The Aliens are coming. The Aliens are coming.

Friday, longtime franchise comic caretaker Dark Horse announced "Aliens: Defiance," a new ongoing series set to launch in April, to be written by Brian Wood and illustrated by Tristan Jones, at their "Dark Horse: Classified" New York Comic-Con panel. The story promises to fit between the first and second sci-fi film classics, introducing new characters to revisit, explore, and update the themes that bridge the two in a new tale of extra-terrestrial terror.

In the tradition of Ellen Ripley, readers will meet Zula Hendricks -- a career Colonial Marine who is recovering from combat injuries when a mysterious space freighter appears near her military hospital, and when the corporate overlords of Weyland-Yutani to send in a fleet of synthetics to investigate, what they find begins a tale of survival, horror, and all-new, all-different Xenomorphs.

With high-profile work on "Star Wars" and "Mad Max: Fury Road," respectively, Wood and Jones are no stranger to the unique challenges of licensed comic storytelling. Jones, a self-avowed "Alien" fanatic, particularly embraced the challenge of constructing new manifestations of the iconic Xenomorph monsters. "The "Alien" universe is also pretty much the only thing I genuinely geek out about," the artist told Newsarama. "I saw the first movie when I was five and that was entirely due to the fact that I made my dad get me the Aliens comics Dark Horse were publishing in the late '80s."

For Brian Wood, Zula Hendricks and the series presents an opportunity tell a story that has particular relevance to the modern world, mirroring the way the original film spoke to '70s sensibilities. "Her story," Wood tells Newsarama, "has resonance to themes of our day, war, veteran's issues, and related social themes."

If "Aliens" were the action movie, and "Alien" a horror, count on "Defiance" in the latter camp, as Wood and Jones are seeking to make a "classic" contribution to the franchise tapestry.

Check back in with CBR all weekend for the latest out of New York Comic-Con.