Writer: Alan Zelenetz
Artists: Frank Cirocco (p), Terry Austin, Chris Warner, and Whilce Portacio (i)
Publisher: Checker Book Publishing Group
Reprinting Alien Legion, Vol. 1 #1-6
Checker has already published two Alien Legion books collecting the second series. "Footsloggers" is the first collection of the first series. This was the first time I’ve ever read an Alien Legion comic. I’ve heard good things about it, but never felt compelled to find the old issues. Having now read the first six issues of the series, I can honestly say this: It’s not bad.
Alien Legion follows soldiers in the Galactic Union Legion. They are considered expendable, and thus used for the most dangerous and least important assignments. Many of the soldiers are convicted or escaped felons. Nearly all have joined for selfish reasons. Torie Montroc was forced to join to earn his father’s inheritance. Zeerod Trevane was a decorated general on his world, but missed the thrill and excitement of battle. Jugger Grimrod is an experienced killer and borderline sociopath. Squad leader Sarigar joined the Legion to live up to his dead parents’ expectations. These characters are the core of the Legion stories.
At first, you’d think Alien Legion was another sci-fi comic, like Omega Men or L.E.G.I.O.N. But after reading, I realized it more closely resembles war comics like Sgt. Rock. The stories emphasize the lives and hardships of these soldiers. The reader and the characters are constantly reminded how little respect the Legionnaires get. A character dies in almost every issue. One is accidentally beaten to death by his “comrades” for cowardice. Sarigar must resort to deception to prove an enemy empire is building nuclear weapons. When Zeerod successfully rescues the lost Torie, he’s sentenced to 30 days in prison for defying orders. Alien Legion is a war comic first and a sci-fi book second.
The book’s cast doesn’t emerge right away. In these early issues, writer Alan Zelenetz was still working out who would be the regular characters. You can see him shifting focus from one character another, then back again. Each issue focuses on one or two soldiers. Only later in the book do the stories deal with the entire squad as a unit. Issues #2-6 include back-up stories that explain a character’s past, and present an alternative point of view to the main story. This format provides important character development without distracting from the main story.
Zelenetz establishes the series’ tone from the start. He wants to show the lives and conditions of these characters, rather than tell stories about their universe. A subplot about an enemy empire is set up in issues #1 and #2, disappears in #3 and #4, then returns in #5 and #6. Although that subplot has major implications for the Alien Legion universe, it’s not treated with as much importance as, say, a soldier’s drug addiction. Alien Legion is a character-driven series, though the characters are defined over time.
Since the series features numerous non-human races, there are plenty of opportunities for Frank Cirocco to be creative. There are numerous variations on the standard humanoid form normally used for alien design. Cirocco also goes the extra mile to create decidedly non-human creatures. Sarigar is a blue-skinned serpentine creature. Zeerod seems to have come from a race of kangaroos. Also seen are insectoid, reptilian, and “other” life forms. This makes the book as interesting to look at as it is to read.
The Alien Legion universe combines futuristic technology with primitive worlds and outright filth. The stories take the Legion from a forested world to space stations to modern cities. But rarely do they do anywhere without getting dirty. The inking of Austin, Portacio, and Warner convey the grit, grime, and (for lack of a better term), “realness” of the world.
Where the collection loses points for me is in Checker’s packaging. The cover looks blurry, as though it’s a panel blown-up just beyond cohesion. Also, the mohawked woman does not appear in the book. This leads me to think the image comes from later in the series. But the biggest mistake was made in reprinting issue #6. A 2-page splash of a spaceship battle is printed on both sides of the same page! Checker could easily have inserted an extra page between issues #5 and #6 and printed the splash on the intended facing pages, without disrupting the story. You’d think an editor would have caught a mistake like that!
Overall, I liked this collection. It was good drama, well written, and well drawn. I came away with a greater respect for our armed services, especially the National Guard who’s currently being treated like the Legion. But the book suffers from a lack of focus in the early issues, and mistakes made by Checker. Still, if you like war stories and sci-fi, or looking for a serious version of Starship Troopers, give this a look.
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