When a space hunter becomes a prey – a review of the comic book “Predator: Hunters” vol. 1

The hunt is getting worse

Films about a space lover of hunting are one of many examples where the breakthrough series with each new installment lost momentum and quality (see also: Alien or Terminator ). The first Predatorin 1987 directed by John McTiernan was a real breakthrough. Apparently, a concept known from slashers was taken, where a group of heroes is gradually killed by a mysterious murderer. But instead of a bunch of idiotic teenagers, the creators cast testosterone-filled commandos in the lead roles, and the typical torturer was replaced by an intelligent beast from another planet. The great atmosphere, the iconic design of the alien and the over-coked cast led by Arnold Schwarzenegger made the film a permanent fixture in the annals of SF and action movies. Contrary to frequent criticism (from fans and reviewers alike) five years later, in my opinion the sequel is an example of a sequel that extends the ideas from the original in an interesting and fresh way. Moving the action to the urban jungle of San Francisco was a bold and effective procedure.

Then it only got worse. Crossovers with another science fiction horror icon – xenomorph – Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Alien vs. Predator 2 (2007) are works of a nefarious quality that only save the interesting designs of the title characters. Predators (2010), on the other hand, is an example of a strange Hollywood tendency to create soft reboots . Ni is a remake (a twin core, but moved to another planet), and not a sequel – it had so many quotes and references to the first production that it’s hard to call it a separate image. The franchise was revived in 2018 thanks to Predator (originally with the article “the”) .The responsible Shane Black this time did not decide to reheat the cutlet out of this Earth. The quality was to be guaranteed by the creator’s previous productions (such as the decent Iron Man 3 ) and the fact that he himself played the episodic role of Hawkins in 1987. A good man in the right place? And yet the fans got a parody of the cycle in which heheszki won over all the other ingredients. The director decided to make numerous retcons, the aim of which seems to be to play with the expectations of viewers, and not to intelligently expand the world. An example would be to change the purpose for which Yautja landed on our planet for years, according to which they did it to … modify and enrich their DNA. Someone here has mistaken the franchise – playing with the genetic code should be the domain of only Aliens.

It is very painful to see one of my favorite series wandering like gorillas in the fog for years. I have poured out my regrets more than once with my friend Karol, an equally big fan of the universe. During many (instilled) discussions we thought about how we would fix the franchise ourselves. And the answer seemed to us one – the series should go back to its roots and keep it simple. According to our idea, the Predator in the next installment could be deprived of its gadgets and this time become an animal hunted by specialized soldiers. And I think our conversation must have been listened to by screenwriter Chris Warner, because the plot of Predator: Hunter uses exactly the same concept!

He’s worn the Predator a few times …

On the sidelines of the film series (creating an unofficial canon) there is an expanded universe, developed mainly by the titles of the Dark Horse publishing house. Hunter’s comic winks at the biggest fans as he returns to the characters from 1992’s Predator: Big Game (Enoch Nakai) (sic!) And Predator: Bad Blood(Mandy Graves) from 1993-94. The plot focuses on gathering a team of veterans who managed to kill Yautja in the past. Equipped with the most modern weapons, they are sent to a mysterious archipelago where survivors from outer space reside. The seemingly suicidal mission is only the beginning of bigger problems. Aliens trapped on the island for years, despite the lack of their technology, are still deadly. But the real enemy is even more dangerous.

This simple but effective concept (stolen from me and Karol) was unfortunately put by the screenwriter. The comic is developing very slowly, showing us the stories of individual members of the anti-editorial commando, despite the fact that they do not go beyond the level of cheap B-class sensationalists. in the end, there is also a self-destructive warrior who strives to die in battle. A lot of pages were also devoted to preparing the crew for hunting. And when it comes to its climax, it is all over before it gets a good start. Predators, although they have as many as four representatives, not even five minutes (or rather pages) of attention. There are definitely too few scenes with them, and the script completely takes away any competences. The Yautja film has always cheated a bit – because who are these hunters who use plasma cannons with a laser sight? Therefore, stripping them completely from technology and replacing Arnold, who could only count on his ingenuity and self-made traps, should be a game of play. Part of the problem (apart from the aforementioned poor thread planning) is that it is a mini-series consisting of only five notebooks. History would gain a lot if it were written over several pages. Part of the problem (apart from the aforementioned poor thread planning) is that it is a mini-series consisting of only five notebooks. History would gain a lot if it were written over several pages. Part of the problem (apart from the aforementioned poor thread planning) is that it is a mini-series consisting of only five notebooks. History would gain a lot if it were written over several pages.

Predator as painted

Francisco Ruiz Velasco is responsible for the graphic design. It is worth praising the Mexican artist for a less standard approach – many frames have a barely visible outline, which makes the whole look like a painted picture. This impression is complemented by the great use of colors – most of the jungle scenes are given a deep blue and green tone. Finally, the Predators’ appearance is worth praising. Peeling off technology allowed for more tribal character designs. Wooden masks look especially effective.

I can say fewer kind words about the human heroes. While their simplified appearance is just average, the artist is completely unable to reflect the age of the characters. Every now and then someone refers to the veteran Enoch as “old man” while he is drawn as a young man. A certain sloppiness of Velasca is also saddened. Burn the devilishly changing number of pieces of Yautja’s armor from frame to frame (because it’s just a minor technical error), but at some point one of the people (by name) completely changes his appearance. I went back to this scene a few times to see if I missed something, but I’m sure we’re dealing with an instant plastic surgery. Or a mistake that has never been corrected.

Pokot

While the film series plots and gets tangled up on its own feet, hope is in the comics. It is a pity that the medium, which does not have so many restrictions, decides to choose a plot full of B-class films. Predator: Hunters is not a bad comic book – reading was quite pleasant. However, I will never forgive such a waste of potential.