RETRO REVIEW: Alien Legion #1

Marvel/Epic; $2.00

It’s periodically mentioned as a possible movie or television series (and with good reason), but it’s hard to imagine any kind of filmed version living up to the potential found in the pages of Alien Legion #1. Created by writer-artist-editor Carl Potts, Alien Legion is the continuing story of Nomad Squadron, a unit in the TOPHAN Galactica Union’s multi-species military. It is essentially modeled after the French Foreign Legion, but instead of humans with different nationalities it is populated with a wide array of species – mostly, but not exclusively humanoids – who come with an equally wide array of financial, social, political, and criminal backgrounds from the Union’s member planets.

The issue opens with Who’s Who-type dossiers on legionnaires Torrie Montroc III, Sarigar, Jugger Grimrod, Durge, Meico, and Torqua Dun before diving into a story that almost immediately puts the sentients of Nomad Squadron on the defensive.

The story and the art both live up to the promise of the cover and the potential of the premise. Writer Alan Zelenetz, penciler Frank Cirocco, and inker Terry Austin deliver.

If you’ve never read this title, check out this issue. You’ll want to read more.

– J.C. Vaughn