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Resident Alien (Collected Editions) #2
Resident Alien Volume 2: The Suicide Blonde
An alien explorer stranded in the Pacific Northwest yearns for his home world, but he's enamored with ours--especially when it comes to solving murder mysteries! Undercover alien Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle seeks to clear the name of a friend who's blamed for a college girl's death, so he leaves the safety of small town Patience, USA, to hunt for clues in Seattle. And those federal agents obsessed with Harry's crashed starship? They're only getting closer to nabbing Harry! Acclaimed creators Peter Hogan ( 2000 AD, Tom Strong ) and Steve Parkhouse ( Milkman Murders, Doctor Who ) deliver a truly unique science-fiction/murder-mystery mashup!
104 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2014
16 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Peter Hogan
236 books50 followersPeter Kenneth Hogan is an English writer and comics creator who started out as editor of cult political British comic Revolver in 1990–1991, before working for 2000 AD and American comic book publishers Vertigo and America's Best Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
December 1, 2020
This thing is all over the place genre-wise, but somehow it works. <--for me, at least.
You have this stranded alien dude, filling in as the local small-town doctor, while on the run from a MIBish government organization. He's solving murders like a gumshoe detective, and has (unbeknownst to him) a guardian angel in the form of a Native American nurse who might have some kind of mystical powers.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, he has some sort of mental powers that keep us Earth-folk from noticing that he doesn't fit in around here.
If that sounds good to you? Pick this one up. I'm enjoying the hell out of it.
You have this stranded alien dude, filling in as the local small-town doctor, while on the run from a MIBish government organization. He's solving murders like a gumshoe detective, and has (unbeknownst to him) a guardian angel in the form of a Native American nurse who might have some kind of mystical powers.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, he has some sort of mental powers that keep us Earth-folk from noticing that he doesn't fit in around here.
If that sounds good to you? Pick this one up. I'm enjoying the hell out of it.
September 5, 2020
An out of towner dies in a mysterious way with one of the Doc's friends implicated. So he and Asta head to Seattle to find out what really happened. We also find out about what happened to Harry in the 3 years from when his spaceship crashed until he ended up in Patience. I'm not too crazy about the mystical Native American stuff in a series about an alien. It makes things a bit hokey but so far it's a minor point.
December 29, 2024
Our favorite murder-solving alien named Harry is back! In fact, he just may be the only murder-solving alien named Harry...
You know, for each volume only containing four issues, it still manages to do a great job of pulling me in.
Highly recommended.
You know, for each volume only containing four issues, it still manages to do a great job of pulling me in.
Highly recommended.
September 6, 2020
Doesn't feel like there was that much mystery in this one, actually. Very little tension or climactic action. Felt like it ended prematurely, however neatly it all really wrapped up.
March 6, 2022
Interessante, molto.
Mi piace il personaggio della infermiera di suo padre.
Non sono male anche gli altri personaggi della cittadina Sindaco e Sceriffo.
Mi piace il personaggio della infermiera di suo padre.
Non sono male anche gli altri personaggi della cittadina Sindaco e Sceriffo.
January 4, 2021
***Review applicable to the first 5 volumes that I consumed it a single morning.*** A delightful and refreshing series about a stranded ET turned reluctant-detective. The stories are kept refreshingly small, and the two B-stories are dripped out steadily but slowly enough that they never overshadow or hinders the main tale in each volume.
September 8, 2016
Love this series.
October 6, 2016
This is a nice and unique read in one sitting kind of book.
October 28, 2025
The pinnacle of fiction. Couldn’t put it down! I was immersed all the way.
We continue to follow Harry‘s life and now he’s investigating the murder of a blonde found far away from home.
The story line wise amazing. The world building just as much. seeing Harry’s personality unravel is nice to see. He has a very wholesome down-to-earth personality, which I am delightfully surprise with him being an alien and all usually it’s the opposite. I really like the way that Harry and Asta’s relationship, I can already tell they’re gonna be the best of friends by like the end of the series. The pacing of events also very natural. You can clearly see how one comes after the other in the writing as well very interesting and attention, capturing as well as the artwork very nice. I also really liked how we don’t really dwell too much on Harry’s alien heritage. We just talk about him in his current situation. It makes the story that much more interesting without the I feel unnecessary jargon of what he is and all of the powers that he comes with, throughout the story we just see his powers and it’s a natural reveal which I like very much.
We continue to follow Harry‘s life and now he’s investigating the murder of a blonde found far away from home.
The story line wise amazing. The world building just as much. seeing Harry’s personality unravel is nice to see. He has a very wholesome down-to-earth personality, which I am delightfully surprise with him being an alien and all usually it’s the opposite. I really like the way that Harry and Asta’s relationship, I can already tell they’re gonna be the best of friends by like the end of the series. The pacing of events also very natural. You can clearly see how one comes after the other in the writing as well very interesting and attention, capturing as well as the artwork very nice. I also really liked how we don’t really dwell too much on Harry’s alien heritage. We just talk about him in his current situation. It makes the story that much more interesting without the I feel unnecessary jargon of what he is and all of the powers that he comes with, throughout the story we just see his powers and it’s a natural reveal which I like very much.
March 18, 2021
Okay who else saw these comics at the their comic shop and was what is this? Then just figured it was going to be a lame alien comic? I did and now I wish I could slap my younger self. What was I thinking? Why didn’t I ever open one of these comics up? I guess I always though it was an Alien Nation spin off or something. Like Alien Nation the tv show from the 90’s. I was so wrong. This comic is amazing. The second volume picks up right where the first one left off. With a new mystery to solve and this time the mayor is in trouble. Plus we get to see the origin of how Harry made his way from his crash site to Patience, Washington. Great comic with lots of character building a mystery. A must read for fans of alien living among us stories or hard detective stories. I love a good detective story.
December 19, 2019
A fairly standard procedural with a space alien playing the Quincy, M.D. role. The story is nicely told, just as the first one was.
January 22, 2024
A much stranger yet still likeable continuation of the story with an even slimmer mystery. Wonder if the story will find its identity in the coming volumes.
April 1, 2021
Cool. That was a quick read, the story was smart. Bringing in the Men In Black slowly but inevitably. Better than the TV show.
October 30, 2014
I'm a sucker for good sci fi mysteries and this hits home nicely. Beautiful art compliments the easy flow of the writing. I will admit that this book was a bit predictable and less exciting than book 1 but overall great stuff.
September 15, 2021
I’m biased because I adore the character of Harry and learning more about him. Seeing how he’ll worm his way into a mystery out of his care for humans around him is so fun!
And now I feel alive again, because the game’s afoot… Limping slightly, but still afoot.
Each volume in this seems to be as easily digestible and intriguing as an episode in a thriller-scifi-mystery series. This one being centered around a suicide that looks more like a murder (so obvious content warnings for death, suicide, mentions of child abuse, and also pregnancy) that had a lot of intriguing characters to make it interesting. I was surprised by the sapphic elements and the way they were handled. I can see the way Peter Hogan is trying (and succeeding) at creating narratives that are diverse and accepting but, at the same time, honest for how small towns and the public would react.
Asta is also very quickly warming to me - I love her personality and the way she’s being cautious yet aware of Harry’s abnormalities. I really (for once!) won’t mind if they decide to go down a romance route later on, but I love them as a detective duo here. I need to look into reviews and thoughts by indigenous readers, to see if they agree or if Asta is disliked among the community.
In the end, I’m all in on this series and wholly devoted to seeing where Harry’s jaunts on the planet lead to! And I know I didn’t mention it, but dang the art in this really fits the genre.
And now I feel alive again, because the game’s afoot… Limping slightly, but still afoot.
Each volume in this seems to be as easily digestible and intriguing as an episode in a thriller-scifi-mystery series. This one being centered around a suicide that looks more like a murder (so obvious content warnings for death, suicide, mentions of child abuse, and also pregnancy) that had a lot of intriguing characters to make it interesting. I was surprised by the sapphic elements and the way they were handled. I can see the way Peter Hogan is trying (and succeeding) at creating narratives that are diverse and accepting but, at the same time, honest for how small towns and the public would react.
Asta is also very quickly warming to me - I love her personality and the way she’s being cautious yet aware of Harry’s abnormalities. I really (for once!) won’t mind if they decide to go down a romance route later on, but I love them as a detective duo here. I need to look into reviews and thoughts by indigenous readers, to see if they agree or if Asta is disliked among the community.
In the end, I’m all in on this series and wholly devoted to seeing where Harry’s jaunts on the planet lead to! And I know I didn’t mention it, but dang the art in this really fits the genre.
September 15, 2020
Hogan and Parkhouse continue to deliver an effective noir-lite story with the distinctive visuals that Parkhouse displayed in the first volume. The use of shading and color in a number of flashback moments in this story felt particularly effective for reflecting the mood of the story being told.
These are very slow-paced stories, effectively a short-story a volume that focuses on whatever mystery "Harry" gets caught up in. The continuing development of characters--especially Harry and Asta, but also Bert, the Mayor, and Mike, the police chief of Patience. Hogan delivers an empathetic look at potential consequences of abuse, and delivers a fittingly serious, dark-toned piece without any hint of romanticizing/or exploiting the issues involved. It was nice to see.
Also, as much as I love super-hero books, (and I DO love super-hero books) the frenetic pace of those stories can be exhausting. The super-relaxed pacing here feels perfect for the story and I appreciate that the creators have the patience to let frame elements like relationships between recurring characters, the government search for Harry introduced in this volume, etc. play out relatively slowly in the background of the volume's mystery.
These are very slow-paced stories, effectively a short-story a volume that focuses on whatever mystery "Harry" gets caught up in. The continuing development of characters--especially Harry and Asta, but also Bert, the Mayor, and Mike, the police chief of Patience. Hogan delivers an empathetic look at potential consequences of abuse, and delivers a fittingly serious, dark-toned piece without any hint of romanticizing/or exploiting the issues involved. It was nice to see.
Also, as much as I love super-hero books, (and I DO love super-hero books) the frenetic pace of those stories can be exhausting. The super-relaxed pacing here feels perfect for the story and I appreciate that the creators have the patience to let frame elements like relationships between recurring characters, the government search for Harry introduced in this volume, etc. play out relatively slowly in the background of the volume's mystery.
September 20, 2020
This volume takes a bit of a darker tone than the first installment but still has the lighthearted charm that hooked me. Harry is enjoying his examination into the human condition and is even more likable this time around. He is beginning to build interesting relationships with some returning characters while the suspense continues to build as the government is hot on Harry's trail, closing in on his location.
I liked this volume even more than the first but I have to admit, I feel the mystery element in this series is lacking. Though I don't necessarily think the mystery element is what makes this comic, it's a big part of the overall story. In this particular volume I was disappointed with the conclusion. It felt a bit rushed and the pay off was just okay. Luckily I'm here more for the characters and the look into humanity than the mystery.
*A little side note and something that I forgot to mention in my review of volume 1, I really like that as the reader we see Harry in his alien form exclusively. It's kind of like we as the reader are one of the rare humans that can see his true self. It's a nice subtle touch that I really love!
I liked this volume even more than the first but I have to admit, I feel the mystery element in this series is lacking. Though I don't necessarily think the mystery element is what makes this comic, it's a big part of the overall story. In this particular volume I was disappointed with the conclusion. It felt a bit rushed and the pay off was just okay. Luckily I'm here more for the characters and the look into humanity than the mystery.
*A little side note and something that I forgot to mention in my review of volume 1, I really like that as the reader we see Harry in his alien form exclusively. It's kind of like we as the reader are one of the rare humans that can see his true self. It's a nice subtle touch that I really love!
December 21, 2024
Less a mystery this time, and more two intersecting police procedurals:
1.) Our protagonist alien tries to clear his friend's name when a young women comes to town and either kills herself or is murdered.
and
2.) The government is trying to figure out whether a person who robbed a mall and ATM is a foreign operative or an alien. (Non-spoiler alert: It's the alien protagonist!)
The art is great, and includes a dream sequence you could easily mistake one of the characters for a female version of Dream or Death of the Endless from Preludes & Nocturnes. It's enough to make you nostalgic for the time we didn't know Neil Gaiman was a creep.
1.) Our protagonist alien tries to clear his friend's name when a young women comes to town and either kills herself or is murdered.
and
2.) The government is trying to figure out whether a person who robbed a mall and ATM is a foreign operative or an alien. (Non-spoiler alert: It's the alien protagonist!)
The art is great, and includes a dream sequence you could easily mistake one of the characters for a female version of Dream or Death of the Endless from Preludes & Nocturnes. It's enough to make you nostalgic for the time we didn't know Neil Gaiman was a creep.
October 29, 2022
I'm still a bit too stuck on the image of Harry as seen in the TV show, so I'm still getting used to how he was originally drawn in the comics. Whereas in the show Harry is irascible and unhappy, not only to be stuck on Earth but also to be counted on as the town doctor and member of the local population, in the comic he's accepted his place and is doing his best to fit in and get along with everyone. In the show, Harry reluctantly and comically learns about the human condition through his curmudgeonly interactions and observances. In the comic, his musings and observations are more of a positive commentary on humanity with just mild amusement instead of ironic hilarity. The book and the show are really two different animals based on the same idea. 3.5/5*
January 4, 2022
I enjoyed the first volume of this book on a recommendation from Rodrigo at Major Spoilers, so I got a few more. I finally got around to reading the second volume some time after the first. I generally remembered the plot of the first book, but while it did continue from there, it did a good job of filling me in after not having read in a while. I appreciated the way the book is primarily focused on personal stories and mysteries, rather than the usual action in comic books. This is made a bit easier by his recovery from the previous volume. This volume also featured quite a few scenes of government agents searching for Harry after detecting his crash. In addition to that and the mystery, there is a subplot of Asta having seen that Harry is an alien, though she never finds a good way to broach the subject with him. It merges long-term and episodic content well, and there is a big setup for another book that I won't spoil. This was an enjoyable read, if a bit on the shorter side, and a great choice if you are looking for a comic that is a little bit different than the usual capes and tights.
November 5, 2017
I really enjoyed this comic. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is compelling. I think it sort of sucks though that the alien went out of his way to help out the mayor, but he didn't do much to help out the lesbian accused of her girlfriend's murder. She was in more dire need of help too. Maybe this story will continue in vol. 3.
May 24, 2020
Just as good as the first volume. Another mystery to solve. Some more character development. And a bit more filling in of Harry's backstory.
I like how straightforward the storytelling is here. It's never hard to follow, or unnecessarily complex. Hogan and Parkhouse and just really good creators, working well together, and telling a good story.
I like how straightforward the storytelling is here. It's never hard to follow, or unnecessarily complex. Hogan and Parkhouse and just really good creators, working well together, and telling a good story.
September 6, 2020
More mysteries come up in this story: A case of muder with cyanide sends the mayor of the town in hot waters: it's time to shine our resident alien with a trip to Seattle, to set things straight.
Once again, mysteries, jokes, aliens, oh my.
A fair follow up of the precedent story, albeit a bit predictable this time.
Once again, mysteries, jokes, aliens, oh my.
A fair follow up of the precedent story, albeit a bit predictable this time.
December 26, 2020
Well, what can I say? Artwork's fine. Main character is becoming very sympathetic. Story not so much. This second story isn't so well orchestrated, although it has it's mystery moments, but the closing isn't good at all. A bit of the feds investigation, fewer of the aliens and the Shaman father and a murder that's not exactly solved or closed.
March 13, 2021
3.5 rounded up. The alien isn't all that alien other than not knowing some cultural things that most people would and being able to sense if someone's lying. At any rate, this was enjoyable and I'll continue to read this series.
I will say that in spite of the tone being inconsistent, I'm enjoying the TV series more.
I will say that in spite of the tone being inconsistent, I'm enjoying the TV series more.
November 16, 2021
Harry the space alien turned doctor for the town of Patience gets hauled into another mystery. Which as he admits, keeps him from getting bored. This time his friend Burt, the mayor, looks like the guilty party so Harry sets off to find the answers.
Chunks of the mystery are on the cliched side (like the self-destructive child of abuse) but nevertheless it works for me.
Chunks of the mystery are on the cliched side (like the self-destructive child of abuse) but nevertheless it works for me.
August 15, 2025
This volume shocked me because this me how because of how dark it got dealing with suicide and I understand them not wanting to adapt this because it would be really dark and whole volume felt new to me because I would have thought they adapt everything but for this they skipped adapting a whole volume except they did at least adapt Ethan
March 29, 2019
I really do love this series. I love the art, and I love the doctor and Asta. I also like that even though it's science fiction and about a stranded alien, it's also about reality and real people. It's got depth.
December 27, 2020
An alien explorer, masquerading as a small town Doctor, while stranded on Earth, gets involved in a mystery, when one of his new friends is implicated in the death of a girl.
The cast is built up and we learn a little more about what Harry was up to before the events of the first mini.
There's a government agency trying to trace him, after finding the wreckage of his ship, but they don't become too intrusive and we learn there are some people that can see through his disguise.
Still, a nice series that moves at its own pace. Feels like a good TV show.
The cast is built up and we learn a little more about what Harry was up to before the events of the first mini.
There's a government agency trying to trace him, after finding the wreckage of his ship, but they don't become too intrusive and we learn there are some people that can see through his disguise.
Still, a nice series that moves at its own pace. Feels like a good TV show.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews