Prometheus: Fire & Stone #1
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Paul Tobin
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Cover: David Palumbo
This return to LV-223 is set over one hundred years after the events in the film Prometheus. Here we meet Clara Atkinson and her crew who are under the impression this is a salvaging/research mission. So with the promises of riches to be found on the century old wreck no one is really asking questions. However, Clara has been doing research and knows there’s a connection to Peter Weyland, The Engineers, and LV-223. She’s determined to find out what it is and get the answers she’s been looking for. It’s a good thing Paul Tobin doesn’t plan on making that easy for her in this series.
Tobin does give us a pretty smooth introduction to the crew and drops several hints that Clara isn’t the only one on the ship with a secret. Now, as far as the crew goes they’re actually quite likeable and a bit reminiscent of the Nostromo crew. We don’t get a group of battle hardened Colonial Marines or someone just attempting to capture aliens for bioweapons, either. This is just a collection of people that are doing a job and are naïve to the big picture here. Tobin uses this to help build the tension of the story as he guides the plot along towards a very intense cliff hanger.
For anyone who has seen Prometheus, you know that the landscape of LV-223 doesn’t leave much to be desired. Something that made me nervous upon finding out that Ferreyra would be handling the art. I just didn’t want to see a good artist draw miles and miles of dirt and rocks. However, things have changed in the hundred plus years, and one of those is the look of LV-223 itself. The change of scenery to the alien jungle is a welcome switch, and he makes it dense and unsettling. The characters are expressive and detailed as much as the surroundings, but it’s his creature designs that really stand out.
Most of the issue here is build up and filled with a few tense moments, and that’s fine. Mainly because Tobin and Ferreyra make this a comfortable book to get into even if you haven’t seen Prometheus and have just a passing knowledge of Alien. Whatever your feelings towards the film are, I’d suggest picking this up as it’s very well done and just might surprise you.
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