Predators comics ? What lay it apart ?
Sebela : AvP , at its core , is a revenge story . It just happens that it ’s a retaliation story wrap up in a bestial , nonstop demon movie , but a monster movie where you ’re never certain who to settle down for . There ’ll be lots of extremist ferocity , lots of battue , slew of terror . While there ’s a lot of similarities in theme across all the Quran , Chris ’ Aliens al-Qur’an and Josh ’s predatory animal al-Qur’an will be very different in tone and approach from AvP and from one another , which is what excites me most about the elbow room the script are come out and everyone bring their individual gustatory perception and tic to each title , where we can enjoin all kind of dissimilar stories in one mutual sandbox .
Will any aspect of Prometheus creep in , or is this strictly Aliens and Predators ?
Sebela : Yeah , there will be Prometheus - adjacent things in AvP , but , wah wah , I ca n’t tell you what . Prometheus is the fond , beating heart of all these record book , everything spins out from the Prometheus book that Paul is write , so AvP ca n’t help but contain aspects of it just by dint of being part of the line - up , coming from the same beehive - mind of our writer ’s room . But there ’ll be some other , less touched on look from Prometheus that do show up , because I ’d be foolish not to try and get my finger’s breadth in all the pies .
What ’s the best and worst part of having AvP versus one of the solo titles ?
Sebela : The respectable part is I get to act with all the big pieces on the board . I get some Aliens , I get some predator , I get some Prometheus and I get to lock up them in a way and work out out the ripe means to make them do frightful things to each other . After the first few author ’s room coming together , we all went off to drop a line the synopsis of our books base on stuff we ’d agreed on in the room and when I sit down , I had this moment of Christmas break of day childlike overload where I could n’t piece what I need to act with first because I desire to play with
The worst part ? Having been in the writer ’s room , and see what everyone else is last to be doing , it ’s hard not to be a little jealous when I know what sort of things they ’re mystify to do . It ’s that piffling voice in your read/write head whining “ I wanna do that too . ” So if I had to pick a worst part , that would be it . That and the enormous amount of internal pressure I feel from previous , younger iterations of myself who were raised on these movies to get this book perfectly right , to please Aliens fan , vulture fans , Prometheus rooter and cursory fans who are n’t full nerd like me .
Any prospect of an Alien versus Predator versus Engineer brawl ?
Sebela : I opine the best analogy I can use here alternatively of actually answer this question is that each of these Koran is like throwing a pack of cards of playing cards up in the atmosphere . When the dust descend , some cards will be allude others just on the corner , some will be laying right on top of others , some will be stranded all by themselves on the other side of the way , some are inexplicably deposit in the blinds . We have a lot of wit we ’re playing with in these leger and some of them fall like you ’d expect and some end up on the other side of the room , we ’re not discarding any possibilities .
Joshua Williamson on Predators
Io9 : There ’s Predator , Predator 2 , and Predators . Are they all canon ?
Williamson : It ’s all canon to me . I love all three movies . I commend seeing Predator at house on TV and then seeing Predator 2 in the theaters at the tender untried years of 9 . I ’m pretty sure it was the most violent movie I ’d seen to escort and I loved it !
If you await at how the continuity put to work in the original film they each work alone , but still acknowledge the ones before it . That ’s the same posture I ’ve had with my Predator fib . take heed , I ’m a persistence freak , to toss anything would be blasphemy , but I do n’t require it to overpower what I ’m trying to do here .
I do n’t imagine there ’s any chance of Dutch or Danny Glover make an appearance , is there ?
Williamson : Again in keeping with the theme of the originals , we ’ve created a not bad cast of characters to battle our Predator . One matter I ’m in person excited with our take is that there are no skilful guys in our Predator comic . Not really . Closer to anti - heroes , who are out to endure at all costs . The independent guy rope will be a bad ass dude nominate Galgo , who would knife anyone in the back to get what he need . His interactions with the Predator have been … interesting .
Will the Predators be the independent reference or the antagonist ?
Williamson : Both ? I do n’t require to give too much out but we have a Predator who os an older piranha past his efflorescence and [ looking for ] one last great hunt . It ’s our version of Moby Dick , with a Predator ghost with execute the impossible . A few humankind get in his way and a few … well , you ’ll take to read to get hold out .
Are there any major change that will surprise readers of the previous Predator strip ?
Williamson : Not so much , no . I ’ve made it a point to keep the heart of those stories and just differentiate the near story possible and honor what has come before me . If they care those Predator comics , and are a fan of the Predator dealership , then they ’ll like what were doing .
What was making this new universe with your fellow writers like ?
Williamson : We ’ve been converge at Scott Allie ’s home and breaking the report together . At first I was n’t even writing Predator . That came out of the merging . There has been some arguing , some yelling , some clenched fist fights , but in the close we all came together with the best ideas to move forward with . A little bit of blood disgorge never hurt anyone , and it only helped out story take human body . We want to make certain that it all flowed and worked together like a well oiled machine and that take a lot of putting self-importance away and ascertain what worked and what did n’t . It ’s easily been one of the most rewarding experiences I ’ve ever had in working in strip . A high spot of my vocation .
What are you most excited about ?
Williamson : The power to tell a stand - alone Predator fib that has its own emotional gist . That has a radical that speaks to me personally . Sometimes when you write commissioned books your personal voice as a author can get a bit lost . But with this reboot and the path Dark Horse has near this massive project has appropriate me to keep the “ ME ” in my authorship .
AlienAlien vs. PredatorAliensComicsPredator
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