Predators is a four part mini-series adapted from the upcoming film produced by Robert Rodriguez. The comic is published by Dark Horse Comics.
The Good
When you pick up this issue, you don't just get one story- you get two. Generally I am not so crazy about issues that have more than one story (like Brubaker's Cap which contains a second story focusing on Nomad) but for whatever reason, the second story in this issue held my interest. In fact, I may have enjoyed it more than the first. I think the reason I did not mind this being a two part issue is because the stories are so closely connected. The second part is probably the more interesting of the two and follows the character played by actor Adrian Brody in the upcoming film. Interestingly enough, the artistic adaptation of the character looks exactly like the actor, as you can see based on the cover art. In this second story, you get the sense that the character is a hired gun, and that while he has done this countless times, he is struggling with the ethics of his actions and his responsibility. I love character development and thought provoking stories where characters are self aware and self analytical, so I enjoyed this.
The Bad
If you do not read the first issue in this mini-series, then you might be completely lost when it comes to understanding the first part of the story. In general, the first part of the book was relatively boring and consisted of a drawn out scene of arguing and fighting between two men. Not exactly my cup of tea. The narrative showed no indication of why they had been fighting, either. This could scene could have easily been condensed to two pages, as it felt rather drawn out. The art is not terrible, but I was not blown away.
The Verdict- 3.5/5
The first part in this issue is not a good reflection of what is happening in the story. I enjoyed the second story because I felt there was considerably more depth than the first, and I felt I cared about the character- which is important if you want to write a good comic. The book is not bad, however, and I will say I was entertained. It has made me look forward to the Predators film, produced by Robert Rodriguez and considering Rodriguez was directly involved with the making of this comic, I have relatively high expectations for the film. Fans of the Predators franchise will definitely enjoy this comic.
