The plot has plenty of action although there’s nothing deep about it. Mondo’s sent to this planet to rescue this rich guy’s two daughters who’ve come up missing. When he gets there, he finds out that the two are hiding in an installation which is overrun by a hive of xenomorphs. There’s a lot of Mondo destroying aliens with a makeshift…laser gun I guess.

The story builds up to Mondo having to deal with the aliens without any weapons. Then he makes this stupidly large laser cannon thing and starts laying waste. Unfortunately, this kills any kind of tension or suspense that could’ve made. I would’ve connected with Mondo had he accomplished his goal by being more resourceful.

I really didn’t like this comic because it came off as ridiculous, although it does have its share of enjoyable moments. For one, I didn’t like Herk Mondo, who I thought was alright but lackluster. I see him more as a ripoff Duke Nukem rather than a serious character like Wilks or Hicks or even Johner.

We get a little twist at the end as to how the girls were put in the situation in the first place. But it sucks because it gets resolved in like the very next panel. The subplot with the volcano wasn’t relevant and should’ve been introduced as soon as the story began.

I wasn’t a fan of the writing though there’s a lot of potential in it. I don’t know what Henry Gilroy’s style but I think it’s wasted on this comic, on this character. I think the pacing was a little too fast paced which killed the suspense. Ronnie Del Carmen’s art style is a little more forgiving. The paneling isn’t bad and works well with the action sequences.

In the end, Aliens: Mondo Heat is a fun tale but if you never read it you wouldn’t be missing much. I don’t like Mondo and think he’s a forgettable character but the comic was pretty entertaining. I had mixed feelings about Gilroy’s writing but I appreciated the art by Carmen. Aliens: Mondo Heat gets 3 out of 5.