Published A Reader’s Eye Feb. 2008
The Worlds of Predator: The Movies, Comic Books, And Novels
By Jacob Malewitz, Saturn Spec
What is a Predator? There is no short summation of what this alien creature is because of its rich history. But an attempt to some up some of what it is will be detailed in this article, and in a fun, engaging way. In short, the Predator is an alien creature who hunts other beings, usually man and the Alien, and does so for the sport and challenge of it. This article will highlight the worlds the hunters called Predators have visited, including the films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover, the crossovers with Batman, and the novels that have reached publication.
The best Predator story can be a divisive thing to choose—the creature has appeared everywhere. But if one story were the best it would be the Predator’s first ever appearance in the film “Predator” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here the man vs beast conflict proved that the alien creature could be a top seller if done right. The action packed story featured Schwarzenegger in one of his better film roles facing off against the alien. Like most of the later stories the creature was on safari, and in this case hunting down South American militia and drug lords. Schwarzenegger, his character was called “Dutch,” went in with a special forces team under the auspices of it being a rescue mission; it was not.
Soon the team found themselves in the middle of an ancient trial by fire where the creature hunted them all down one by one, and the weapons seemed useless. By the time only Dutch was left it almost seemed the creature was unstoppable. What happened next was a man vs beast battle that Schwarzenegger and the idea of this alien hunter seemed destined for. This is not to say that the man vs beast conflict was done best in “Predator,” but it worked out to be an engaging storyline.
“Predator 2” starred Danny Glover and was a new take on what could be done with the creature. Instead of being deep in the South America forest the creature hunted gang members on the streets of LA. Again it was for the sport of it: The Predator was out to prove itself the king of the violent city. It ended up being another battle between man and beast, and Glover again proved the strength of humanity.
The creature has appeared in many comic books of late, most notably the “Alien Vs Predator” storylines featured in the Dark Horse comic books.
Yet the most interesting storyline featuring the creature can be found in the several graphic novels “Batman Vs Predator.” If any man were to upend what Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover did in battling the creature Batman would be the prime choice. In three graphic novels that were first printed in comic form Batman fought the vicious hunter across the streets of Gotham. The good guy always won, but the Predator creatures always came back to challenge the dark knight again. It amounted to another powerful storyline based on the simple man vs beast conflict.
While the Predator creatures are at their best when pictured as they were in movies and comics, novels also provide a new take on the storyline. Perhaps the best of the Predator stories in novel form are the “Aliens vs Predator” trilogy. The stories focus on building up the history of the character, how it hunts the Alien creatures, and a deeper look into the society of the hunters. The best of the “Aliens vs Predator” novels was the first, “Prey,” because of the writing of Steve Perry.
The hunters called Predators may not be much for literary fans, but the stories can be very engaging. The films, comic books, and novels created so far may just be the beginning of a successful storyline. For fans of the man vs beast conflict the first “Predator” film is a great choice, but comic book fans might find the “Batman Vs Predator” stories even better.
The Worlds of Predator: The Movies, Comic Books, And Novels
By Jacob Malewitz, Saturn Spec
What is a Predator? There is no short summation of what this alien creature is because of its rich history. But an attempt to some up some of what it is will be detailed in this article, and in a fun, engaging way. In short, the Predator is an alien creature who hunts other beings, usually man and the Alien, and does so for the sport and challenge of it. This article will highlight the worlds the hunters called Predators have visited, including the films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover, the crossovers with Batman, and the novels that have reached publication.
The best Predator story can be a divisive thing to choose—the creature has appeared everywhere. But if one story were the best it would be the Predator’s first ever appearance in the film “Predator” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Here the man vs beast conflict proved that the alien creature could be a top seller if done right. The action packed story featured Schwarzenegger in one of his better film roles facing off against the alien. Like most of the later stories the creature was on safari, and in this case hunting down South American militia and drug lords. Schwarzenegger, his character was called “Dutch,” went in with a special forces team under the auspices of it being a rescue mission; it was not.
Soon the team found themselves in the middle of an ancient trial by fire where the creature hunted them all down one by one, and the weapons seemed useless. By the time only Dutch was left it almost seemed the creature was unstoppable. What happened next was a man vs beast battle that Schwarzenegger and the idea of this alien hunter seemed destined for. This is not to say that the man vs beast conflict was done best in “Predator,” but it worked out to be an engaging storyline.
“Predator 2” starred Danny Glover and was a new take on what could be done with the creature. Instead of being deep in the South America forest the creature hunted gang members on the streets of LA. Again it was for the sport of it: The Predator was out to prove itself the king of the violent city. It ended up being another battle between man and beast, and Glover again proved the strength of humanity.
The creature has appeared in many comic books of late, most notably the “Alien Vs Predator” storylines featured in the Dark Horse comic books.
Yet the most interesting storyline featuring the creature can be found in the several graphic novels “Batman Vs Predator.” If any man were to upend what Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover did in battling the creature Batman would be the prime choice. In three graphic novels that were first printed in comic form Batman fought the vicious hunter across the streets of Gotham. The good guy always won, but the Predator creatures always came back to challenge the dark knight again. It amounted to another powerful storyline based on the simple man vs beast conflict.
While the Predator creatures are at their best when pictured as they were in movies and comics, novels also provide a new take on the storyline. Perhaps the best of the Predator stories in novel form are the “Aliens vs Predator” trilogy. The stories focus on building up the history of the character, how it hunts the Alien creatures, and a deeper look into the society of the hunters. The best of the “Aliens vs Predator” novels was the first, “Prey,” because of the writing of Steve Perry.
The hunters called Predators may not be much for literary fans, but the stories can be very engaging. The films, comic books, and novels created so far may just be the beginning of a successful storyline. For fans of the man vs beast conflict the first “Predator” film is a great choice, but comic book fans might find the “Batman Vs Predator” stories even better.
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