THE THRILL IS THE KILL! The bloodthirsty saga you’ve been waiting for! Wolverine has lived one of the longest and most storied lives in Marvel Comics history. Now witness the untold greatest battles of Logan’s life – against a Predator! Predator vs. Wolverine #1 feels like the debates we have in comic shops as to who would win in a fight and it’s a hell of a lot of fun.
While I enjoy entertainment and media that challenges me, there are times you want to sit back and turn your brain off. Loud explosions, bloody fights, the complete lack of physics, there’s a point you sit back and enjoy the ride. Predator vs. Wolverine #1 feels like that type of comic as it takes us through the ages as Wolverine takes on a Predator in the ultimate hunt.
Written by Benjamin Percy, Predator vs. Wolverine #1 is far more than its simple concept. It could easily have been just one point in Wolverine’s life as he battles a Yautja, but instead Percy delivers a dance through time as paths are crossed over and over. Each time period is presented by a different artist and in some ways that adds to the overall experience.
What Percy emphasizes and uses to an advantage is Wolverine’s inability to remember. Whily the Yautja learn over the decades, Wolverine’s mind is wiped over and over making him forget his previous encounters and starting over again and again. But, as a character, he has his own improvements over time as well. From bones to adamantium, from the wilderness to Weapon X, Wolverine’s memory feels like it’s used to balance the battle in some ways, making the hunt and fight that more intriguing.
Percy also seems to have some fun with it all too, especially one sequence with Team X that hearkens back to the original Predator film. There’s something fun and kind of awesome putting that team in the role that Schwarzenegger and his band held decades ago. That alone could be an entire series acting as an homage, spoof, and its own take on that story.
A trio of artists handle the different time periods. Ken Lashley provides the art for the present day, Greg Land with inks by Jay Leisten take us to Wolverine’s early days, while Andrea Di Vito handles the Team X segments. They’re joined by Juan Fernandez handling color for the Team X and present day segments while Frank D’Armata handles color for Wolverine’s younger days. Cory Petit is on lettering. While the art styles differ greatly, the switching doesn’t detract from the comic. It works here and helps in some way as the comic moves from one time period to the next. While some art is better than others, overall, it’s good, dynamic, and uses its time and settings well. The overall vibe is one that relies more on Predator‘s action elements than its stalking horror when it comes to its visuals delivering quick hits and sequences.
In the end Predator vs. Wolverine #1 is silly fun in the best possible way. When it was announced Marvel would be handling the Fox properties, we all imagined Alien and Predator attacks on our favorite Marvel characters and here we are. This is a brainless blockbuster in every fantastic way. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Story: Benjamin Percy Art: Ken Lashley, Greg Land, Andrea Di Vito
Ink: Jay Leisten Color: Juan Fernandez, Frank D’Armata Letterer: Cory Petit
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
Marvel provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle
