Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde 2 (October 2013)

Again with the pacing issues. There’s nothing with the government subplot, which almost makes it seem like Dark Horse okayed Hogan and Parkhouse for another limited series after this one (for Hogan to work out his b plots) and nothing with the characters either. Maybe a little with Asta. But not a lot.

Instead, there’s a little investigating going on. Harry and Asta meet and question three people who knew the titular victim. Wait, I forgot–Harry seems to be crushing a little on Asta. But Hogan only mentions it once.

Anyway, they question three people. Hogan could have probably done this entire limited series in one issue. There’s not much to it, just geographic travel–and if he dropped the b subplot he’s not using, he’d definitely have room.

Alien remains a very likable comic, it just has really flimsy plotting for a monthly series. Hogan’s not pushing himself.

CREDITS

Writer, Peter Hogan; artist, colorist and letterer, Steve Parkhouse; editor, Philip R. Simon; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde 1 (September 2013)

It’s a really fast read. Hogan covers a whole lot and he’s not doing anything but setting up the rest of the series. It should be an okay move, but he’s already had a zero issue for Suicide Blonde, he’s already had time to introduce things.

Worse, Hogan knows he’s rushing things. He puts in moments to slow down the reader, whether it’s some exposition about a side character, pop culture references to “Frasier” and “The X-Files” or the whole government flashback. The guys looking for Harry haven’t shown up yet in the present. Hogan’s just filling pages with flashbacks.

There is definitely some nice art from Parkhouse. He gets to go more around town than usual and his Americana stuff is quite good.

The comic remains pleasant and entertaining to read, it’s just too slight. Hogan isn’t developing any of the characters. The comic is an awkward procedural.

CREDITS

Writer, Peter Hogan; artist, colorist and letterer, Steve Parkhouse; editor, Philip R. Simon; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde 0 (August 2013)

Once again, Peter Hogan goes more towards likable than compelling with Resident Alien. He’s more concerned with his readers enjoying the time spent on the comic than making sure they’re intrigued with the plot.

The biggest moment is when the U.S. government discovers Harry’s ship–there are a lot of flashbacks–and starts worrying about an alien.

Then Hogan backtracks and brings in a whole thing about inter-agency pranks and the government not really thinking it’s an alien. But it was fun to read, even if there wasn’t much actual content.

The end’s nice, with Harry deciding he likes his new life–doctor by day, private detective by night; Hogan knows what he’s doing with the comic. The tone is definitely intentional. I mean, Steve Parkhouse can draw some disturbing stuff and he never does on Alien.

The only surprise is Asta’s Sandman homage costume at the open.

CREDITS

Writer, Peter Hogan; artist, colorist and letterer, Steve Parkhouse; editor, Philip R. Simon; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Resident Alien 3 (July 2012)

872537 I didn’t really like this one. The issue, I mean. The series is still fine. To some degree, getting the series set for a sequel didn’t help Hogan. But also not having a good conclusion to his mystery. He has Harry finishing up the investigation and then the investigation sort of blowing up in his face. There’s nothing interesting about the plot structure and the case gets boring.

And then the supporting cast falls off again too. Not even Asta has anything to do during the issue, just for her big scene at the end. It’s hard to say if the structure is where Hogan lost control of the issue; the entire issue just feels a little too slight. Like maybe they found out they were getting another series and replotted this one.

Still, it’s very likable. It just doesn’t do as well as it should. Maybe the next will.

CREDITS

Writer, Peter Hogan; artist, colorist and letterer, Steve Parkhouse; editor, Philip R. Simon; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Resident Alien 2 (June 2012)

871557 Hogan does flashbacks–three of them. First to Harry arriving on Earth and outfitting himself at a mall; it’s a cute little sequence. Parkhouse drawing a mall is really entertaining for whatever reason.

Then there’s a flashback to his home planet and his girl. It fits in the story, amid another reminiscence of the past.

The last flashback has the men in black in it. Hogan is ramping up the possibility Harry will be discovered; it’s the issue’s main subplot. The murder investigations are the primary, with a lot going on–oddly, the sheriff doesn’t get enough page time at all. Hogan seems to realize it and give him a moment.

Asta, the nurse, mostly runs the subplot. Turns out she realizes she’s not seeing his real appearance. The only misstep is Hogan writing it off to Native American mysticism; it’s easy, but still a good scene.

A fine issue.

CREDITS

Writer, Peter Hogan; artist, colorist and letterer, Steve Parkhouse; editor, Philip R. Simon; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Resident Alien 1 (May 2012)

871556 And here’s the issue where I start to love Resident Alien. First, Hogan writes an awesome conversation between Harry–the alien (I’m sixty percent sure Harry’s his Earth name)–and the night nurse at the town clinic. Her name’s Asta.

Like the dog in The Thin Man, I think. I hope. I love it. But the conversation is great too. It’s all exposition, but it fits and it deepens both the characters and the story in general.

But the real moment I fell in love with the comic is when the local drug dealer sends a murder suspect to turn himself in. Or calls him in and makes him stay. It’s an odd scene but Hogan writes the heck out of it.

There’s some fine Parkhouse art here too. His expressions mean so much–Harry has almost no expression though, which makes it all the more interesting.

It’s getting good.

CREDITS

Writer, Peter Hogan; artist, colorist and letterer, Steve Parkhouse; editor, Philip R. Simon; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.