Batman/Aliens - Part 2
An as I read it reaction to the comic
Quick Summary
Batman and a bunch of cannon fodder mercenaries take on Xenomorphs in a South American jungle.
Batman/Alien is a satisfying comic. You like Batman? You like Aliens? It's a worthy diversion.
This is a continuation of my review of part 1 which you can read here.
Where We Left Off
Okee-doke, Part 2 picks up the story of Batman and a bunch of mercenaries fighting Xenomorph in a jungle. Three mercenaries are dead, two to go. And Batman is kicking Xenomorph butt. Yay!
The first half left Batman, Hyatt (who is primed for a betrayal) and the acid burned, last surviving alien bait trapped in the underground tunnels of an old temple. Two Xenomorphs are running around and possibly a third one on the way.
Play-by-Play
Don't read this play-by-play if you don't want spoilers and nitpicking. I love the things I rip apart because the things I don't love aren't worth this kind of attention to me. I shred out of love and I love Batman.
In the Tunnel
Part 2 opens with Bruce and his parents in the alley but this time a mugger doesn't take them, aliens do. He wakes from this nightmare to his living nightmare. Only Batman could sleep in a tunnel with two mercenaries while being hunted by Xenomorphs. He apologizes for sleeping. Hyatt offers Batman a gun and he says "No. Thank you." I like how polite (or steel bar stiff) he is. Either way, it's cute.
The offer of the gun begs the question, is she a fool or trying to kill him? Both are reasonable possibilities. Xenomorph blood is acid and no one with a gun fared has well in a fight.
Cut to the Croc
I'm guessing the croc ate the egg because it's with child and without facehugger. Wouldn't the facehugger just hold the mouth shut and I am thinking way too much about the yucky bits of facehugger anatomy...
Batman Always has Grenades
Bats stays calm and problem solves while the last surviving alien bait talks of death and Hyatt acts suspicious. They continue into the elaborate Mayan temple. Most archaeologists would wish the temples looked like that.
The Xenomorphs attack again and Batman is the only one who effectively fights them. No one gets they will bleed on you till you die. As he's Batman, he's packing grenades and he takes Xenomorph out because he's Batman. This deserves a "You had grenades all along?" from one of the mercenaries.
Escape in Sight
Hyatt reveals with a look that she's the typical corporate stooge there to bring back the Xenomorphs because dammit, they kill everyone but she's convinced she can do it and make some money. I'm counting down the pages to her karma induced death.
Batman leaves them to set up a secure line so they can all end their spelunking adventure. Alien bait relaxes and attracts the alien. Then we get the big Hyatt is evil reveal when she lets alien bait get dragged away. He might not be dead but if he isn't, chances are he's with child.
Bye, Hyatt
Hyatt's been working towards her death since page one. She just didn't didn't know it. Batman gets back to find Hyatt playing the sobbing woman. If he bought it, that's a huge plot hole because it's so obvious she's acting. She barely flinched when the rest of the guys died, so why would she fall apart after she killed the last Xenomorph?
Hyatt gives a why I did it speech. Meh. We know why she did it and Batman should. The reveal can be summed up in three words "Ambition and stupidity".
Let's Kill Some Aliens
A giant Xenomorph shows up. The croc had its baby. Batman uses the acid to break the cap on the volcano and dump crocoXenomorph in the magma. If the acid eats through a lair of rock in seconds, why didn't alien bait 3 lose his arm when he got sprayed?
Batman's immediately attacked again. A few bats provide a nice distraction so he can get the upper hand and dump the last Xenomorph in the lava.
He destroys the ruins, the alien ship, and gets home in a couple sentences. He gets philosophical and drops a facehugger he brought back into a hole in the cave. Why not incinerate it?
Everything's wrapped up. Batman's got a few more emotional and physical scars for his trouble.
Post Reaction
I liked it. Formulaic but solid. It lives up to expectations.
The artist delivers a great book. The settings, the treatment of the horror, the aliens and Hyatt's character design are among the high points. Nothing took me out of the story. I'm not willing to dock him for the roided men because it's a comic book.
The writer crafts a satisfying plot and a nice diversion. It was predictable but that has a lot to do with the genre. I appreciate the characterization of Batman. There are a couple moments that don't make sense like sleeping in the tunnel or believing Hyatt's act but other than that, I like this Batman. He gets the job done and he has a heart.
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