Cowboys and Aliens by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

With the release of Cowboys and Aliens in cinemas quickly drawing nearer, I was pleased to receive a copy of the new release copy of the Trade Paperback from which the movie is derived. Created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and written and drawn by a veritable host of talent, I’ve been looking forward to the movie since I first saw the trailers hit the internet.

Sadly, I think the movie will end up being better than the comic book.

The comic itself is fast, brief, and very hard to follow. This is in almost equal parts a fault of the writing and the art.

First, the writing is surprisingly unclear as to what is happening, who anyone is, and what the results of anything are.

Characters appear out of nowhere, disappear, and then reappear with no explanation as to where they’ve been, how they got there, how they made it back and what happened to them while they were gone.

The dialogue is clunky and doesn’t really allow you any chance to enter into the world of Arizona in 1873, nor experience the idea of aliens invading Earth.

The art only continues the problems, as it is often dark and hard to see, or simply confusing. When a comic book is written, one of the writing or art has to be clear and flow; if both fail to do this, then you’ve got a problem.

Maybe a reread would help, but it wouldn’t help a review of the book; a book shouldn’t only be good after you read it fourteen times.

Still, I enjoyed myself, in a confusing sort of way. Some of the art was nice, and Verity’s bathing in her shift scene was intoxicating in its hints and lack of anything significant. The concept is fascinating, which is why I am looking forward to the movie; I imagine that a movie will have more time and more desire to put into a story than this comic book did.

All in all, if someone gives this book to you, then read it. If you enjoy the movie, then read it. Otherwise, I think I’d just say don’t worry.

Story: 7/10

Art: 4/10

6/10 Fast, brief, and very hard to follow.