Did y’all know that Paul Scheer wrote a comic book? I had no idea! Because I like comics, comedy, and space, Amazon suggested I check out Aliens Vs Parker. Paul Scheer, the comic/actor/writer/podcaster, was listed as the author. I double-checked to make sure it was the same Paul Scheer, and it is! Wild.
This trade paperback collection of a four-issue run was published by BOOM!. I have previously reviewed BOOM! comics and noted that they often excel at concepts but underperform in the delivery of their great ideas. In this case, Scheer delivers a fun book in which the humor matches the premise. Parker and his goofy buddies are truckers in space. Unbeknownst to them, one of their boring space hauls involves some very risky cargo – cargo that leads them to a creepy monster planet! The ragtag wisecrackers have to fight their way home! If this sounds like Alien and/or Aliens to you, you are correct! If Aliens was a horror-comedy with nerds instead of space marines, it would be this book.
While the book is fun and made me laugh out loud, it doesn’t reach Shaun of the Dead levels of genre melding success. Like Shaun of the Dead, Aliens Vs Parker readily accepts all of the genre tropes that you would expect in an homage. It has fun with the tropes but doesn’t subvert or give any interesting insight into them. It’s a light-hearted, fun read. If you decide to pick it up, I recommend buying a Prime-eligible used version. I got mine for about $6.
Also, since I have publicly expressed disappointment in BOOM! as a publisher, I want to highlight a new book of theirs that is original, beautiful, and worth a hardcover purchase. Famed writer Grant Morrison and illustrator Dan Mora teamed up to produce Klaus, a fantasy version of the origin story of Santa Claus, if Santa was a ripped, Conan-like sensitive warrior who made toys for medieval kids. The hardcover comes out in November. Google some of the art – it belongs in a gallery. Also included, Grant Morrisons’ trademark acid trips.
