Based on the movie franchises respectively launched by Alien (1979) and Predator (1987), the Alien & Predator comics were published by Dark Horse Comics–from 1988 to 2020.
Because they thought it would give the writers and artists more creative freedom and flexibility, the heads of Dark Horse Comics decided early on not to publish ongoing or unlimited titles from the license and to compose the line as a series of limited series, one-shots, and short stories with a main focus on limited series. The first three books were a sequel to the first two Alien movies.
Quickly, the Predator franchise was added to the line, following the same editorial directive. Dark Horse Comics published continuously new miniseries, one-shots, and graphic novels set in the Alien and Predator universe, and in both of them as “Aliens vs. Predator” stories were also regularly published, for a good decade. But between 1999 and 2008 the line was on hiatus.
In 2020, after Disney acquired FOX Studios and took control of the characters’ rights, Dark Horse lost the license to publish more Alien and Predator stories, and could not reprint anything anymore. Marvel Comics being a Disney property took over and started by reprinting all the stories in new omnibus collections (and now Epic Collection). Marvel also launched new miniseries (or short ongoing series).
Alien Comics in Order
Since Dark Horse Comics lost the license for both Alien and Predator, their books have been harder and harder to come by. And it will be almost impossible to find some of them at a reasonable price soon enough.
Today, the best and only affordable way to find an almost complete collection of those stories is with the Marvel reprints. We will update the lists when new volumes are available and when new stories exclusive to Marvel are published.
Alien Comics: The Dark Horse Era
The Marvel Omnibus Reprints
- Aliens: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 1
Collects Aliens (vol. 1) #1-6; Aliens (vol. 2) #1-4; Aliens: Earth War #1-4; Aliens: Genocide #1-4; Aliens: Hive #1-4; Aliens: Tribes; Aliens: Newt’s Tale #1-2; Alien 3 #1-3; Aliens: Space Marines #1-12; “Countdown” from Dark Horse Insider #14-27; “Theory of Alien Propagation” from Dark Horse Presents #24, “Part One: Advent” and “Part Two: Terminus” from 42-43, “The Alien” from 56; “Reapers” from Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special. - Aliens: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 2
Collects Aliens: Rogue #1-4; Aliens: Colonial Marines #1-10; Aliens: Labyrinth #1-4; Aliens: Salvation; Aliens: Music of the Spears #1-4; Aliens: Stronghold #1-4; “Horror Show” from Dark Horse Comics #3-5, “The Taste” from 11, “Backsplash” from 12-13, “Cargo” from 15-16, “Alien” from 17-19; “Earth Angel” from Previews (vol. 3) #1-12 and (vol. 4) #1; “Sacrifice” and “Crusade” from Aliens magazine (vol. 2) #9-20. - Aliens: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 3
Collects Aliens: Berserker #1-4; Aliens: Mondo Heat #1; Aliens: Lovesick #1; Aliens: Pig #1; Aliens Special #1; Aliens: Havoc #1-2; Aliens: Purge #1; Aliens: Alchemy #1-3; Alien Resurrection #1-2; Aliens: Kidnapped #1-3; Aliens: Survival #1-3; Aliens: Glass Corridor #1; Aliens: Stalker #1; Aliens: Wraith #1; Aliens: Apocalypse – The Destroying Angels #1-4; Aliens: Xenogenesis #1-4; Aliens #1-4; “Mondo Pest” from Dark Horse Comics #22-24; “Incubation” from Dark Horse Presents #101-102, “Borderlines” from #121, “Headhunters” from 117, Once in a Lifetime” from #140; “Tourist Season” from Dark Horse Presents Annual 1997; “Lucky” from A Decade of Dark Horse #3; Aliens story from Free Comic Book Day 2009: Aliens #1. - Aliens: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 4
Collects Aliens: Fast Track to Heaven; Aliens: Colonial Marines – No Man Left Behind #1; Alien: Isolation #1; Aliens: Defiance #1-12; Aliens: Dead Orbit #1-4; Aliens: Dust to Dust #1-4; William Gibson’s Alien 3 #1-5; Aliens: Resistance #1-4; Aliens: Rescue #1-4; Alien: The Original Screenplay #1-5; “Inhuman Condition” from Dark Horse Presents (vol. 2) #12-17; “Extravehicular” from Free Comic Book Day 2016: Aliens #1.
The Marvel Epic Collection Reprints
- Aliens Epic Collection: The Original Years Vol. 1
Collects Aliens (vol. 1) #1-6, Aliens (vol. 2) #1-4, Aliens: Earth War #1-4, and material from Dark Horse Presents (1986) #24 and #42-43.
The Dark Horse Aliens Stories in Order
- “Theory of Alien Propagation” from Dark Horse Presents #24
- Aliens (vol. 1)
- Aliens (vol. 2)
- Aliens: Earth War
- “Part One: Advent” and “Part Two: Terminus” from Dark Horse Presents #42-43
- “Countdown” from Dark Horse Insider #14-27
- “Reapers” from Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special
- “The Alien” from Dark Horse Presents #56
- Aliens: Genocide
- Aliens: Hive
- Aliens: Tribes
- Aliens: Newt’s Tale
- Alien 3
- Aliens: Space Marines
- “Horror Show” from Dark Horse Comics #3-5
- “Earth Angel” from Previews (vol. 3) #1-12 and (vol. 4) #1
- “Sacrifice” and “Crusade” from Aliens magazine (vol. 2) #9-12
- Aliens: Rogue
- “The Taste” from Dark Horse Comics #11
- “Backsplash” from Dark Horse Comics #12-13
- Aliens: Labyrinth
- Aliens: Colonial Marines
- “Crusade” from Aliens magazine (vol. 2) #13-20
- Aliens: Salvation
- “Cargo” from Dark Horse Comics #15-16
- “Alien” from Dark Horse Comics #17-19
- Aliens: Music of the Spears
- Aliens: Stronghold
- “Mondo Pest” from Dark Horse Comics #22-24
- Aliens: Berserker
- “Incubation” from Dark Horse Presents #101-102
- Aliens: Mondo Heat
- “Lucky” from A Decade of Dark Horse #3
- Aliens: Lovesick
- Aliens: Pig
- “Headhunters” from Dark Horse Presents #117
- “Borderlines” from Dark Horse Presents #121
- Aliens Special
- Aliens: Havoc
- Aliens: Purge
- Aliens: Alchemy
- Alien Resurrection
- Aliens: Kidnapped
- “Tourist Season” from Dark Horse Presents Annual 1997
- Aliens: Survival
- Aliens: Glass Corridor
- Aliens: Stalker
- Aliens: Wraith
- “Once in a Lifetime” from Dark Horse Presents #140
- Aliens: Apocalypse – The Destroying Angels
The Xenogenesis Crossover
- Predator: Xenogenesis
- Aliens vs. Predator: Xenogenesis
- Aliens: Xenogenesis
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- Aliens story from Free Comic Book Day 2009: Aliens #1
- Aliens
- Aliens: Fast Track to Heaven
- “Inhuman Condition” from Dark Horse Presents (vol. 2) #12-17
- Aliens: Colonial Marines – No Man Left Behind
- Alien: Isolation
- “Extravehicular” from Free Comic Book Day 2016: Aliens #1
- Aliens: Defiance
The Fire and Stone Crossover
- Aliens: Field Report
- Aliens: Fire and Stone
- Prometheus: Fire and Stone
- Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone
- Predator: Fire and Stone
- Prometheus: Fire and Stone – Omega
- Predator: Life and Death
The Life and Death Crossover
- Predator: Life and Death
- Prometheus: Life and Death
- Aliens: Life and Death
- Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death
- Prometheus: Life and Death – Final Conflict
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- Aliens: Dead Orbit
- Aliens: Dust to Dust
- Aliens: Resistance
- Aliens: Rescue
- Alien: The Original Screenplay
- William Gibson’s Alien 3
Alien Comics: The Marvel Era
In 2021, Marvel launched an all-new Alien series with Phillip Kennedy Johnson as writer and Salvador Larroca as artist. It was a maxi-series. After that, it seems that the Alien comics went back to the miniseries format (for now).
- Alien: Bloodlines
Collects Alien (2021) #1-6. - Alien: Revival
Collects Alien (2021) #7-12. - Alien: Icarus
Collects Alien (2022) #1-6. - Alien by Shalvey & Broccardo Vol. 1: Thaw
Collects Alien (2023) #1-5. - Alien by Shalvey & Broccardo Vol. 2: Descendant
Collects Alien Annual (2023) #1 and Alien (2023B) #1-4.
Predator Comics in Order
Predator Comics: The Dark Horse Era
The Marvel Omnibus Reprints
- Predator: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 1
Collects Predator (1989) #1-4, Predator 2 #1-2, Predator: Big Game #1-4, Predator: Cold War #1-4, Predator: The Bloody Sands Of Time #1-2, Predator: Bad Blood #1-4, Predator: Invaders From The Fourth Dimension, Predator: Dark River #1-4, Predator: Strange Roux And Predator: Kindred #1-4 – And Material From Dark Horse Presents (1986) #46, #67-69 And #119; Dark Horse Comics #1-2, #4-7, #10-14, #16-18 And #20-21; And A Decade Of Dark Horse #1. - Predator: The Original Years Omnibus Vol. 2
Collects Dark Horse Presents #124, 137; Free Comic Book Day 2009: Aliens / Predator #1; Predator (2009) #1-4; Predator (2010) #1-4; Predator: Captive #1; Predator: Hell and Hot Water #1-3; Predator: Hell Come A-Walkin’ #1-2; Predator: Homeworld #1-4; Predator: Hunters #1-5, Predator: Hunters II #1-4; Predator: Hunters III #1-2; Predator: Nemesis #1-2; Predator: Primal #1-2; Predator: Xenogenesis #1-4; Predators Movie Adaption; Predators: Preserve the Game.
The Dark Horse Predator Stories in Order
- Predator (1989)
- “God’s Truth” from Dark Horse Presents (1986) #46
- Predator 2
- Predator: Big Game
- Predator: Cold War
- Predator: The Bloody Sands Of Time
- “Rite of Passage” from Dark Horse Comics #1-2
- “Blood Feud” from Dark Horse Comics #4-7
- “The Pride at Nghasa” and “Bad Blood” from Dark Horse Comics #10-14
- Predator: Bad Blood
- “Hunted City” from Dark Horse Comics #16-18
- “Blood on Two-Witch Mesa” from Dark Horse Comics #20-21
- Predator: Invaders From The Fourth Dimension
- “1718” from A Decade Of Dark Horse #1
- Predator: Dark River
- Predator: Strange Roux
- Predator: Kindred
- “No Beast So Fierce…” from Dark Horse Presents (1986) #119
- Predator: Hell & Hot Water
- Predator: Primal
- Predator: Nemesis
- Predator: Hell Come A-Walkin’
- Predator: Captive
- Predator: Homeworld
The Xenogenesis Crossover
- Predator: Xenogenesis
- Aliens vs. Predator: Xenogenesis
- Aliens: Xenogenesis
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- Predator: Prey to the Heavens
- Predators: Preserve the Game
The Fire and Stone Crossover
- Aliens: Field Report
- Aliens: Fire and Stone
- Prometheus: Fire and Stone
- Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone
- Predator: Fire and Stone
- Prometheus: Fire and Stone – Omega
- Predator: Life and Death
The Life and Death Crossover
- Predator: Life and Death
- Prometheus: Life and Death
- Aliens: Life and Death
- Alien vs. Predator: Life and Death
- Prometheus: Life and Death – Final Conflict
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- Predator: Hunters #1-5
- Predator: Hunters II #1-4
- Predator: Hunters III #1-2
Predator Comics: The Marvel Era
Almost two years after Alien, Marvel decided to relaunch the Predator line with writer Ed Brisson and artist Kev Walker.
- Predator Vol. 1: Day Of The Hunter
Collects Predator (2022) #1-6. - Predator Vol. 2: The Preserve
Collects Predator (2023) #1-5. - Predator vs. Wolverine
Collects Predator vs. Wolverine #1-4.
Alien Vs. Predator Comics in Order
For now, the Alien VS. Predator comics have not been reprinted by Marvel. If you can find the Dark Horse Comics, here is what you need:
- Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus Vol. 1
- Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus Vol. 2
- Alien vs. Predator: Thrill of the Hunt
- Alien vs. Predator: Civilized Beasts
- Alien vs. Predator: Three World War
- Alien vs. Predator: Thicker than Blood
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If you want a full chronological reading order of the Dark Horse-era comics, I recommend you take a look at Sputnix’s list.
