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Aliens, often referred to as Aliens magazine, is a two-volume, "oversized" (8½ × 12) format comics magazine that was published in the United Kingdom from February 1991-April 1994, first by Trident Comics (Vol. 1, #1-16) and later Dark Horse International (Vol. 1, #17-Vol. 2, #22).

Originally, the magazine served simply as a means to publish serialized reprints of existing Dark Horse Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comics for the UK market. However, after Dark Horse International took over the publication in mid-1992, the magazine's scope expanded to include additional new material created exclusively for it. This included text articles, interviews, news and even new comic book stories. Of particular note is the regular "Technical Readout" section, about the weapons and technology of the Alien franchise, which later evolved into the book Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual.

Financial troubles at Dark Horse International ultimately led to the company going out of business in 1994, and as a result Aliens magazine was cancelled after issue 22 of Volume 2. Several further issues were solicited but none ever saw print.

Overview[]

Although Dark Horse Comics' early Aliens and Predator comics proved hugely successful in North America, they were hard to obtain in Europe, where they were only available as expensive imports from a limited number of speciality comic shops.[1] Eventually, several European publishers sought to change this situation by securing the rights to reprint American comics in their own territories. This led to publications such as Aliens magazine and Total Carnage in the United Kingdom, and the Aliens and Predator anthology series in Germany.

Trident Comics: Volume 1 #1-16[]

Aliens magazine began in February 1991 as a 48-page publication from Trident Comics that consisted almost entirely of serialized reprints of comic books already released in America; the only original content was in the form of brief "The Story So Far" summaries before each installment to remind readers what had happened previously. Despite the publication's name, it included Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comics as well as Aliens stories.

Starting with issue 6, the magazine began incorporating a letter column, although this was infrequent at first. With issue 12, the magazine's design was overhauled and the length increased to 64 pages, allowing more comics and/or bigger installments to feature. The redesign was overseen by John Mould.[1] The letter column — now under the name "Alien Contact" — became a more regular feature, while a single give-away competition was run in issue 9, offering readers the chance to win Aliens plastic model kits from Halcyon. The principle editor on the Trident Comics issues was Martin Skidmore.

The final issue published by Trident Comics was issue 16 in May 1992; when Dark Horse Comics started their UK-based Dark Horse International branch at that time, they took over the license for the magazine and began publishing issues themselves the following month. With a new publisher came an entirely new layout, and as a result Volume 1's reprint of Aliens: Book One ended in issue 16 before it was complete.[1] Trident Comics went out of business later in the year.

Dark Horse International: Volume 1 #17 and Volume 2[]

AliensMagV1-17

The cover to Vol. 1 #17, the first Dark Horse International issue, by Chris Halls.

The final issue of Volume 1, #17 (June 1992), sported an all-new, more professional design by Dark Horse and settled on a new length of 52 pages. This format would be adopted for all remaining issues. Vol. 1 #17 featured brand new cover artwork by Chris Halls created especially for the magazine, and for the first time included a significant amount of new, non-comic book content in the form of exclusive articles written by Dave Hughes. Following issue 17, Dark Horse restarted the series as Volume 2. The final issue of Volume 1 was edited by Michael W. Bennent.

Volume 2 of the magazine continued with serialized reprints of Dark Horse's existing Aliens, Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comic books from America, although as the magazine progressed the focus shifted to Aliens comics exclusively — the final Predator story featured was Predator: Rite of Passage, which concluded in issue 11, while the last Aliens vs. Predator title to appear was Aliens vs. Predator 2, which ended in issue 14. Serialized reprints of Predator and Aliens vs. Predator comics were instead moved to a new home in Dark Horse International's anthology magazine Total Carnage. Early issues of Volume 2 also included a number of bonus mini-comics unrelated to the Aliens/Predator/Aliens vs. Predator franchise, although these were likewise soon dropped in favor of focussing on the titular series. Similar to the Trident issues, each comic book episode in Volume 2 of Aliens magazine was preceded by a brief "What Has Gone Before" text summary of prior events, to help fans keep track of the story from month-to-month. However, unlike the Trident issues, in Volume 2 this text was often accompanied by exclusive, previously unseen artwork.

Volume 2 saw a marked increase in the amount of original material created for the publication. This included behind the scenes articles on the creation of the Alien and Predator films, news, interviews, competitions (now run in virtually every issue), the popular "Bug Hunt" letter column (overseen by Diana Schutz), artist's sketchbooks, in-universe technical schematics, exclusive cover artwork and even new Aliens comics. These original comics included Aliens: Sacrifice, the first and for many years only compiling of the story Aliens: Countdown (which had previously only appeared in serialized form in the promotional Dark Horse Insider), Alien3: Terminal Addiction, Aliens: Crusade and Aliens: Matrix, the latter two of which were affected by the magazine's cancellation. While a handful of issues re-used cover art from existing Aliens comic books, most featured brand new cover artwork created especially for the magazine by leading British comics painters such as Chris Halls, John Bolton, Paul Johnson, Kilian Plunkett, Carl Critchlow and others.

Reviews, articles and background material for Volume 2 were primarily provided and compiled by Dave Hughes and writer/artist Lee Brimmicombe-Wood, both of whom had previously worked on the non-Dark Horse Aliens comic Do Aliens Dream? for Argus House. Hughes typically wrote articles and compiled the "Motion Tracker" news section, while Brimmicombe-Wood provided the "Technical Readout" section, which consisted of in-universe breakdowns of the weapons and technology of the Alien series. News and articles largely focussed on the Alien and Predator films, particularly Alien3 (released into British cinemas early in Volume 2's run), although other movies were also touched upon, often those that shared cast and/or crew with the Alien and Predator franchises. From issue 7 onwards, the Motion Tracker section also included a regular "Remote Sentry" segment (temporarily renamed "Rumour Control" in issue 9, in reference to Supt. Andrews in Alien3) that listed upcoming media releases featuring cast and crew from the Alien and Predator film series.

During the magazine's publication, Dark Horse developed plans to expand Brimmicombe-Wood's Technical Readouts into a six-issue American comic book, but the project fell through with the cancellation of the magazine. The Readouts were, however, later expanded upon and compiled as the book Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual, written by Brimmicombe-Wood and edited by Hughes. Like Trident's Volume 1, the magazine underwent a redesign with issue 9, consisting mainly of updated interior graphics. Volume 2 of Aliens magazine was edited by Bennent (#1), Dick Hansom (#1-10) and Cefn Ridout (#6-22).

Volume 2 ran for 22 issues before being cancelled as a result of Dark Horse International going out of business. At least three further issues were solicited or planned but never saw print.[1] While Dark Horse International published several other similarly-styled comics magazines during its few years of operation (including The Terminator, Star Wars and Jurassic Park), Aliens magazine was in production from the company's beginning to its end and can therefore be viewed as its flagship title.[1] Its cancellation left the magazine's original serialized story Aliens: Crusade unfinished; the remaining parts would not be released until Marvel Comics published the full story in their Aliens: The Original Years Volume 2 collection some 28 years later. It also meant the planned illustrated novella Aliens: Matrix was never released, while the magazine's reprints of Aliens: Colonial Marines, Aliens: Alien and Aliens: Rogue were left incomplete.[1]

Alien3 Movie Special[]

Main article: Alien 3 Movie Special

In late 1992, Dark Horse International also released a three-issue spin-off magazine entitled Alien3 Movie Special, to coincide with the release of Alien3 in the UK. This sister publication featured a serialized reprinting of the comic book adaptation of the third movie, together with articles about the film, including an Alien3 Technical Readout section.[1] A reprint of the comic Aliens vs. Predator 2 was split across Alien3 Movie Special and the main Aliens magazine.[2]

Contents[]

Volume 1[]

Issues 1-16 published by Trident Comics. Issue 17 published by Dark Horse International.

AliensMagV1-1
Issue 1 (Feb 1991)
AliensMagV1-2
Issue 2 (Mar 1991)
AliensMagV1-3
Issue 3 (Apr 1991)
AliensMagV1-4
Issue 4 (May 1991)
AliensMagV1-5
Issue 5 (June 1991)
AliensMagV1-6
Issue 6 (July 1991)
AliensMagV1-7
Issue 7 (Aug 1991)
AliensMagV1-8
Issue 8 (Sept 1991)
AliensMagV1-9
Issue 9 (Oct 1991)
AliensMagV1-10
Issue 10 (Nov 1991)
AliensMagV1-11
Issue 11 (Dec 1991)
AliensMagV1-12
Issue 12 (Jan 1992)
  • Aliens: Earth War (part 6 of 6)
  • Aliens: Book One (part 1 of 6)
  • Aliens: The Alien (part 1 of 2)
  • Predator: Big Game (part 5 of 7)
  • Additional features:
    • Article: "Design an Alien", showcasing the winning designs from the competition in Vol. 1 #9.
    • Alien Contact — letter column
  • Cover art: Re-uses cover from Aliens: Book Two #2 by Den Beauvais
AliensMagV1-13
Issue 13 (Feb 1992)
AliensMagV1-14
Issue 14 (Mar 1992)
AliensMagV1-15
Issue 15 (Apr 1992)
AliensMagV1-16
Issue 16 (May 1992)
AliensMagV1-17
Issue 17 (June 1992)

Volume 2[]

AliensMagV2-1
Issue 1 (July 1992)
AliensMagV2-2
Issue 2 (Aug 1992)
  • Aliens: Hive (part 2 of 9)
  • Aliens: Newt's Tale (part 1 of 7)
  • Predator: Cold War (part 2 of 8)
  • Sole Survivors by Randy Stradley and Tony Salmons (mini-comic, from Dark Horse Presents, Vol. 1 #10, not an Aliens/Predator/Aliens vs. Predator title)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Alien Hit by Lethal Weapon", about Alien3's failure to beat Lethal Weapon 3 at the American box office.
      • "Bat Eats Alien", on Alien3's UK release date being pushed back to avoid conflict with Batman Returns.
      • "Special Edition Sales Past 170,000", about sales of the Aliens Special Edition on home video.
      • "First Class Poster", on the award-winning Alien3 movie poster.
      • "All This and Predator Two", about the comic Batman versus Predator.
    • Technical Readout — UD-4L 'Cheyenne' Utility Dropship
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It: Aliens: The Not-So Special Edition" by Jim Campbell and Dave Hughes, a critical review of the Aliens Special Edition.
    • Contest: Win Batman versus Predator graphic novels
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for August 1992.
  • Cover art: New cover by Paul Johnson
AliensMagV2-3
Issue 3 (Sept 1992)
  • Aliens: Hive (part 3 of 9)
  • Aliens: Newt's Tale (part 2 of 7)
  • Predator: Cold War (part 3 of 8)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 2 of 15; the missing parts 1, 3 and 5 are found in Alien3 Movie Special)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Sigourney's Stop-Over", on an Alien3 press conference with Sigourney Weaver in the UK.
      • "Fan Fare", about the upcoming Alien Convention, then scheduled for the end of 1992.
      • "It's Only a Title", on incorrect titles given to Alien3 in various sources.
      • "Heights, Depths and Widths", on the widescreen home video release of James Cameron's The Abyss.
      • "Batman (Box Office) Returns", about Batman Returns' box office performance.
    • Technical Readout —
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "This Time It's Alien War" by Gary Bunn, about the Alien War attraction in Glasgow.
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for September 1992.
  • Cover art: New cover by Paul Johnson
AliensMagV2-4
Issue 4 (Oct 1992)
  • Aliens: Hive (part 4 of 9)
  • Aliens: Newt's Tale (part 3 of 7)
  • Predator: Cold War (part 4 of 8)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 4 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Straight from the Horse's Mouth", about plans for an Aliens vs. Predator movie.
      • "Shooting Dave", about Sigourney Weaver's new film Dave.
      • "Hiving License", about Steve Perry's new Aliens novel Earth Hive.
      • "The Winter of Disc Intent", about the LaserDisc release of Alien.
      • "Sly Fox", debunking 20th Century Fox's claim that the Aliens Special Edition would eventually be withdrawn from sale.
    • Technical Readout — UA 571-C Remote Sentry Weapons
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Science Fiction: A Cut Above" by Dave Hughes, about the trend of releasing extended/alternate cuts of classic sci-fi movies.
    • Dark Horse readers survey
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for October 1992.
  • Cover art: Re-uses cover from Aliens: Newt's Tale #2 by John Bolton
AliensMagV2-5
Issue 5 (Nov 1992)
  • Aliens: Hive (part 5 of 9)
  • Aliens: Newt's Tale (part 4 of 7)
  • Predator: Cold War (part 5 of 8)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 6 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Alien Survives Lethal Weapon", about Alien3 finally dismounting Lethal Weapon 3 from the top of the UK box office.
      • "Life's Abyss", about the upcoming extended Special Edition of The Abyss.
      • "The Return of the Return of the Living Dead", on the home video release of the Dan O'Bannon-penned The Return of the Living Dead.
      • "Exhibit A", about an Aliens exhibition at Tower Records in London.
    • Technical Readout — M577 Armored Personnel Carrier
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Contest: Win Return of the Living Dead videos
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for November 1992.
  • Cover art: New cover by Chris Halls
AliensMagV2-6
Issue 6 (Dec 1992)
  • Aliens: Hive (part 6 of 9)
  • Aliens: Newt's Tale (part 5 of 7)
  • Predator: Cold War (part 6 of 8)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 7 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Cut Like a Blade", announcing the Directors Cut of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.
      • "Shock as Fox Stops Stocks of Alien", about the cancellation of a planned Alien home video box set.
      • "Silent. Invisible. Invincible. Not!", about Predator 2.
      • "A Tangled Web", about James Cameron's planned Spider-Man movie.
    • Technical Readout — Caterpillar P-5000 'Powerloader'
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Widescreen: The Big Picture - Alien Special Edition" by Jim Campbell, about the widescreen home video release of Alien.
    • Contest: Win Predator 2 videos
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for December 1992.
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Hive cover by Peter Doherty
AliensMagV2-7
Issue 7 (Jan 1993)
  • Aliens: Hive (part 7 of 9)
  • Aliens: Newt's Tale (part 6 of 7)
  • Predator: Cold War (part 7 of 8)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 8 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Aliens 1, Predator 1", about the latest Dark Horse Aliens and Predator comic series.
      • "BBC 2, Ridley Scott 1", about an episode of the BBC2 documentary series Omnibus focussing on Ridley Scott.
      • "Terminator 2, Readers 10", about the home video release of Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
      • "Alien 3, Jennifer 8", about Lance Henriksen's new film Jennifer 8.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Game Over, Man, Game Over!" by Dave Hughes, reviewing SEGA's Alien3 video game.
    • Contest: Win Terminator 2 videos
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for January 1993.
  • Cover art: New cover by Chris Halls entitled "Slay Ride in the Snow"
AliensMagV2-8
Issue 8 (Feb 1993)
  • Aliens: Hive (part 8 of 9)
  • Aliens: Newt's Tale (part 7 of 7)
  • Predator: Cold War (part 8 of 8)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 9 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Alien3 for Rent Only", about a bonus The Making of Alien3 video given away exclusively with rental copies of Alien3.
      • "Alien for Sale or Rent", on a full-size Alien suit available to rent from Fiction and Fantasy models.
      • "Have a House of Horror", about Lance Henriksen's first film role in Massacre Mansion.
      • "Soldier of Fortune", on Roland Emmerich's latest film Universal Soldier.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — Jorden Tractor
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Aliens: A Dire Tribe" by Dave Hughes, an interview with director Clive Barker.
    • Article: "Bishop's Gambit" by Dave Hughes, on Lance Henriksen's career.
    • Contest: Win Massacre Mansion videos
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for February 1993.
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Newt's Tale cover by Kilian Plunkett
AliensMagV2-9
Issue 9 (Mar 1993)
  • Aliens: Hive (part 9 of 9)
  • Aliens: Sacrifice (part 1 of 4)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 1 of 24)
  • Aliens: Countdown (part 1 of 2, mini-comic)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 10 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Lance Hit with Chainsaw", on Lance Henriksen's induction into the Fangoria Hall of Fame.
      • "Sigourney Weaver Shot", about Sigourney Weaver's appearance in the photography book Shooting Stars.
      • "Man Power", about James Cameron topping Screen International's Power 100 list.
      • "Third Time Lucky", about Alien3 doing well on home video in the United States.
      • "Third Time Arnie", about rumors of a third Terminator film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
      • "Hell for Leather", about the Alien3 leather jacket.
      • "Rumor Control", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — Marine Assault Unit Table of organisation and equipment
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Three Times a Maybe" by Dave Hughes, about Alien3's home video release.
    • Contest: Win Alien3 videos, soundtracks and posters
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for March 1993.
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Sacrifice cover by Paul Johnson
AliensMagV2-10
Issue 10 (Apr 1993)
  • Aliens: Sacrifice (part 2 of 4)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 2 of 24)
  • Aliens: Countdown (part 2 of 2, mini-comic)
  • Aliens: Tribes (part 1 of 7)
  • Predator: Rite of Passage (part 1 of 2)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 11 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Con of the Year", about Alien Convention '93.
      • "Outside Broadcast", about Alien franchise photographs and merchandise available from Outside Media.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — M4A1 Pulse Rifle - Field Stripping Instructions
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Contest: Win Alien3 videos, soundtracks and posters
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for April 1993.
  • Cover art: Re-uses art from Aliens: Tribes page 5 by Dave Dorman
AliensMagV2-11
Issue 11 (May 1993)
  • Aliens: Sacrifice (part 3 of 4)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 3 of 24)
  • Aliens: Tribes (part 2 of 7)
  • Predator: Rite of Passage (part 2 of 2)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 12 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Hit or Bust", about Alien3's box office performance.
      • "Roc Solid", about Charles S. Dutton's NAACP Image Award win for the television series Roc.
      • "Alien Stars Left on the Shelf", about current video releases starring Alien franchise cast members.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — Jorden RV-E Recovery Vehicle
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Under The Knife" by Jim Campbell, an examination of Xenomorph biology.
    • Contest: Win Alien3 videos, soundtracks and posters
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for May 1993.
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Colonial Marines cover by Colin MacNeil
AliensMagV2-12
Issue 12 (June 1993)
AliensMagV2-13
Issue 13 (July 1993)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 5 of 24)
  • Aliens: Tribes (part 4 of 7)
  • Aliens: Horror Show (part 2 of 3)
  • Aliens: Crusade (part 1 of 10)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 14 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Fan Club Pulls Off Successful Con", about Alien Convention '93.
      • "Go Figure!", about Kenner's new line of Aliens action figures.
      • "Fine Cut", about extended/alternate cuts of The Abyss, Blade Runner and others.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — USS Sulaco (part 1)
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "City of Fear" by Dave Hughes, about the Alien War attraction opening at the London Trocadero.
    • Contest: Win Blade Runner: Director's Cut videos and tickets to Alien War
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for July 1993.
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Crusade cover by Chris Halls
AliensMagV2-14
Issue 14 (Aug 1993)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 6 of 24)
  • Aliens: Tribes (part 5 of 7)
  • Aliens: Horror Show (part 3 of 3)
  • Aliens: Crusade (part 2 of 10)
  • Aliens vs. Predator 2 (part 15 of 15)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Lights, Cameron, Interaction!", a short interview with James Cameron on the subject of interactive media.
      • "Shelf Life", about a potential extended/alternate cut of Alien3.
      • "Figured It Out Yet?", about Kenner's ongoing Aliens action figures line.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — USS Sulaco (part 2)
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Deep" by Dave Hughes, detailing the Special Edition of The Abyss.
    • Contest: Win The Abyss Special Edition videos and Kenner Aliens action figures
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for August 1993.
  • Cover art: New cover by Styx
AliensMagV2-15
Issue 15 (Sept 1993)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 7 of 24)
  • Aliens: Tribes (part 6 of 7)
  • Aliens: Crusade (part 3 of 10)
  • Aliens: Backsplash (part 1 of 2)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Pretty Special Editions", about special edition home video releases for Alien3 and The Abyss.
      • "Alien War - The First Wave", more details on Alien War's London opening.
      • "Hiving Off Some Freebies", about the trade paperback edition of Aliens: Hive.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — Dropship ordnance
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Martial Chic: A Sneak Peek at the Very Latest in Marine Coiture as Designed by Tony Akins", a sketchbook of Marine armor concept artwork drawn up for Aliens: Colonial Marines.
    • Article: "Q & Alien" by Dave Hughes and Lee Brimmicombe-Wood, a question-and-answer session with the magazine's readers.
    • Contest: Win Aliens: Hive comic books
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for September 1993.
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Backsplash cover by Kilian Plunkett
AliensMagV2-16
Issue 16 (Oct 1993)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 8 of 24)
  • Aliens: Tribes (part 7 of 7)
  • Aliens: Crusade (part 4 of 10)
  • Aliens: Backsplash (part 2 of 2)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Alien War Wants You!", about the Alien War attraction seeking support staff.
      • "Alien3 - The Wider Picture", about Fox releasing Alien3 in widescreen format on home video.
      • "Platform3", about the Alien3 video game on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout —
      • Smart Gunner
      • Dropship Pilot
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "The Genre Trap" by Dave Hughes, debating which genres the Alien films fall into.
    • Contest: Win Alien3 videos
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for October 1993.
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Tribes cover by Carl Critchlow
AliensMagV2-17
Issue 17 (Nov 1993)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 9 of 24)
  • Aliens: Crusade (part 5 of 10)
  • Aliens: Cargo (part 1 of 2)
  • Aliens: Taste
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Scott the Difference", about Ridley Scott's plans to make a film adaptation of The Difference Engine, written by William Gibson.
      • "Boxing Ellen", about a planned Alien Trilogy home video box set including exclusive bonus features.
      • "Hurd and Henriksen Set Up Colony", about Gale Anne Hurd and Lance Henriksen promoting the film The Penal Colony in Australia.
      • "Cop This", about Jean-Claude Van Damme's new film Timecop, based on the Dark Horse comic book.
      • "Last Word", about the tragic and untimely death of Tip Tipping.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — Dropship Markings
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Under the Knife II: Cyanide Kiss" by Jim Campbell, an examination of Ovomorph and Facehugger biology.
    • Article: "Q & Alien" by Dave Hughes, Lee Brimmicombe-Wood and Jim Campbell, a question-and-answer session with the magazine's readers.
    • Contest: Win Alien Trilogy box set
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for November 1993.
    • Free Aliens postcard
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Cargo cover by Robert Mentor
AliensMagV2-18
Issue 18 (Dec 1993)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 10 of 24)
  • Aliens: Crusade (part 6 of 10)
  • Aliens: Cargo (part 2 of 2)
  • Aliens: Renegade (part 1 of 2)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Aliens World Exclusive - The Ultimate", about the limited edition Alien Trilogy VHS box set.
      • "Long Term'", about the extended Special Edition of Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
      • "Returning Holm", about Ian Holm returning to theater.
      • "Last Word", on several Alien-styled haircuts entered into the British Hairdressing Awards.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — Space Control - Theory and Practice
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Extra Terrestrial" by Terry Jones, a lengthy piece on Alien's deleted scenes.
    • Contest: Win Alien Trilogy box set
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for December 1993 (incorrectly listed as October 1993).
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Crusade cover by Chris Halls
AliensMagV2-19
Issue 19 (Jan 1994)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 11 of 24)
  • Aliens: Crusade (part 7 of 10)
  • Aliens: Renegade (part 2 of 2)
  • Aliens: Salvation (part 1 of 3)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "A Glaswegian Alien in London", about the opening night of the Alien War attraction in London.
      • "Making the Grade", about James Cameron coming joint first in an industry poll on the most "trustworthy" directors.
      • "Christmas Box", about various Alien media being released in time for Christmas 1993.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for January 1994 (incorrectly listed as October 1993).
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Salvation cover by Dave Gibbons
AliensMagV2-20
Issue 20 (Feb 1994)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 12 of 24)
  • Aliens: Crusade (part 8 of 10, incomplete)
  • Aliens: Salvation (part 2 of 3)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Alien3 Number 1", about Alien3's success on home video in the UK.
      • "'Over and Out'", about the Aliens Fan Club ceasing operations.
      • "The Appliance of Science", about various upcoming science-fiction movies.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — UD-4L Cheyenne - Internal Schematic
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Alien Queen" by Mark Collings, an interview with Sigourney Weaver.
    • Contest: Win Alien3 and The Abyss videos
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for February 1994 (incorrectly listed as February 1993).
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Colonial Marines cover by Charlie Adlard and David Lyttleton
AliensMagV2-21
Issue 21 (Mar 1994)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 13 of 24)
  • Aliens: Salvation (part 3 of 3)
  • Aliens: Alien (part 1 of 3)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "Outside, the Photo-Graphic Museum", about Alien reprint photographs available from Outside Media.
      • "Aliens from the Forbidden Planet", on the expansion of horror merchandise store Forbidden Planet in London.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — Command Control
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Mapping the Psyche" by Clive Barker, about H. R. Giger's artwork.
    • Article: "Long Term" by Terry Jones, detailing the extended Special Edition of Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
    • Contest: Win Halcyon model kits and copies of Aliens: Book Two
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for March 1994.
  • Cover art: New cover by ILYA
AliensMagV2-22
Issue 22 (Apr 1994)
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (part 14 of 24, incomplete)
  • Aliens: Alien (part 2 of 3, incomplete)
  • Aliens: Rogue (part 1 of 8, incomplete)
  • Additional features:
    • The Motion Tracker —
      • "'...Just a Piece of Plastic'", about about Kenner's Aliens action figures.
      • "Alien Nation", about upcoming Aliens releases, including Steve Perry and Stephani Perry's new Aliens novel The Female War.
      • "Remote Sentry", listing upcoming releases with cast/crew connections to the Alien/Predator franchises.
    • Technical Readout — Operating the M56 Smart Gun
    • Bug Hunt — letter column
    • Article: "Regarding Henriksen" by Dave Hughes, an interview with Lance Henriksen.
    • Contest: Become a Colonial Marine for a day at the Alien War attraction
    • Dark Horse Comics Checklist for April 1994.
  • Cover art: New Aliens: Rogue cover by Duncan Fegredo

Unpublished issues[]

The following issues were solicited/planned but never published. As such, their contents may not be entirely accurate and is almost certainly incomplete.

AliensMagV2-23
Issue 23 (May 1994)
Issue 24 (June 1994)
Issue 25 (July 1994)

Trivia[]

  • Aliens magazine shares its title with the similar Aliens magazine published by Titan Comics from 1997 to 1998. Despite being officially unrelated, both publications are remarkably similar in format, featuring comic book reprints for the UK market alongside exclusive articles and news on the Alien franchise. In a further coincidence, author Dave Hughes worked on both publications.
  • Trident Comics also planned to run a similar Predator magazine, which would have begun with a reprint of the comic book adaptation Predator 2, but the magazine never saw publication before the company went bankrupt.[1]
  • It is unknown how many issues of Aliens magazine Dark Horse planned in total, but the introductory text in Vol. 2 #9 states that Aliens: Colonial Marines was to be serialized in 24 installments.[3] Assuming the story would have run continuously, this would have meant Volume 2 of the magazine continuing to at least issue 32, which would have been published in February 1995. However, the stated 24 installments may be based on Colonial Marines' original projected run of 12 issues — this was later reduced to 10 partway through its publication.
  • The magazine's reprint of Aliens: Newt's Tale was originally supposed to begin in Vol. 2 #1, hence the use of John Bolton's Newt's Tale artwork on the issue's cover. However, delays in re-editing the comic for the magazine meant it had to be delayed until Vol. 2 #2.[4]
  • The titles of the individual news pieces in the Motion Tracker section of Vol. 2 #7 are a parody of English football score reports, which used to be read out at the end of weekend news broadcasts in the UK and followed the same format (home team's name and their numerical score, visiting team's name and their numerical score).
  • The free Aliens postcard given away with Vol. 2 #17 is actually half of an image that could be completed with a free Predator postcard given away with issue 9 of Total Carnage magazine, published the following month by Dark Horse International.[1]
  • The worsening financial situation at Dark Horse International towards the end of the magazine's run is perhaps evident in the number of typing errors that began to appear in later issues. For example, several issues list the incorrect month (or even the incorrect year) for the Dark Horse Comics Checklist they contain, while others feature erroneously repeated or otherwise apparently incorrect titles for various sections (such as the title "Last Word", originally referring to a news piece on Tip Tipping's death, being reused for a piece on Alien-themed hairstyles in the following issue).

See Also[]

References[]

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