Resident Alien zero issues are usually issues collecting shorter stories told in Dark Horse Comics Presents; since I haven’t been reading that series lately I can’t say for sure, but it reads like it. It also made this a great reading experience for me because for once it wasn’t just a collection of stories I’ve already read. This zero issue does a great job of intriguing us yet again with the character of Dr. Harry Vanderseigle an actual alien living in a small town. The charm is that we can see that Harry is an alien. Occasionally others can as well, but for the most part everyone else just sees a normal dude.
The actual mystery of the series hasn’t been revealed, but there are several threads started in this issue. Harry has moved, new characters are introduced and the government is looking for Asta. We also see how Harry eventually made his money and paid back all the money he owed which for a while threw the FBI off his trail… until the last series that is. There’s a great section with Asta and her father that makes him one of the coolest characters in the story.
Peter Hogan continues to craft a story with many layers. He keeps track of them in a fantastic manner as things have been building in the series for a while now and little things continue to come into play that in another series would probably have fallen to the waste side. His characterization for Harry continues to grow and develop and overall makes Harry a likable and even a relatable character.
All that said Steve Parkhouse is the hero of this series. His artwork and consistency makes this one of the few series that I look forward to seeing over and over again. We’ve never seen how people see Harry and I think that’s one of the best things about this series. It allows for each reader to picture him differently or just appreciate the fact that we’re only show his true form which is what I do. It makes the danger of him walking around with people all the more thrilling, especially when a child can see through his mental projection. There’s something to be said about not being desensitized to an alien walking around with humans and no one knowing it.
The Sam Hain Mystery might be bringing the series to a wrap or at the very least changing the dynamic of the series; I don’t know which one, but I can’t wait to read this series over the course of the next several months.
Score: 4/5
Resident Alien - The Sam Hain Mystery #0 Writer: Peter Hogan Artist: Steve Parkhouse Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 4/29/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital