Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #1 was a shocking opening salvo with plenty of death, but now it’s time to up the ante and take on the X-Men! Benjamin Percy and Marcelo Ferreira aren’t slowing down after decimating the Guardians of the Galaxy and Fantastic Four, and with Kraven on their side, do the heroes stand a chance? With an extinction-level battle looming, the series aims to take out the biggest threats to the Yautja takeover.
After the first issue made it clear that absolutely no Marvel icon is safe, Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #2 opens on the Yautja armada preparing to infiltrate Earth. Given their knowledge from Kraven and cloaking tech, it appears the heroes will be off guard for a while yet. That starts with Magneto and Xavier, who are playing chess and none the wiser. This leads to a gruesome death for Magneto, and more to come in the issue.
If I were to describe Predator Kills the Marvel Universe #2 in one word, it’d be “quick”. It starts off well enough, but then switches between scenes too quickly, never giving you the dread of the first issue. Instead, there are plot progressing scenes at S.H.I.E.L.D. and a Weapon Plus facility. It leaves little room for the X-Men to fight Predators when they’re attacked in the Danger Room. Another check in with Captain America and some friends is also too quick to take in how they’ll fare. Closing out the issue is the tease of another major Marvel character entering the fray, but it’s over before you know it.
Very X-Men the movie vibes here.
Credit: Marvel
The rushed feel is exacerbated by a slow start with Xavier and Magneto. It takes three full pages for the attack from the Predators to take place, and their conversation is nothing to write home about. It’s your usual debate between the two, which doesn’t add much to this narrative. Meanwhile, the scene with the Weapon X Predator amounts to a check-in, while the S.H.I.E.L.D. scene only sets up the Milano sneaking in.
Art by Ferreira is great at times, especially the opening pages with the ships surrounding Earth. Magneto’s death is pretty gruesome, while other gore is not as great. One X-Man gets hit in the face, though it’s hard to tell if they’re dead or what. The full page splash of the X-Men fighting sentinels in the Danger Room is neat, but more fighting with Predators could have gone a long way. Later, Black Widow appears to be hovering, and the final panel is a bit too unfinished for my liking.
After the extra-sized and excellent first issue, I was left wanting with the second chapter. While it has a few brutal shocks and some gorgeous panels, the rushed pace and uneven plotting keep it from hitting the same highs. It’s too much setup and not enough Predator fights. Still, the setup for an extinction-level war means the next issue could swing the pendulum back in a big way.
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