Intro to Alien Invasion: A 101 in Review

For those nearing the end of high school or in the beginning weeks of higher education, Intro to Alien Invasion will hit the nail on the head. As a misfit group tries to combat an alien invasion, there are a lot of things that mirror the college experience. Sure, the characters can be overly caricaturized stereotypes of the young adults in college, but there is no denying the people you meet in college resemble these personalities. Written by Owen King and Mark Jude Poirier, and illustrated by Nancy Ahn, Intro to Alien Invasion is the coffee table book for any college bound, college student, or college reminiscent; there’s humor, wit, and prevalent contemporary storylines from the first page to the last.

Stacey appears to be the run of the mill nerdy girl, more interested in her Astrobiology course and the work of the eccentric Professor Evans then going on spring break. When spring break is disrupted by a rogue hurricane, the events of the alien invasion come into play, with each college clique banding together to fend for their lives.

King and Poirier flexed a great deal of writing muscle in this piece. Intro to Alien Invasion is fun and acerbic, yet poignant in scraping the surface of topics like sexual assault and human sexuality. These underlying themes don’t mar the telling of this silly and entertaining tale. In fact, they serve as a great navigation tool, pointing out how normal serious societal problems can be perceived as. That may be scarier then the alien invasion. The story itself reads like a campy science-fiction film, and the self-awareness it has was a seemingly conscious move by the veteran writers.

The artwork by Nancy Ahn takes on the same whimsical appeal that makes shows like Bob’s Burgers so popular. It would have been a great addition for the comic to be in color, but except for a few rough transitions, the comic still connects to the audience in black and white. The illustrations help nail in the entertainment value.

There are other great characters that the audience gets to meet. Professor Evans, with his terrible choice in footwear will first have you feeling sorry for the guy, and that will quickly change. He is a loud character that pops up every few pages, and when he does it usually raises the question of what absurd thing is he up to now. Several other characters, the representation of different cliques on campus, mostly remain nameless. Their lewdness will recall memories of people you may know or have met in your own course. At times the words coming from their mouths can be a bit overplayed, but if that’s the only negative quality for the students at the fictional Fenton College, it is tolerable.

Intro to Alien Invasion is a graphic novel that deserves a place on any dorm room table. It captures the fringes of culture that descends onto college campuses and puts them to work in reacting to strange events. On September 15 be sure to pick up a copy of this cheeky tale published by Scribner. You’ll be thankful you didn’t go to school with hip-gyrating aliens and a self-obsessed professor with an affinity for clogs.