Alien stories tend to be a dime a dozen and the focus always ends up more about the tech, the travel and the design more than anything else. With Resident Alien, the creative team has managed to put a spin on the “crashed alien” storyline that not only is very interesting, but engaging at the same time. To break it down, an alien has crashed landed on our planet and disguised himself as a retired doctor. He’s ended up filling in as the doctor for the small town he lives in due to the murder of the old one. This issue gives us some back story as to how he got his start on the planet after crashing. He’s able to talk to our technology to disable it or at the very least have it help him. He starts off in a mall by gathering food, water and clothes; he seems to have a basic understanding of our culture already and what he needs to do to blend in. He grabs a laptop and hits the ATM giving himself 1,000 bucks to get started before he heads off into the world to wait for rescue.
In the present there has been a third gruesome murder that he’s been called to the scene of. The killer apparently was naked while he stabbed the victim, an old man who owned the banks of the town. He was hated by most, but as our Alien will find out… some more than others. After a routine health examine with one of the deceased doctor’s patient’s, our resident Alien heads to the library to piece the puzzle pieces together and basically solves the case of the naked murderer.
This is the story at its best; as good as the shorts were in DHP and as good as the first issue was this issue shines above them. The little bit of back story was great, but the developing story of the murder mystery and the possible reveal of our Doctor is very intriguing. The way the murder was revealed was perfectly paced and kept you interested in everything the Doctor was doing. Then in the same regard it made me wonder why he was doing it, why did he care? Has he in fact gone “native” as the character says in the book; personally I think this is to show his compassionate side and that he’s not a being to be feared due to his origins.
This second issue left me sitting on the edge of seat until next month so I can close out the story. I hope that people are checking it out so that it can possibly go on; the premise and the world built are massive. The alien craze of the 90’s may be over, but books like this can easily rejuvenate people’s interest. I can’t wait to see how it turns out and hopefully it leaves our character in a position to continue his story.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Peter Hogan
Artist: Steve Parkhouse
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 6/27/12