Dont presume you know everything.
Since the release of theJames Cameronclassic in 1986, viewers have taken Ripleys summation of the situation to heart.
You dont see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage.
And yet, almost 40 years later, Reiser still insists that Burke isnt the villain he seems.
You say bad, I say misunderstood.'
This could be true.
We wont spoil that here, but its a good one.
That said, after getting him off of LV-426, the comic gives Burke his just deserts.
Im not a comic guy, Im not even good at reading them.
I get lost, I need things to be linear, he admits.
I realized I would look at dialogue, but I was looking at it as an actor.
But of course, even then he had to contend with another funny guy, his son Leon.
The writers would sometimes send the draft and say, Anybody have any pitches?
And Leon would send in 20 lines of suggestions and they would see my 20.
Leons contributions helped Reiser feel more confident in the comic.
He can be the Paul Whisperer,' says Reiser.
He knew my comic timing, my rhythm, and my tone.
Which, of course, fits with Reisers perception of the character.
The character stuff was very rich and realistic in this super crazy world, he says ofAliens.
He has a daughter, were making him a full fledged person.
I had nothing to offer, Reiser says of his experience working with Cameron.
I said, This guys a genius, and his script was killer.
My goal was to just avoid bringing this film to a grinding halt.
However, he did haveoneidea that Cameron at least entertained.
After that, Reiser set the Filofax down and Burke went on empty handed.
And I think, yeah, that was about the extent of it.
Sure, Burke does terrible things.
WithAliens: What If…?, Reiser finally gets to show off that side of Burke.
And perhaps reset the villains name once and for all.
Aliens: What If…?
#1 is out now.
Issue #2 is out on April 10.
