Predator-fighting superheroes are a concept that ignites something in a child. I should know, Batman vs. Predator was one of my most cherished comics growing up, so to see the ugly alien known as a Yautja fight Wolverine, you better know I’m going to be there, ready to snatch it up. In fact, I was lucky enough to chat with the writer of the series Benjamin Percy a few weeks ago, and with an advance look, all my worries about not pulling off the high expectations of an eight-year-old were assuaged. Predator vs. Wolverine #1 is really freaking good.
Extra-sized, Predator vs. Wolverine opens in the present day with Wolverine’s shoulder blown open as he limps through the wilderness. We’ll soon learn the alien and Logan seem to have an affinity for fighting in the forest. We learn the two have fought for over a century, and while Wolverine is losing in the present day, most of this issue reveals how Logan bested the Predator the first time they tussled.
A couple of things make this start quite good, starting with Percy’s ability to weave in connections to Wolverine’s past. While this story may not be officially in canon, you can tell he’s done the work to ensure if fans want to believe it’s in canon, there are plenty of markers to prove it. Comics like this often feel like cash grabs, but Percy does the work to make it feel earned and important. Fans of the recent Prey movie should also note there appears to be a reference to that movie, further connecting this story to the larger narrative.
Wolverine may need an ointment.
Credit: Marvel
The solid art also deserves a shoutout, with great fight sequences that show off the brutality of these two warriors going at it. This issue features three artists (and inker Jay Leisten on the young Wolverine scenes) who bring some of their best work. Greg Land draws the majority of the past scenes, while Ken Lashley gets to draw the present. Andrea Di Vito gets to draw a smaller scene near the end of the issue when Wolverine is on Team X. Land’s art showcases some cool montaging, doesn’t skimp on blood, and captures the photorealistic quality of the Predator. Say what you will about his style, but it suits this movie’s tie-in story.
I will say this: if you expect a lot from the Predator and its point of view, you may feel underwhelmed. There’s a good sequence showing the Predator take on wild animals, but aside from that, this is Wolverine’s story, and Predator is just visiting.
Something Percy is good at when it comes to Wolverine is capturing the romanticism of his brutality and his point of view through his monologuing detailed in the captions. They read like his personal journals and draw you into every moment well. Often, Wolverine can be written as a blind berserker, but you get a sense of his sensitive side in this issue.
Smartly done, Predator vs. Wolverine leans into the feral side of both its leads, showcasing their fighting ability and storied battle starting in 1900. As a four-part series, I can’t wait to see how the relationship between these two killers evolves over a century and how mutual respect may form due to it. Capturing the brutality of both heroes, this Predator vs. Wolverine is a bloody good time.
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