How To Start Reading The Resident Alien Comics [Reading Order + Guide]

In the sleepy town of Patience, USA, there lives an alien hiding in plain sight as the town doctor. While treating the townsfolk as Dr Harry Vanderspeigle, he waits for a ride back to his homeworld. Luckily, he has plenty to occupy himself with as he has been thrown into the middle of a murder mystery!

This is the premise Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse’s Resident Alien. Blending science fiction with small town mystery, this Dark Horse comic is like nothing else. It’s no wonder that it has been adapted into a SYFY television series.

If you’re interested in reading Resident Alien then this guide will help you get started. Read on to find out the best place to start reading, recommended reading order, and much more.

Quicklink: How Do I Start Reading Comics? The Simple Guide For New Readers

Where do I start reading?

Similar to Hellboy or The Umbrella Academy, Resident Alien is broken up into a series of miniseries instead of being one long ongoing comic. Each series has begins with either issue #0 (see below to see why) or #1 so it can confusing as to which one comes first.

The best place to start is Resident Alien #0, which is collected in Resident Alien Volume 1: Welcome to Earth! It introduces readers to the characters and Harry’s situation, while setting up for future stories.

Once you’ve read the first story arc, continue with the other arcs listed below.

Resident Alien reading order

Do you want to read all of Resident Alien? Then follow these trade paperback collections to get the recommended reading order.

Resident Alien Volume 1: Welcome to Earth!
Collects: Resident Alien #0-3

Resident Alien Volume 2: The Suicide Blonde
Collects: Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde #0-3

Resident Alien Volume 3: The Sam Hain Mystery
Collects: Resident Alien: The Sam Hain Mystery #0-3

Resident Alien Volume 4: The Man with No Name
Collects: Resident Alien: The Man with No Name #1-4

Resident Alien Volume 5: An Alien in New York
Collects: Resident Alien: An Alien in New York #1-4

Resident Alien Volume 6: Your Ride Is Here
Collects: Resident Alien: Your Ride Is Here #1-6

Resident Alien Volume 7: The Book of Love
Collects: Resident Alien: The Book of Love #1-4

Resident Alien Volume 8: The Book of Life
Collects: Resident Alien: The Book of Life #1-4

Note: Resident Alien Volume 8: The Book of Life will be published on 28th January, 2025.

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What’s the deal with the #0 issues?

As you probably noticed above, the first three miniseries had a #0 issue. These #0 issues are material that was first serialised in the Dark Horse Presents anthology before then being collected as a single issue. If you come across any of these, treat them as if they are an issue #1 as they kick off the story.

Will there be more Resident Alien comics?

Yes! A new Resident Alien miniseries begins on 26th June. It will be called Resident Alien: The Book of Life and will run monthly for four issues.

Omnibus editions

Resident Alien has also been collected in the omnibus format. These collect three times the comics in a signal edition.

Resident Alien Omnibus Volume 1
Collects: Resident Alien #0-3, Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde #0-3, and Resident Alien: The Sam Hain Mystery #0-3

Resident Alien Omnibus Volume 2
Collects: Resident Alien: The Man with No Name #1-4, Resident Alien: An Alien in New York #1-4, Resident Alien: Your Ride Is Here #1-6, and a short story from Free Comic Book Day 2022.

Resident Alien Omnibus Volume 2 will be available on 3rd May, 2023.

Where can I buy Resident Alien comics and trade paperbacks?

Resident Alien can be found at all good comic book shops, selected book stores, online stores, eBay, and digitally on Kindle or Dark Horse Digital.

Have Your Say!

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