Marvel continues its Predator crossovers with Predator vs. Spider-Man, a new mini-series where everyone’s favorite wall-crawler faces off against the universe’s ultimate hunter. While Miles Morales is having “fun” fighting against the Xenomorphs in Aliens Vs. Avengers, it’s Peter Parker’s turn to fight off the other half of the AVP species. Benjamin Percy returns to write the latest installment in the Marvel Predator Versus mini-series, having already scripted the Predator vs. Wolverine and vs. Black Panther minis. Percy is joined this time with penciler Marcelo Ferreira, who imbues the first issue with strong linework and violent gravitas.
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Percy quickly sets up the series with an opening narration describing the unbearable heat hitting the city. Characters and figures are constantly dripping with sweat, selling the uncomfortable nature of the story. You feel unease reading this first issue, stemming from the bright coloring and gruesome scenes the Predator leaves behind. The urban setting and boiling atmosphere make it clear that Predator vs. Spider-Man is a throwback to the black sheep of the Predator franchise, Predator II. The sequel film took the infamous alien creature away from the jungle and into the populated city of Los Angeles.
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However, Predator vs. Spider-Man features a totally different Predator and replaces Danny Glover with a superhero. The Predator in the comic, given the nickname Skinner, is far more sadistic than the Predators in the films. Whereas the film Predators had a sense of honor, Skinner gleefully skins his victims alive, and he then wears the skin on his face. It’s a grisly scene, not for the faint of heart. Spider-Man seems like an odd fit for this violent and gritty comic at first. Nonetheless, given the hero’s track record of facing the ultimate hunter with Kraven, he is probably the hero with the most experience when being hunted.
Even though there are plenty of pages of Spidey swinging through the scorching city, the webhead surprisingly doesn’t come face-to-face with the alien hunter in this first issue. Most of the issue focuses on Peter reporting on the Skinner serial killer, with most of the action coming from the Predator slaying criminals. Percy has a knack for constructing gnarly and violent panels, yet his voices for Spider-Man and his supporting cast feel flat. Percy portrays Spidey with an inherent sense of altruism that loses the character’s self-loathing and comedy. J. Jonah Jameson, who always had a colorful vocabulary, has more of a potty mouth that doesn’t always fit for the character. Jameson is always a person who easily gets flustered and bursting into long tirades, but he typically works better when he uses Stan Lee-like vernacular that help sells his colorful personality.
The violence in Predator vs. Spider-Man may go overboard for some people, with several readers potentially finding it too edgy or try-hard. Nevertheless, the excessive violence gives these Predator vs. miniseries its identity. Readers should know what they’re getting into by the time of the third miniseries. There’s a particular standout moment where Skinner rips off the skin of a man’s face with his bare hands. If that seems too much, it’s probably best to skip this mini. Yet this may be the perfect mini, if that is more up your style.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Published by Marvel
Released on April 23, 2025
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Marcelo Ferreira
Inked by Jay Leisten
Color Art by Frank D’Armata
Letters by Clayton Cowles
What did you think of the Predator vs. Spider-Man? Let us know in the comments!
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