Predator #4: Rite of Passage/Pride at Nghasa #4: Rite of Passage/Pride at Nghasa

Predator comics

by Ian Edginton

"The third major arc in the critically acclaimed, best-selling _Conan_ series begins with Conan once again rejecting civilization, but quickly learning that sorcery reaches out into the wild as well. Cary Nord begins a much-anticipated run on covers of the series that he made a hit, as we lay the groundwork leading up to the adaptation of one of Robert E. Howard's most popular stories, ""The Tower of the Elephant."" Don't miss the start of this definitive chapter in the life of Robert E. Howard's iconic character."

Genres: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

43 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

Edginton sees part of the key to his success coming from good relationships with artists, especially D'Israeli and Steve Yeowell as well as Steve Pugh and Mike Collins. He is best known for his steampunk/alternative history work (often with the artist D'Israeli) and is the co-creator of Scarlet Traces, a sequel to their adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. With 2000 AD we has written Leviathan, Stickleback and, with art by Steve Yeowell, The Red Seas as well as one-off serials such as American Gothic (2005).

His stories often have a torturous gestation. Scarlet Traces was an idea he had when first reading The War of the Worlds, its first few instalments appeared on Cool Beans website, before being serialised in the Judge Dredd Megazine. Also The Red Seas was initially going to be drawn by Phil Winslade and be the final release by Epic but Winslade was still tied up with Goddess and when ideas for replacement artists were rejected Epic was finally wound up - the series only re-emerging when Edginton was pitching ideas to Matt Smith at the start of his 2000 AD career.

With D'Israeli he has created a number of new series including Stickleback, a tale of a strange villain in an alternative Victorian London, and Gothic, which he describes as "Mary Shelley's Doc Savage". With Simon Davis he recently worked on a survival horror series, Stone Island, and he has also produced a comic version of the computer game Hellgate: London with Steve Pugh.

He is currently working on a dinosaurs and cowboys story called Sixgun Logic. Also as part of Top Cow's Pilot Season he has written an Angelus one-shot.

http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Edgi...

Reviews

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two short stories about various incidents revolving around the infamous Hunter alien species known simply as "The Predator".

The first story, Rite of Passage, is a wordless one, told by using merely the art. The art and story are both decent enough to keep one entertained.

The second story, is about a group of Rangers in Kenya that encounter a Predator. The story is very simple and straightforward, not anything special, but won't bore you either.

[Ill D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two reviews in one!

#1. Thoroughly enjoyable artwork is not so joyfully melded to a story that is wordlessly constructed. From the plains of the Serengeti to the coarse coursings of the Nile, this African settled tale is thoroughly denuded of mission and meaning.

Your eyes will rove and your mind will doze.

#2. Yet another Predator tale set in Africa. Horray!

The art-work is top notch – with a crusty grittiness that well demarcates its arena thematically and conceptually. Matching quite well the homicidal nature of the story, torrents of blood gush forth from innumerable victims. Stunning brutality, truly befitting of a 70’s flasher film, actually works quite well with the intrinsically destructive potential of the titular Predator.

Yet, for all the suitably nasty violence, the progression of the plot is as questionable as the sequence of arbitrary decisions made by the extra-terrestrial poacher. Reducing to a flip book with an equally tenuous plot to match I wasn’t the least bit surprised with the head-scratching ending.

Short, mostly sweet, and kinda on point – Nhwaha is a more meh then eh.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

First story Is wordless but excellent hunt or be hunted. Very much like Prey 2022 and awesome fights. The second story is solid with a great second half/ending.

[✮Octjillery✮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

[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 first 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 first part of this, Rite of Passage, was next in line after Cold War. But then there was another story between that and Pride at Nghasa, so originally I just reviewed the first part to get it on here, not knowing when the second part would come up.

#1: Pretty cool art, no text whatsoever. Just a quick "hunter being the hunted and then the victor."
#2: A bit more involved, with the white folks not believing the locals that a "ghost" or monster was out there killing folks, and that it hadddd to be lions. Art was solid.

The setting for these was refreshing. I guess I could have said the same about Cold War, but that one just annoyed me so much while reading that it didn't factor in. In any case, not the usual jungle or city this time.

[Mega · Rating 3 out of 5]

That first story that they had there was literally just a prequel to Prey. Seriously, it had the exact same set-up and all of that: guy from a tribe goes hunting, finds some of his tribe dead, encounters the Predator and ultimately fights it to the death. Sure, it may not be as exciting as Prey, but they did it first, and Dan ripped them off, clearly. Also, this has nothing to do with the comic itself, but the comic itself claims on the front that there are no ads in this thing at all, but then when you flip it over, BOOM, ad! Granted, it is the only ad here, but even so, you said we wouldn't get any ads at all, so what is this doing here?! Even in the world of the Predator, I'm not safe from annoying shit like this.

Issue #1

[Jimmy Fingers · Rating 5 out of 5]

First story Predator: Rite of Passage ,forgetable with doubtful art but It serves as a set up for what is yet to come.
Second story Predator: The Pride at Nghasa, duo Dixon/Alcatena knock it out of park,masterful art as usual and exciting story. Worths 5* alone.

[Steen Ledet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The silent storytelling of Rite of Passage is glorious although the second half is less interesting.

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conjunto de historias cortas ambientadas en la sabana africana. Son de lo más sencillas en lo que respecta con lo que se puede hacer con estas criaturas, pero sirven como buena ración de evasión. El arte del dibujante es bastante detallista,

[Variaciones Enrojo]

Historietas de Predator de Dark Horse dibujadas por Quique Alcatena y otros.