A team of Navy Seals is in the midst of a firefight when it suddenly goes dark. They awake to find themselves in a new and more deadly environment, stalked by a strange enemy. One by one these special-ops officers are killed by an unseen threat, until only one man remains. All alone in a strange world, he must do what he knows best-survive against all odds.
This one is the official prequel to the reboot starring Adrien Brody and Laurence Fishburne. Like the movie it was just okay. It didn't really blow my skirt up but I did like the artwork and it does give a little bit more dimension to the film.
Okay retelling of the movie. Some cool prequel and sequel stories but mostly come does to people trying to survive predators but nothing super interesting with the human characters sadly.
This graphic novel is supposed to be a prequel, a summary of the movie and then a story from after the movie.
I cannot honestly remember ever seeing the Predators movies but I did quite enjoy this graphic novel. I love the Aliens movies and even the cheesy Aliens Vs. Predators movies so picking up the graphic novels was quite enticing to me. The only thing that is confusing and a bit of a bummer for me is that I do not know what (or if) there is a novel after this that continues these stories or if it's just separate ones with the other graphic novels? Nonetheless, I will look for them and hope to enjoy!
Excellent comic adaptaion of the movie, plus the four "prequels" that give extra insight into some of the main characters. I especially liked the "Royce" and "Isabelle" prequels.
The highlight was the additional "sequel" to the movie in comic form. I won't spoil it for anyone interested but there is nakedness and a bit of sex, which was a bonus for me!
The art was incredibly well-done, very true to the look of the actors, everyone was instantly recognizable.
Well worth buying for a fan of the movie and a comic fan in general :)
Didn't quite have the ending I was hoping for but all of the action was still good and am glad this was created. Definitely worth reading after each time I see the movie.
There are 4 stories that were in this paperback when it was released back in 2010, and are all connected in omnibus form.
Predators: Welcome to the jungle - 3/5
This one tells the story of Drake, who is the dead body the group finds in the movie with his chest blown out. It’s a 4 issue short story where each issue is the length of about half of a standard issue. I felt this one was just okay. It adds a little bit of depth to Noland’s character since he’s pretty mysterious in the movie, so that was cool. And it also is neat to see the traps the group encountered in the movie being made. The pacing was a bit weird due to its short length, and the art is just alright. Overall, it’s a neat little story to read before watching the movie.
Predators: A Predatory life - 4/5
This one issue length short story has us follow Royce from the movie, and shows us what he was up to and doing before he gets taken by the super predators. I liked this one a lot more. Royce is so cold and careless about anything in the movie, and this short story shows us what he’s like on a job. I think it adds a decent amount of value to his character as it shows how he thinks and is with others. Plus, I was surprised to see which Predator actually took him. This is a neat story to read before watching the movie.
Predators: Beating the bullet (film adaptation) - 3/5
This is a story that’s the length of a one shot, and is essentially just the movie on paper. What I do like about it, is that it’s told entirely from Isabel’s perspective. Also, it shows us a little of what Isabelle was doing before. She got taken by the predators and adds a little bit more depth to her character through flashbacks that are not in the movie . But do keep in mind, some of the movies best scenes you don’t see because she wasn’t in frame. Which does make sense, but I was kind of hoping to see more of the predators. I felt the pacing was a little odd too, and there’s one thing that happens in the book that’s completely different in the movie, so that doesn’t make sense. Overall, I think it’s still interesting to read only for the aspect of getting more of Isabelle’s story.
Predators: Preserve the game (Surviving life) - 3/5
This is a short story that’s the length of a standard issue, and it follows Royce and Isabelle after the events of the movie. It takes place two months after the movie and shows us a little scenario that they encounter and how they’ve been surviving on the planet. The story was cool, but unfortunately, it doesn’t really go anywhere. I would still recommend reading this as it does still add a little bit to Isabelle and Royce‘s relationship, and also adds a little bit more to their character. I think this is a fun read after you watch the movie.
Overall, this series of stories were okay. I still just like the fact that this movie got a little bit of lore building. It’s by no means the best predator story, but I think it’s fun to read these especially if you like the movie.
[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.
Apparently this edition covers the prequel issues, the backstory issues, the adaptation of the movie, and the sequel. Since the listings are so fucked up for the prequel/backstory issues, I'd already finagled a review for those before finding this and thinking it was just the adaptation. For that reason, THIS review will only be for the adaptation and sequel. (Basically, the omnibus included Drake's story as "Welcome to the Jungle" #1-4, then Royce's backstory as "Predators: Backup Stories" #1-4 but as one continuous story with no breaks, and then Isabelle's backstory as the start of the adaptation. Those subtitles aren't used for the issues here on Goodreads, and there is also no listing for WttJ #1 (even just under the Predators title with no WttJ subtitle) at all.)
My review for the Drake miniseries and Royce's backstory can be found here.
The Predators movie adaptation part is told from Isabelle's perspective, which is refreshing. She's dealing with guilt over her spotter's recent death, and that somewhat affects her willingness to do everything she can to survive on this new planet. But then she locks in, mostly because she's looking out for Edwin and has a "purpose." Overall, the events from the movie are very condensed, but it's still all of the major highlights and then some.
The sequel follows Isabelle and Royce as they continue to fight and survive on the planet, a few months after the events of the movie. This time it's focused on Royce's perspective. The Predators have apparently been sending more opponents down for Royce as a form of training him up as their champion. They send him some neat gear and he's got to take on a new four-armed Yautja. This isn't really explored as a new thing since this particular Predator story is so isolated, so I don't really know if this is the result of more DNA-tinkering or if this guy won himself some extra arms somewhere.
Art is good, and the story is simple. No real complaints there. The Predators movie isn't my favorite, but it does introduce a lot of new elements to the franchise lore, which I appreciate. This comic does as well, so I can dig it.
A good read after the movie - explains how the two-week old body got there, as well as some of the main cast before (and during) getting preda-nabbed. Then has the movie from the perspective of Isabelle (with a few extra titbits), and finishes with what happens AFTER the movie! Art’s good, too. Can recommend!
Picked this one up where I work...thinking my son would like it. He did...especially all of the violence. Ugh. Of course, I knew there would be some, I guess I just underestimated the quantity of it. I think I'll skip the series the next we get a new one in at work.
2.5 stars, really. Royce's part was good, and I liked how it answered a small mystery from the movie. The Seal's story, though, wasn't terribly interesting, and honestly it was told better and in less time in the movie. :P