Alienated #3 Review: High on Potential, Light on Progress

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Plot overview of ‘Alienated’: Earth is deluged with the bodies of dead aliens, but one family finds a survivor and attempts to understand what happened to his species. What happens when their secret guest is discovered, especially at a time when alien cults and shrines are rising in popularity?

Issue #3 of Alienated by Taki Soma and John Broglia opens with a creepy vigil for deceased aliens in uptown Minneapolis, highlighting humanity’s growing obsession with the unidentified species. Meanwhile, at the nursing home, protagonist TJ introduces his live alien friend to his girlfriend, joined by his grandkids Lily and Winter. Unbeknownst to them, Frank, another resident, is spreading panic, claiming he saw the alien at TJ’s. The suspense builds as the secret risks being exposed.

Also Read: Alienated #2 Review: Shrines, Siblings, and a talking Alien

The bulk of the issue, however, focuses on the personal lives of TJ’s family, including Winter’s crush on his sister Lily’s friend. Of course, this dash of cutesy teen romance in the sci-fi story is a welcome break for me, but I still don’t understand where the plot is going, because the issues are just too short and aren’t maximizing the space by keeping a razor-sharp focus on the alien story. That’s not to say nothing happens with the alien, who by now really should’ve been given a nickname. Seriously, TJ and kids, why haven’t you come up with a fun name for your new strange friend?!

There’s minimal interaction between the alien and its tight-knit human circle, mainly only TJ and the kids. It’s still learning to communicate and can only manage a few phrases in English, though TJ does uncover something interesting about its species, which may or may not hold the key to learning more about them. The issue moves fast and wraps up in the blink of an eye, ending with a fairly alarming twist. That said, I’m not exactly at the edge of my seat thinking, “I need the next issue right now.”

Honestly, this comic-book series is both weird, and also kinda interesting, but I still cannot give a definitive verdict about whether its worth trying until at least the first volume comes to an end. So, if you haven’t started reading “Alienated” yet, I’d once again suggest you wait till all of it comes out.

Alienated is also on Kindle Unlimited.

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