A review by otterno11
A.L.I.E.E.E.N.: Archives of Lost Issues and Earthly Editions of Extraterrestrial Novelties by Lewis Trondheim

4.0

A.L.I.E.E.N. (Archives of Lost. Issues and Earthly Editions of Extraterrestrial Novelties),Trondheim's deceptively simple yet bizarrely original story could be seen easily as weirdness for weirdness' sake yet there is also much more going on under the surface. I read the comic on the recommendation of a friend, finishing it within an hour on a recent trip and, while at first not really knowing what to make of it, I came to have quite enjoyed it. With the background of a found work with an otherworldly origin, Trondheim sets his comic up to be an alien children's comic, with a variety of strange, cute, cartoony critters engaging in all manner of inexplicably humorous and disturbing activities. The work is slathered in a deranged creativity and the pure imagination possessed by Trondheim is evident on each page. A.L.I.E.E.E.N. is simple in its execution yet deeply complex in the many bizarre conclusions that can be taken from the alien events chronicled, with the alien script tantalizingly incomprehensible yet hinting at what might be going on with the twisting connectivity of the comics various storylines. It is a quick and satisfying read that could be returned to again and again for new insights or interpretations, though, at the very least, Trondheim has created a supremely novel diversion.