Two days ago, the crew of a Chilean fishing vessel saw something fall from the sky -- a vision that at times took on material definition and flickered with an electricity of its own. Captain Cromartie has a pretty good idea what's down in those cold waters -- he's pretty sure he's fishing for Predators. But knowing what you're fishing for and knowing how to catch it are two totally different things.
I don't like hell. Nor do I like hot water. So why did I read this?
Suffering (delightfully I might add) from a Broccoli soup induced food coma my gravity afflicted fingers struggled to settle upon a single digital edition. Eyelids sunk and my stomach dipped even deeper into my frame. As I continually melted into the couch, a single extremity slipped across the screen and finally settled upon, Predator: Hell & Hot Water.
With art redolent of Reading Rainbow fare and an ensuing moral to boot, its story splashed upon my face and dragged my already sinking body down into the water depths within.
Depicted with a fleshy art style, unhatched lines (for the most part) run parallel rather than perpendicular. An intertwining match of dialogue to imagery balances this literary equation equally. These un-closed spaces gave us more room to breathe just like the Predator (who evidently) can breathe under water as well.
Well placed motion blurs and deftly implemented angles give great verisimilitude to the subaqueously laced physical proportions. Clearly the artist, has applied the lessons of art school well, and to dramatic effect. The same cannot be said of the science (no matter how well meaning) however, which is suspect at best, incorrect at worst.
Following a subtle jab at religion, the story is off not with a hop but a splash. Imaginative, yet sometimes flawed, paneling keeps it interesting no matter what. The quadrilaterals were employed effectively and the art within reaches a Goldilocks levels of balance, detailed - but not too much, and not to little - just right.
Slick contrasts of color melt into eachother without reservation. Browns 'n' blues wrap amongst themselves to warm effect. A solid helping of solid whites complete this illustrated triumvirate of chromatic beauty. Even the violence depicted within, seems to be as thoughtfully executed as the killings they display.
Overall, Hell & Hot Water is a welcome addendum to the Predator comic series. All the classic tropes swirl here as well: Mask reveal, InfraRed body heat scanner, and shoulder lazer.
One waterlogged thumb up.
P.S. Upon further thought, the main characters' outfits, feel like they were jacked directly from (the original) Nick Fury's S.H.I.E.L.D. wardrobe.
Carried heavy by the interesting art, and cool idea of a underwater predator, this story doesn't reinvent the wheel but it's a solid bloody tale of a predator leading his prey into a underwater massacre, picking them off one by one. It's cool, almost paint like art, helps this one stand out. The characters though? Kind of lifeless.
Something unique in the Predator Universe: an underwater Yautja claiming a team one by one. Though probably not one of the better titles in the franchise, I wouldn't label it as the worst. The artwork is rather good and the premise is also. It's the writing that drags it down, though. Maybe with one more issue, it could have added some more depth to this small body of water. It was not a bad miniseries by any means, though.
I think the premise of this story is pretty good and a nice difference to the already well-trodden format. Unfortunately, the artwork for this book is a real letdown which resulted in me staring at the panels trying to glean some meaning from the pictures. if you're going to communicate using a graphical medium, then make sure the pictures are worth looking at. There was a twist, which was pretty obvious from the beginning but I'm confused as to why it was even needed. This should have been a lot better.
This is a fun Predator tale where a covert team is sent in (underwater) searching after the Predator itself, to try and get tech off of it. The Predator has found an underwater ecosystem unknown to man.
Pros: The art style is awesome. The plot is set up well, we aren’t just dropped straight in. A few cool moments.