Posted in: Comics | Tagged: aliens, Comics, Corinna Bechko, dynamite, entertainment, vampirella

Writer's Commentary – Corinna Bechko On Aliens / Vampirella #4

Published Wed, 09 Dec 2015 12:30:41 -0600

Today we have a writer's commentary from Corinna Bechko for Aliens / Vampirella #4 which came out last week. The book features art by Javier Garcia-Miranda and a cover by Gabrielle Hardman. It's a joint production between Dynamite Entertainment and Dark Horse. If you have the issue, you can follow along and see what Bechko's thought are for each page.

Page 1 – I feel like the greenhouse is an important location in this series, even though we don't get to see it until midway through. I imagine that if you were stuck on Mars for years you might get a bit tired of the desolation, making every bit of greenery a refuge. I pictured a large space, big enough for trees and huge trellises, exactly what Javier provided, in fact!

Furthermore, I think that finding one of your colleagues dead in the one place you went for solitude and peace would be a very nasty shock, so I love what Javier did here, teasing us with the bloody hand and then showing us the horrified reaction.

Page 2 – Now we get to see the horror of the scene, and a preview of coming attractions if the humans don't step up their game. This is probably the bloodiest miniseries I've ever written, and the most fun I've had with crafting mayhem. Javier does a beautiful job with the blood and guts, but I think it's his Xenomorphs that I love the most. More of that in a moment…

Page 3 – Because a book like this needs some downbeats and the occasional pause in the action, there are of course some scenes that involve just a couple of people talking. These could get boring quickly if allowed to become too static, but Javier gives a really nice flow to this one.

Pages 4 & 5 – Now we have something a bit different, not gore, or speculation, but suspense. There's acid blood eating through the door lock and the only way out is a hole in the ceiling. It's important that Vampirella's wings look like they could support her, and here they do… Much to Lars' chagrin, as is clear from the look on his face.

Page 6 – Scary Xenomorphs! Have I already mentioned that I love Javier's Xenomorphs? Well, I do.

Page 7 – This is an important page, not only because of what happens on it, but because of what it sets up. Javier does a lovely job of conveying what's happening with Vampirella while still letting us know that we should keep an eye on that sarcophagus.

Pages 8 & 9 – Pure suspense here, but it's worth noting that it wouldn't work half so well if we hadn't seen what the Xenomorphs are capable of back on page one. Something I've appreciated about collaborating with Javier is the fact that he makes sure to keep all aspects of the story in mind like that. A dead body is just a dead body unless it informs how we think of something later in the story, as it does here.

Page 10 – Speaking of dead bodies… Here they work to shock our characters and as a bit of geography. We know we're in the greenhouse without having to resort to a sign or even dialogue.

Page 11 – Spooky! It's also worth noting that this book wouldn't be worth a damn if the Xenomorphs weren't scary to look at. Happily, that's not a problem.

Page 12 – Another pause to catch our breath as we get a little insight into the relationship between Lars and Vampirella. I love the look on Lars' face in panel 4. He doesn't want her to bite him, but he's willing. Honestly, I could have just had him stay silent and let the art tell the story. It's not always easy to remember that during the scripting phase, but if you trust the artist you're working with it pays off. If you look back at the first couple of issues you'll see that the book has actually become less dialogue driven as Javier and I have worked together longer.

Page 13 – Case in point! No dialogue or captions at all. We know where we are because Javier set up the geography back on pages 4,5, and 7.

Pages 14 & 15 – Something I've loved about Javier's storytelling from the start is the way that he incorporates different body types, ages, and ethnicities into both the major and minor characters. I gave very little direction in the script as to how these folks should look, although we did discuss that the cast should be diverse. I'm so happy that the people in this book are people, not supermodels. It makes them come alive on the page.

Pages 16 to 19 – Back to the action! And another good look at how huge the greenhouse is. Admittedly, that idea is a bit of wish fulfillment for me. I doubt I'll see a Mars base at all in my lifetime, much less one with features like this, but I can dream, can't I?

Page 20 – Hooray! The Queen, the eggs, and all the features that clearly show that this is the one that came out of Vampirella. Javier outdid himself here and that makes it my favorite page in this issue.

Page 21 – Lest we forget, even the smallest of these creatures are deadly. Yes, there's a great big Queen over there, but the eggs are dangerous too. But mom hates it when anyone messes with them. Javier did a nice job of echoing Vampirella's wings on the Queen in panel 5.

Page 22 – The big reveal! Looks like there's more than one type of creature to worry about. And because Javier set up everything so neatly, we aren't at all confused as to why there's suddenly a Nosferatu standing in front of us. She's old, she's wizened, and she's creepy as hell. A beautiful contrast to how Javier handles Vampirella.

For more on Aliens / Vampirella #4, click here.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!