Predator #1 Review: Breakneck Pacing Delivers What Franchise Fans Want
The enduring popularity of the Predator franchise is something that is kind of puzzling since it's a series of stories that are, on a macro level, one note. That's not to say that some of them aren't good, or even great, but the larger structure is mostly the same across all facets of media. It's not unlike a slasher series, or the Rocky franchise, wherein fans know what they want, and they know what they're going to get, and anything that's new can be a bonus for everyone... sometimes. Luckily for anyone that would consider picking up a Predator comic book, Marvel's latest volume not only has exactly what you want but delivers a helping of freshness, too.
Writer Ed Brisson is once again at the helm of the series, having penned the Predator volume that started last year. Newcomers should know that while connectivity between last year's series and this year's series does exist, it's slight and not required reading. The narrative for this new series, with a story titled "The Preserve," starts like a glass being smashed in your face in a bar fight, throwing you to the ground and demanding you either run or fight. Fans may immediately recognize the similarities to what's going on in the series which carries a similar set-up to 2010's Predators as a crew of dangerous and varied killers from around the globe are dropped onto an alien world. Naturally there's one thing that sets it apart from the third Predator movie, one which we won't ruin here.
Series penciler Netho Diaz does remarkable work in his page layouts which propel the story forward with precision and an explosive eye. There's not only care put into making sure the images keep the narrative momentum going but also in showing the readers the things that they love so much about this franchise, the Predators and their gadgets in action. Diaz has a striking ability to pose the Predators not only in dynamic fashion but to consistently show them in unique ways. Whether it's swinging a sword to slice off an appendage, returning to their cloaked form, or screaming to the heavens in celebration of a successful kill, Diaz knows what we're after and delivers.
Netho Diaz's work is only amplified by his visual collaborators in this regard as well, inclduing inkers Belardino Brabo with Victor Nava and colorist Erick Arciniega. Considering the jungle-based setting for the series, the pair of inkers have their work cut out for them, setting the mood for most of its battles and highlighting key moments of gruesome action. Arciniega as well has a clear grasp on how to layer the colors in any given setting, elevating the images to give them depth and naturally making all of the characters stand apart from each other.
If there's a fault to be found in Predator #1 it's that things are moving so fast from the jump that its characters seem almost secondary. The series' pacing is so fast it doesn't slow down enough to give us a grasp of who we are even following until maybe a third of the way through its story. That break sets a big stage for the series as a whole while also letting us get to know who we're watching get slaughtered.
Predator #1 has not only what fans expect from the series, but wastes no time in giving it to the readers. Series writer Ed Brisson has previously shown his capacity for pacing larger action beats but this debut issue proves it might be his strongest tool as a writer. The assembled team of artists are firing on all cylinders as well, collaborating on each image and truly making them the best they can be and pushing this story in big ways. Finally the cherry on top of it all is letterer Clayton Cowles' onomatopoeias, which answer the question "What sound does a Predator's spear make when it slams through a soldier's chest?"
Published by Marvel Comics
On March 8, 2023
Written by Ed Brisson
Pencils by Netho Diaz
Inks by Belardino Brabo with Victor Nava
Colors by Erick Arciniega
Letters by Clayton Cowles
Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Richard Isanove
