::Overly enthusiastic TV announcer voice::
Galgo Helder (who you might remember me talking about in my review of Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone #1) thinks he just pulled the biggest heist of his career: swiping a big-ass rifle from a bunch of technologically advanced Space Jockeys/aliens.
All that’s standing now between him and a hypersleep capsule full of space gold is the highest bidder for said space rifle and the long flight back home. Oh yeah… then there’s that unwanted intruder new roommate that just hopped on board the Perses. Big guy. Dreadlocks. With a frisbee that can cut through steel and a vagina dentata for a mouth. Are these two bound to be strange bedfellows? You betcha!
Predator: Fire and Stone #1: ::audience chanting in unison:: IS. IT. GOOOOD?
Predator: Fire and Stone #1 (Dark Horse Comics)
Joshua Williamson opens Predator: Fire and Stone #1 in fine form: with an old man getting slapped in the face.
Open up! Here comes the Geritol airplane, Gramps!
Right off the bat, we learn that our protagonist is no goody two shoes. Sure, he’s got some of Han Solo’s daring and Ash from Evil Dead‘s swagger — but he also has the moral compass of Carter Burke. Despite his shortcomings, I have to admit — Galgo is fun as hell to watch. Fellow AiPT writer J.R would loathe the guy to no end and deduct four full rating points from Predator: FaS #1’s final score solely based on some of the crap Galgo pulls, but it’s interesting to see someone besides an uber-commando that relies on brute force or a boyscout-principled police officer tangling with a Predator for once.
Too bad Galgo’s buddies didn’t get the same sort of treatment. They’re given nothing interesting to say besides a few variations on “What the hell?”, but that’s alright… they won’t figure very much into future issues, considering they’re dead and all.
What will be even more interesting going forward is how much synergy Joshua Williamson decides to incorporate into the Galgo and the Predator; I’m not looking for some dreadlocked parody of Chewbacca, but there’s ample potential here to juxtapose Galgo’s slimeball, self-centered methods with that of the Predator’s more noble (by comparison anyway) approach.
The art by Chris Mooneyham isn’t too shabby. At times, the characters look a tad too cartoonish for the dark sci-fi ambiance of the Alien/Predator/Prometheus universe, but the man has talent — he also gets a fine assist from Dan Brown’s coloring, which gives the art those layers of dinginess and gloom that it needs.
Is it Good?
Predator: Fire and Stone #1 isn’t much more than your standard “setup mode” premiere issue. We get some messy Predator kills, a surprisingly interesting human protagonist and foreshadowing for some alien/monster slobberknocking action in the issues to come. Although, if we’re to believe that the main event is going to be Predator vs. Elden, as the final page seems to imply, I’m already a little discontented.
Nothing off the chains yet, but there’s promise.
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