The American teaser poster for Cowboys & Aliens was nicely subtle and left a lot to the imagination, but that was nothing compared to the brooding international version that showed up today at Empire Online. Star Daniel Craig may as well be Batman for all the blue-black shadow he's bathed in, and the darkness puts extra emphasis on that strange alien wrist thing he's got strapped to him-- what the hell is that, and how'd it wind up attached to this cowboy?

Even though it's not technically an original story, based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's graphic novel, Cowboys & Aliens looks like one of the most inventive and freshest blockbusters on deck for the next year, and everything about the marketing campaign thus far is only confirming the suspicion. Yes, it's foolish to get too worked up over two well-made teaser posters and a thrilling trailer, but good marketing is often a sign of something worthwhile coming down the pike. Check out the new poster below and click on it for Empire's full-sized version.