REVIEW: ‘Predator VS Spider-Man’ Issue 1

Predator VS Spider-Man Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Benjamin Percy, pencils by Marcelo Ferreira, inks by Jay Leisten, colors by Frank D’Armata and letters by Clayton Cowles.

A serial killer has arrived in New York, killing criminals and skinning them. It was always expected that Predator Vs Spider-Man Issue 1 would be a violent book. But the level and speed at which that begins is startling. This version of New York is oppressive and nasty, caught in a heatwave.

The Predator has already landed and is committing grizzly murders. The structure creates revulsion and unease. As Spider-Man swings through the city, trying to make Predator VS Spider-Man Issue 1 a traditional Spidey story, Percy shifts the focus to the creature, flaying and slaughtering people.

The pacing is quick but often skids to a stop when the Yautja enters the picture. The whole atmosphere is tense and horrifying because Spider-Man is unaware of his enemy and incapable of preventing it from doing whatever it wants. The last part of Predator VS Spider-Man Issue 1 inflicts massive panic because it puts a very important figure in grave and gruesome danger while a villain enters the fray.

The hostility in Predator VS Spider-Man Issue 1 is generated by the plot moving around characters instead of solely following Spider-Man. There are detectives, criminals, and alien assassins, none of whom are known for their quips. Even Spider-Man, famous for his humour, is stopped in his tracks by the sheer brutality of what he faces. Instead of his trademark narration, the captions are provided by an unknown figure, like prose. This narration talks about how dangerous and hot the city is, which makes its citizens uncomfortable and stressed.

The time period in which this alternate reality story takes place is suggested but not necessary. It returns to a classic set of circumstances for Peter Parker. He works for the Daily Bugle and is married to Mary Jane. These are his most notable attachments, making the story easy to settle into.

The art is all based on discomfort. The level of violence is extraordinary, not holding back or keeping cards close to the chest. What this Predator does to people is hideous. The details of what’s beneath the skin of the victims are presented gloriously. It’s immensely visceral and grim, ripping the flesh off and brutalizing the humans. It’s utterly horrific.

The bodies are then left for the cops to find. The Predator takes a ritualistic approach to the skin, adding a quality to the creature that is reminiscent of the Joker or Leatherface. It’s one of the most eye-opening and nauseating designs of the Predator that has appeared in battles against the Marvel heroes.

Some of the human characters don’t look right in this art style. From certain angles, figures can look flat, even when they are shown from the side. The inks have extraordinary details that are impressive, but when it comes to shapes and proportions, it can be awkward to see. But the city of New York looks fantastic. Even in the opening chapter of Predator VS Spider-Man Issue 1, a feeling is created by the art that the breadth and the personality of the city are going to be found within these pages.

The colors capture some of the most crucial aspects of Predator VS Spider-Man Issue 1. The heat is hammered home in the text, but its overpowering intensity is executed through the colors. Outside in the streets, a yellow glow covers every surface. It demonstrates just how cloying and smothering the heat is within the city. It also adds a sickly tone to the comic, which the Predator only adds to with its murders.

In addition, the raw red shades of the flayed skin make the reader cringe, and the sheer amount of blood elevates the comic’s danger and drama. The lettering is phenomenal. The sound effects and the screams increase the revulsion and portray the pain and fear that the Predator’s helpless victims feel.

Overall, the atmosphere is incredible, and the body horror is impressively effective. There are some minor issues with the art, but that doesn’t make the story any less engrossing. Wolverine and Black Panther handled the Predator, so it remains to be seen if Spider-Man can do the same.

Predator VS Spider-Man Issue 1 brings the wallcrawler down to the monster’s level. It’s an incredibly gritty, disturbing, and blood-soaked comic, making every page a varying level of discomfort and fear. The whole city looks vulnerable and malicious around Spider-Man, reducing his allies in number.

Predator VS Spider-Man Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.