REVIEW: ‘Predator Kills the Marvel Universe’ Issue 1

Predator Kills the Marvel Universe Issue 1 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Benjamin Percy, with pencils by Marcelo Ferreira and Daniel Picciotto, inks by Jay Leisten and Picciotto, colors by Frank D’Armata and letters by Clayton Cowles.

In this inaugural issue, The Predators descend on Earth, hunting the greatest prey of all: the heroes. Predator Kills the Marvel Universe Issue 1 is the continuation of a thread that started a long time ago. Percy has been writing encounters between the Yautja and individual heroes for a while, with Wolverine, Black Panther and Spider-Man all coming into contact with the dangerous foes. However, they have now gathered and are attacking as a larger group.

It proves that all of the previous series were connected, serving as prequels to this blockbuster event. Predator Kills the Marvel Universe Issue 1 also doesn’t take its time to start slaying. There’s a terrific sense of progression, getting closer to Earth with each page and person killed. The issue isn’t rapid, either; instead, it relishes in the feeling of oncoming doom. When the violence starts, Percy doesn’t shy away. Your favorites are going to die brutally.

With the Predators being mostly silent figures, especially when it comes to speaking English, they need a figurehead who could do most of the training. That falls to Kraven the Hunter, who has aligned himself with the horde. He provides information on the heroes, highlighting their weak points and strategies for dispatching them. Kraven may consider himself the leader, but there’s a whole hierarchy around him.

The personalities of the various heroes that appear in Predator Kills the Marvel Universe Issue 1 are all genuine, making what happens even more painful and gripping. As with many of these universe-killing stories, how characters are dispatched can be frustrating or seem unfair. You may think that certain figures would have put up more of a fight, but the Predators’ sudden, stealthy attacks are their modus operandi, and that unpredictability is what gives them the advantage.

The art unleashes the brutality of the Predators on the Marvel Universe. In the previous editions, it hadn’t been so direct or so fatal before. But now it’s being inflicted on cherished and treasured characters. The wounds are huge, as the figures are bisected, their torsos separated from their bodies. Limbs are sliced off. It’s as vicious and as savage as it can get. The heroes have a terrified look on their faces, overly exaggerated expressions of fright and horror.

Each Predator has a unique look in Predator Kills the Marvel Universe Issue 1, and their designs are phenomenal. Many have picked up weapons from adventures and conquests, including items from the Marvel Universe. Likewise, Kraven had been upgraded with weapons synonymous with the Predators. This makes the combination awesome and dangerous.

The colors are superb, dragging the book into darkness. The blood can vary depending on the character, as we see what they are literally made of. Some have dark red blood that quickly spreads everywhere when they explode, but others are green. But where the colors really excel themselves is in the Predators’ thermal vision. It’s even more fascinating when applied to superheroes, as there is such a wide variety. You see who runs colder and whose body heat is extremely hot.

Despite the shadows and the void of space, there is energy and fire that creates light. With some of the Predators sporting weapons that glow in the dark, this immediately suggests that they have access to vibranium, after their experience in Wakanda. The lettering increases the sense of fear even further, with blood-curdling screams and crying being brought out of some of the fiercest fighters in the Marvel Universe.

Predator Kills the Marvel Universe Issue 1 is a bloodthirsty statement of intent. The limited series that led to this has been well-written, gory, and enthralling, but it often felt self-contained, with little understanding of the rest of the world. This issue is the opposite.

Predator Kills the Marvel Universe Issue 1 has an epic start that immediately reveals how relentless and ruthless it will be. No hero is safe, and the Predators are armed to the teeth. It’s not for the faint-hearted or those who don’t want to see their favourites be slaughtered, but it’s the natural escalation. They literally have the whole planet in their sights.

Predator Kills the Marvel Universe Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.