6 Current Comics About Aliens, from 'Star-Lord' to 'Superman'

The Fermi paradox notes the contradiction between the incredibly high probability there is extraterrestrial life among the billions of stars in the galaxy, and the total lack of any actual evidence they exist. That’s an incredibly glaring contradiction, especially considering the near-certain probability of life in the near-infinite expanse of space. Obviously this paradox is what fuels conspiracy theorists around the world, but it could just mean we might never make alien contact in our lifetimes. If that gets you down, don’t worry because these six comics will have you believe again in life beyond our solar system.

With the revival of the X-Files having come and gone, and scientific discoveries about life on other planets seemingly happening every day, aliens are hot commodities again. We’ve counted down a list of currently running comics from a variety of publishers that feature aliens in some form, or another. Whether the aliens are the enemies, or the main protagonists, we’ve got you covered for all your extraterrestrial needs. Hopefully these comics will help you pass the time while you try intercepting mysterious alien signals.

Kim & Kim

Exploding onto the scene with a new series is Kim & Kim, a comic about two LGBTQ space bounty hunters from Black Mask Studios. It’s a fun space punk comic that reminds me a lot of Cowboy Bebop from the rock n’ roll attitude of the comic’s two leads, to the way the universe is set-up to be just a weirder, alien-infested version of our own Earth. Kim & Kim is a rare comic that makes you instantly fall in love with the two heroines, as they gallivant across space catching bad guys and destroying public property.

Weird Detective

Cthulu mythos always marred space and outer dimensions with magic, so it’s not a stretch to claim that whatever Lovecraftian horrors found in Weird Detective aren’t “aliens”. Still, Weird Detective from Dark Horse is as strange as it is wonderfully imagined. Starring Detective Greene who admits to having 16 normal human senses (stuff like mind-reading as a sense) his first case finds him investigating a mysterious corpse at school, though it’s not clear if just finding the skin of a former person counts as a corpse. Weird Detective is a very novel take on the horror noir genre, and luckily includes a bunch of appearances from a variety of eldritch abominations.

Superman

Comic’s favorite alien is back thanks to DC’s Rebirth initiative and Kal-El is better than ever. Forget everything you might have seen of Superman from his past two film incarnations. DC is aiming to bring back a very classic, all-American Superman readers remember from the golden age of comics. Hiding on a farm with his secret family, the relaunched Superman comics actually take the perspective of Superman’s son Jonathan, who is starting to develop superpowers of his own. In that regard, Clark takes the mentor role for his son and the dynamic is very rewarding for fans who miss the more optimistic Clark. While it’s only two issues in, hopefully the hopeful trend of DC’s new comics maintain to deliver some great stories.

Turncoat

Technically Turncoat just ended, but the four-issue miniseries about a female revolutionary turned space detective named Marta is definitely worth a read. Years ago, Marta helped lead the revolution against a ruling alien race known as “Management”. Since they’ve left however, alien-human relations are at high tensions, and the revolutionary government that replaced Management is just as bad. So Marta hangs up her flag and became a private eye in this new world, tracking down an important person who might help settle the alien human hybrid dispute. It’s all very hard sci-fi, but the stylish art is reminiscent of acid wash colors help liven up the heavy mood that pervades the comic.

Star-Lord

Currently both Peter Quill and former X-Men (and Quill’s ex-girlfriend) Kitty Pryde are both Star-Lord(s), and they’re duking it out in space over their failed relationship. A fun comedy of manners, Marvel’s current Star-Lord run is more like a space rom-com that pits two beloved characters against each other as they try to navigate their way past all sorts of space oddities. It’s not as substantive as the other comics on this list in terms of plot or content, but it is fun and enjoyable. The comic definitely deserves a read if you’re a fan of the film adaptation, as they seem to have modeled a lot of the humor after James Gunn’s feature film.

Joyride

Joyride is a very apt title for a comic that begins with a three renegade teens who steal a ship to ride into space, get kidnapped by a bunch of alien slavers, get rid of the slavers, and become captains of an even bigger spaceship. As the trio become space fugitives, they venture across space bouncing from trouble to trouble like if Buck Rodgers was a millennial teen.