Good things come to those who wait and, for certain comic book readers, the wait for this one had been long. But the good news is that Marvel Comics has finally confirmed that the long-awaited new Predator series will indeed be arriving this summer. That means a genre icon will be getting new life in the pages of one of the world’s largest comic book publishers, with a brand new ongoing story from writer Ed Brisson (Ghost Rider) and artist Kev Walker (Dr. Strange). The hunt is on.
Marvel has revealed that Predator #1 is scheduled to hit shelves in July. Originally, the publisher had set the book up for a June 2021 release, but orders were canceled in April of last year. While no reason was given at the time, it’s believed this all had to do with the writers of the original film suing Disney to get the rights back. The lawsuit has since been settled, and now, Brisson and Walker’s new book can finally see the light of day. So, what’s in store for readers? The synopsis for the first issue reads as follows:
“The story kicks off when a young girl sees her family slaughtered by a Predator. Years later, though her ship is barely holding together and food is running short, Theta won’t stop stalking the spaceways until the Yautja monster who killed her family is dead…or she is.”
Brisson had this to say about it:
“I’ve been obsessed with Predator since first seeing the film at the drive-in theater as a kid. I can still remember sitting there in horrified fascination and then acting out the movie for my classmates the following week at school. I bought the VHS and wore the hell out of the tape. Getting to write the character’s launch for Marvel is a dream come true. When they offered me the gig, I already had a million ideas ready to go. Not only am I excited to write a Predator book, but I’m doubly excited to be working with Kev Walker on the series. The pages he’s turned in so far are mind-blowing. He’s delivered awe-inspiring alien planets; huge, blood-pumping action scenes: and devastatingly emotional beats all in the space of the first issue. I really think we’re making something quite special here.”
This new era for the franchise in the comics comes due to corporate synergy, really. Fox previously controlled the rights, but when Disney purchased most of Fox’s media assets in 2019, that put the Mouse House in control. Since they also own Marvel, the move made every bit of sense. That’s why we also have a new Alien ongoing comic and why new Predator and Alien movies are in the works for Hulu.
Directed by John McTiernan, Predator was a major hit upon release in 1987, with Arnold Schwarzenegger taking on the alien beast in the jungle to the delight of audiences around the world. A series of sequels followed (though none of them quite matched the original critically or commercially), with the most recent entry being 2018’s The Predator. Next up, we have Prey from director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane), which will take the series back to the past. No release date is set, but it is expected to debut this summer on Hulu.
Predator #1 arrives on July 6.
