Predators: the greatest hunters this world has ever seen. They travel through space, and every now and again, they land on Earth to satisfy their primal urges. A Predator will find a location, begin to track its prey, and even set traps that sometimes leave nothing behind of its victims, other than devastating blood spatter and your imagination to wonder what happened to the poor soul who went flying upside down toward the forest canopy. Trophies are kept and a morbidly terrifying shrine is constructed with the remains of those slain by the hands of this deadly sport fighter.
Writer Chris Warner perfectly captures a deadly chase scene in Predator: Hunters #1, as adrenaline courses through three companions racing through a jungle as they attempt to avoid being dismantled. Perhaps there’s a way out, a way to escape the experienced hunter from introducing you to the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Or perhaps, as masterfully shouted in another famous franchise with its own hunters, the light at the end of the tunnel leads to “It’s a trap!” Is there any hope? There isn’t any chance of escaping or fighting these warriors, right?
Warner introduces a tale of those who have banded together to fight back. Not only that, he describes the history of those who have been battling these foes for more than a hundred years. This unique landscape, upon which these Predators roam, do not always favor what you have come to expect with these galactic stalkers. There’s a semblance of hope crafted into this series, along with blatant racism toward the main character, as Warner’s storytelling unfolds the possibility of someone surviving this tale as a new line of hunters plan to turn the tables on the ancient race of fighters.
Vivid expressions and scenic backgrounds from artist Francisco Ruiz Velasco grab your attention immediately, as you instantly recall the jungles of Predator and wonder how intense the following scenes will be. Piercing red eyes and powerful screeches from the original hunter showcase its frightening exterior, while intricately drawn features of previous victims adorn its body in the form of skulls and bones. Velasco’s ability to draw motion, with characters racing over the forest floor or a running waterfall, heightens the sense of urgency or danger felt by those being chased. The first chapter of Hunters explores the possibility of defeating a legend by creating one of your own. Is it possible to fight and kill a Predator, and then want to do it again?
Dark Horse Comics, along with a “special thanks to Nicole Spiegel at Twentieth Century Fox,” produces this mini-series with a planned five-issue run to “celebrate an amazing thirty years of Predator.”
Predator: Hunters #1 is available for pre-order prior to its print and digital release on Wednesday, May 3.
