Predator #2 (2022) Review

Written by: Ed Brisson
Art by: Kev Walker
Colors by: Frank D’Armata
Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Leinil Francis Yu, Sunny Gho
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: September 14, 2022

Predator #2 (2022) pits humans against the elements as Theta makes the long trek through a snowy tundra to find parts to repair her damaged ship. Unfortunately, scavengers and more than one kind of predator will make the trip much harder.

Is It Good?

Moving past the setup phase of the story, Predator #2 (2022) strips Theta of the safety of her ship, tools, and Sandy’s AI-powered intelligence to show just how tough Theta can be under harsh, desperate conditions. Is there much Predator action going on in this issue? Almost none, so you could make the case this issue is all about building out Theta’s character as a rough and tough hombre.

If the goal is to build up Theta as someone tough enough to take on a Predator without tricks or high-power weapons, Brisson brings you as close as possible to pulling it off. Some critics poo-poo’d the first issue for portraying a slight woman beating a Predator in hand-to-hand combat, so it’s on Bisson to demonstrate Theta’s warrior ability. Here, Theta pushes through harsh wilderness, (natural) predators, and armed scavengers to come out on top in a way that’s believable and elevates Theta’s toughness factor considerably.

The one down point of the story is the lack of any Predator activity in this issue. But for a few panels on the last two pages, you wouldn’t know this is a Predator comic, so there’s cause for concern about the pacing.

Walker’s art isn’t good… it’s great. Snowy landscapes, grounded hand-to-hand combat choreography, and futuristic gadgets are all rendered beautifully. Again, there’s almost no Predator activity in this issue, so it’s tough to say how well a full Predator battle will look, but the presentation so far is promising.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts:

Predator #2 (2022) builds out Theta’s credibility as a capable warrior. Strangely, there’s almost no Predator activity in this issue, so you could argue the book is all set up, but the character-building does its job to prepare readers for the challenge to come with solid writing and beautiful art.