Why So Blu?

Dark Horse’s Predator

It was in 1990, I believe, when a friend dragged me to a comic book store with him so he could pick up whatever was in his monthly file.  Up to this point, I had four comic books in my possession, none of which lit my fire in the world of superheros.  So we arrive at the then-thriving, but now long-since defunct American Comics, Cards & Collectibles.  I was completely blown away by the clutter in this guy’s store.  I mean, he had a store the size of a really big closet and the backstock of a small warehouse.  I think the fire marshall missed this place.  Anyway, in oogling over all the titles hanging on the walls, I eventually settled on Predator: Race War.  While it wasn’t my first comic book, this was my gateway drug into what has become a fairly big addiction today.

Dark Horse blew me away with mini series after mini series of the famed movie hunter and its species.  There was Magnus vs. Predator, Predator: Big Game, Batman vs. Predator and the queen mother of them all, Alien vs. Predator.  Guys in cool costumes that were ripped beyond belief didn’t do it for me.  I just loved following the various Predator storylines.  Then something happened.  It seemed like Dark Horse felt the idea-well ran dry and the Predator issues stopped, but all good things come to those who wait. 

This past (late) summer, Dark Horse kick-started the Predator engine again in four-part series.  Hallelujah!  Issue 3 is currently on store shelves with the conclusion due out in late December.  For any other Predator fans out there, this is a great way to jump back in to the world of the intergalactic hunter.  With aggressive cover work by Raymond Swanland, the panic-inducing writing of John Acrudi and great page art from Javier Saltares, the three have come together to reignite a series long overdue for its return to readers’ eyes and minds.

Simply titled Predator, the story follows a group of hired-hand soldiers doing some dirty work in Africa, who go from being the hunters to the hunted.  Nobody springs an ambush quite like our favorite heat-vision aliens.  Special ops training?  A fat mercenary paycheck?  The Predators could care less; although something seems amiss as one of the clan appears to be looking out for his human adversaries.  Meanwhile, the main hunting party is picking the guys apart, both literally and figuratively.  Human…it’s what’s for dinner.  The cloaked lone ranger watching in the corner better do something quick if these lads hope to have a chance of living to see the sun rise.  The story has become a pressure cooker with intensity and body count mounting in each issue.  With only one to go, you can bet the lid’s about to blow on this series!