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Predator: Hell & Hot Water
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.
117 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1998
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 23, 2024
An OK story but the real Gem is the beautiful Gene Colan Art in this mini series. Recommended
March 10, 2018
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.
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.
June 21, 2024
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.
February 22, 2021
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.
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.
October 27, 2023
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.
November 28, 2025
[My reviews are generally for me/my memory and can therefore contain spoilers. They're typically not here to provide you with a reason to read or not read something.]
Note: I read this via the second massive omnibus (on Kindle). The plan is to review each trade/mini-series/whatever as I finish them, rather than the whole omnibus or every single issue.
The best part of this was the fact that it took place underwater/in underwater caves for the most part. Really nice change of setting.
As with a lot of these Predator comics, though, you've got this team of special operatives of some sort who I really could not give half a shit about to begin with. Then they all don similar outfits (in this case, diving gear) that cover their only identifying features (like hair). With the scratchy art style on top of that, you can't tell who is who 90% of the time, so I gave even less of a shit when they started getting killed off.
The art itself is 50/50. It's not bad, and it stands out from the other miniseries with its style, but I harshly judge art that doesn't depict action well, especially when I'm reading a comic or manga that is heavy on the ACTION. I could see the attempt at doing more showing-not-telling by including a lot of panels with no text whatsoever, but that didn't fit the strengths of the art, so it fell through.
Overall, this one was okay. The art wasn't my favorite but I did really like the change in setting.
Note: I read this via the second massive omnibus (on Kindle). The plan is to review each trade/mini-series/whatever as I finish them, rather than the whole omnibus or every single issue.
The best part of this was the fact that it took place underwater/in underwater caves for the most part. Really nice change of setting.
As with a lot of these Predator comics, though, you've got this team of special operatives of some sort who I really could not give half a shit about to begin with. Then they all don similar outfits (in this case, diving gear) that cover their only identifying features (like hair). With the scratchy art style on top of that, you can't tell who is who 90% of the time, so I gave even less of a shit when they started getting killed off.
The art itself is 50/50. It's not bad, and it stands out from the other miniseries with its style, but I harshly judge art that doesn't depict action well, especially when I'm reading a comic or manga that is heavy on the ACTION. I could see the attempt at doing more showing-not-telling by including a lot of panels with no text whatsoever, but that didn't fit the strengths of the art, so it fell through.
Overall, this one was okay. The art wasn't my favorite but I did really like the change in setting.
July 28, 2022
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.
Cons:
Low body count.
Only 1 big showdown.
Pros:
The art style is awesome.
The plot is set up well, we aren’t just dropped straight in.
A few cool moments.
Cons:
Low body count.
Only 1 big showdown.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews