Jonathan Hickman and Essad Ribic have created quite the crossover thanks to the xenomorphs meeting Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Rather than seeing Marvel’s premiere super-team coming across the Aliens on a random meteor and/or cross universes to face them, the creative team has forged a brand new environment unlike either franchise has seen before. Thanks to this third issue, not only are Hickman and Ribic continuing to operate at the top of their games, but the pair have added some exceptional black humor as humanity reels from Weyland-Utani and the ever-expanding alien menace that is leading the Planet Earth to its destruction.
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Our third issue brings us right back into the thick of things as humanity’s final collective is attempting to find safety with older iterations of Miles Morales (Spider-Man), Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), and Tony Stark (Iron Man) leading the charge. Of course, thanks to the quick need to exit Earth, the Marvel heroes realize that they’re going to need an assist in their journey. Unfortunately, said assistance is from the mutants of the Marvel Universe though they are dealing with problems of their own. Now housed on Mars, the X-Men aren’t the only inhabitants of this world and a certain villain is making good use of xenomorph DNA.
There are some characters that I feel Hickman “gets” more than others when it comes to working within the Marvel Universe. With series like the Fantastic Four, the prolific writer seemed to have a handle on Reed Richards, Doctor Doom, and their tumultuous relationship. In his Avengers run, he was able to bring Victor and Mister Fantastic back while showing his chops with the likes of Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and more. In this issue, the star shining the brightest is easily Mister Sinister. The mad scientist is having an absolute ball in genetically modifying the xenomorphs and in this, readers can find some serious levity in this otherwise grim apocalyptic storyline.
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Nathaniel Essex truly came into his own during Hickman’s “Krakoa” era and if you were missing that time period in general, the writer has once again dipped his toes into the popular setting, albeit on Mars. On top of creating his own army of xenomorphs, Essex has created weaponry that can’t help but give readers a gut-busting laugh, especially when Sinister proclaims what he has made. While Mister Sinister is the “MVP” of issue three, he’s far from the only new element introduced.
The current iteration of the X-Men in this alternate future is looking quite worse for wear, clearly having some difficulties with both the alien race and Sinister himself. Hickman once again captures the countless characters with little dialogue necessary, confirming his mastery over this comic universe. With one issue left before the crossover series comes to an end, it seems unlikely that this will be a happy ending for the Avengers but it certainly is preparing to end the mini-series off on a high note.
Of course, it takes a village to produce a jaw-dropping story and artist Essad Ribic is doing some of his best work here on Aliens Vs. Avengers. Ribic’s detailed texturing in terms of both direction and design shines through here in perfect tandem with Hickman’s writing. On top of creating some heart-wrenching moments and interesting battle scenes, Essad’s penciling captures emotions on the faces of characters that few other comic artists can depict.
Aliens Vs. Avengers feels like one of the greatest comic book crossovers to ever be printed on the page. What could have been a concept that “went by the numbers” instead has forged a brand new, interesting universe that makes good on the promise of both universes. Here’s to hoping that future Marvel crossovers in the realm of both the Aliens and Predators will follow Hickman and Ribic’s lead, working outside of the box to throw readers for a loop.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Published by: Marvel Comics
On: February 19th, 2025
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Art by: Essad Ribic
Colors by: Ive Svorcina
Letters by: VC’s Cory Petit
