The thing about suffering injustice is that it doesn’t just leave you like a bad day or when things don’t go your way. It’s when you know that you’ve been wronged that your brain and your soul cant compute. Part of you feels like you were cheated and violated.

The cold hard fact is that you were wronged. The perpetrator of the act remains in your crosshairs with you hoping they get their just due. It doesn’t matter how it happens, what matters is that justice is carried out. In Predator #1, one woman looks to deliver that against the same monster that killed her family as a child.

We;re taken to an unknown planet in the far reaches of space in the year 2056, where we find two Predators in a heated battle,  but nothing is what it seems, as the victor emerges, and is revealed to be human woman, once they take off their helmet. We flashback to the year 2041 on the planet, Damara, where we meet Theta, whose family is there on a research mission. But things go sideways, as they are interrupted by a predator, who decimated her family. We find her years later, the captain of her own ship with one single minded purpose, to find the creature responsible for her parents’ death, as she traverses the galaxy looking for the one responsible, while taking apart any Predator she encounters.  The reader soon finds out that she has  been collecting intelligence on the Predators, studying their moves, the places they have been and where they come from. By Issue’s end, Theta crash lands on a winter planet, as her ship suffers a system failure, leaving her chances for survival to be slim.

Overall, Predator #1 is an action packed debut that shows a taste for revenge has its costs. The story by Brisson is brilliant. The art by the creative team is beautiful. Altogether, a story that is a fine addition to the Predator canon.

Story: Ed Brisson Art: Kev Walker
Color: Frank D’Armata Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

While the franchise has been up and down, the worlds of Alien and Predator is one of my favorites. Each does such a great job of taking various genres and giving them a slight twist. Horror, sci-fi, action, they do them all, and often have a bit of a message underneath. Predator #1 kicks off a new chapter set in the year 2056 and changes up the genre enough to stand out.

Written by Ed Brisson, Predator #1 follows Theta, a woman set on revenge. When she was younger, her parents and the crew they were with, were hunted and killed by a Predator. Now, for fifteen years she’s hunted Predators in hopes of finding the one that killed her parents. Having stolen a ship, she’s now wanted by many and of course the Predators would be happy to see her dead.

It’s an interesting twist on the familiar formula. Instead of an individual or team being hunted, instead our protagonist is the hunter. The motivations are simple, but there’s something here that makes the comic interesting and entertaining. It doesn’t completely excite but there’s more than enough for fans of the world. We get some interesting insights into Predators with a character that is entertaining enough. Brisson also knows this is just the introduction and setup with the real show to come starting the next issue.

Kev Walker‘s art is solid. The world feels alien but familiar and Theta’s armor is a nice take on the Predator look. With color by Frank D’Armata and lettering by Clayton Cowles, the comic captures the look of the world without if feeling too dark or grimy. There’s a nice subtle aspect to the visuals, especially Theta’s ship which both looks functioning and slightly off. It feels like it’s going to break down any minute but you just don’t know when. Theta too looks like an individual who has lost the sense of fun. She’s on the hunt and looks it with everything else being a distraction. She’s constantly pissed off in her look as she should be.

Predator #1 is a good start to the series. It doesn’t quite blow things away but it’s a good setup that introduces our protagonist and the mission. It also doesn’t drag things out too much getting to the point. Fans of the property should be happy with the start and where the comic ends, the second issue is where things should be getting really interesting.

Story: Ed Brisson Art: Kev Walker
Color: Frank D’Armata Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle