Cowboys & Aliens [2006] by Fred Van Lente

COWBOYS & ALIENS TPB

An alien spacecraft crash lands in the Old West in 1873. They claim the world for the House of Dar and head towards Fort Larrabie that holds a garrison of troops. After they have destroyed the fort, the aliens set up a beacon in Silver City, Az to transmit their location to the armada to retrieve them and reinforce their position on Earth.

Meanwhile two cowboys Zeke Jackson and Miss Verity use alien technology to defend themselves and the small group of settlers that they are hired to protect. They also receive help from the native Apache Indians. With a help of a rebel alien the human forces gather for an attack before the beacon can transmit.

Overall the story seems like a bad combination of mixing two genres together to create a unique story. An unimaginative scifi western comic book tries to create a believable story. The artwork did little to improve the two-dimensional characters and dialogue within the book. The 2011 movie of the same name is directed by Jon Favreau with Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde. Big names are attached to the film including executive producer Steven Spielberg however the film will most likely be overwhelmed with special effects rather than adequate storytelling.

WASTED TALENTS – 2 OUT OF 5