Are you as eager for "Alien: Covenant" as a face hugger scuttling from its egg? As hungry for the latest "Alien" movie as a Xenomorph's second set of jaws? Ready to explode into the theater like a chest burster making its debut? Then you might be a candidate for the many "Alien" books published by Dark Horse Comics. Here's a quick overview of two great offerings:

'Aliens: Defiance'

The final issue of this 12-issue maxiseries ships this month, which means readers have been waiting almost a year to see whether writer Brian Wood's flawed heroes would survive. It's the longest "Aliens" story Dark Horse has ever published.

Wood, famed for works ranging from "DMZ" to "Briggs Land" (soon to be on AMC), sets his story between "Alien" and "Aliens," when Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks discovers that her service is colluding with the Weyland-Yutani Corp. to bring the Xenomorphs to Earth. Despite being crippled by a back injury, Zula goes AWOL and teams with renegade synthetic Davis — who affects unnecessary eyeglasses to distinguish himself from his fellow Davises — to destroy the alien specimens en route to the mother planet.

A number of artists combine to tell the tale — including Tristan Jones, Riccardo Burchielli, Tony Brescini and Stephen Thompson — but Wood's story and characterization are strong enough to carry the reader over any bumps. Wood told io9.gizmodo.com that he deliberately steered Hendricks away from the "gung ho" stereotype of the Marine that he felt was unlike any Marine he ever knew.

"I needed someone who could be both a Marine but also have the perspective and moral center to turn and walk away from the Marines when she needs to," he said. "That's the 'defiance' part of this story."

The first six issues have been collected in "Aliens: Defiance Volume 1," which included a tie-in short story ("Aliens: Defiance — Extravehicular") for $19.99. The second volume, collecting issues 7-12, will arrive in October.

'Aliens: Dead Orbit'

The first issue of "Dead Orbit," a four-issue miniseries, debuted on Alien Day (April 26). It tells the tale of an engineering officer named Wascylewski on a Weyland-Yutani way station above a gas giant in a backwater of space that is, of course, invaded by the Xenomorphs.

As the series opens, it appears Wascylewski is the sole survivor — the story of the other personnel is told in flashback, and it doesn't look good for them. Like the original film, our hero has few resources to battle growing evil in what amounts a haunted house in space.

That "house" is called the Sphacteria, in orbit around the gas giant Pylos. It's worth noting that Sphacteria is a small island at the mouth of the bay of Pylos in Greece, one of a series of Greek references in "Alien" movies, novels and comics.

James Stokoe ("24Seven," "Godzilla") writes and draws "Dead Orbit," and it may be the most taut thriller in the series yet. The art is gritty, the equipment well-used. Even our hero is a pretty grubby specimen.