William Gibson's Alien 3

The movie that never was.

William Gibson's treatment of the Alien franchise is in many ways a much better sequel to Aliens than the Alien 3 film we eventually got. True, Ripley is notably absent from the action (apparently Sigourney Weaver initially declined an invitation to return to the franchise, so Gibson had to effectively write her out of his treatment) but what we do get is a damning examination of corporate hubris and the problems that arise when you put profit above morals and common sense. Oh, and there are some xenomorphs, too.

In this unfilmed sequel the Sulaco, last seen heading back to Gateway station at the end of the Aliens movie, is intercepted by a boarding party from the UPP (Union of Progressive Peoples) who helps themselves to what's left of Bishop. They also inadvertently wake up a stowaway on board the ship, and end up leaving one of their own behind when they flee from the alien threat. Sulaco then continues on its way, albeit towards the Weyland-Yutani facility at Anchorpoint station instead of the original destination. That's where things really start to go wrong.

The graphic novel adaptation is beautifully drawn by Johnnie Christmas and coloured by Tamra Bonvillain, and is a pleasure to read as a result. Without giving too much away, the depictions of Hicks, Bishop and Newt are all true to character from the preceding movie, and easily identifiable on the page.

All in all this is one hell of a read and definitely worth a read if you're a fan of the Alien franchise. A very worthy 4 out of 5 stars.