The recent round of crossovers between Marvel Comics and the Predator franchise were seemingly self-contained. That changes with Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #1. Beyond confirming the earlier events took place in the same continuity, this new series also establishes how truly dangerous one Spider-Man villain is.
Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #1 opens one year after the events of Predator vs. Spider-Man. It seems the King of the Yautja, following his son’s failed conquest of Wakanda, has fixated on making Earth a hunting preserve for his people. Even for them this is easier said than done, given the many superhumans protecting Earth.
Enter Kraven the Hunter, who was adopted into one Yautja hunting party after single-handedly killing an outcast Predator with no honor. Now considered one of the pack, Kraven has no qualms about leading his new allies against the heroes of Earth. It is, as always, the sort of challenge he lives for. It is also one he has a reasonable chance of seeing through, backed by the weapons of the Yautja.
Kraven proves himself the ultimate Predator
While including several Marvel Comics characters, Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #1 is truly a showcase of how dangerous Kraven is. He was largely dismissed as the weak link of the Sinister Six until the Spider-Man story Kraven’s Last Hunt showed how dangerous he could be. Benjamin Percy pushes that same idea here. Kraven’s gift for strategy paired with Yautja technology takes out most of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Fantastic Four. The kills are, for the most part, imaginative, and fit the general feel of the Predator movies well.
Engaging as the story is, the artwork doesn’t quite match it. The conflicting styles of Marcelo Ferreira and Daniel Picciotto leave the artwork throughout the book seeming inconsistent. Both are serviceable artists on their own. Unfortunately, Ferreira’s more abstract aesthetic seems rushed when placed alongside Piciotto’s detail-driven pencils. It isn’t enough to ruin the comic, thankfully, but it does leave the book as a whole unbalanced.
Fans of the Predator vs. Marvel comics to date will find more of the same here. The action is suitably intense and gory, as befits the franchise. It will do little, however, to win over those who don’t particularly care if Invisible Woman can match the Predators’ cloaking technology.
Grade: 6/10
Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
