Predator Volume 1 – Day of The Hunter 

Writer – Ed Brisson 

Artist – Kev Walker 

I have been reading the second volume of Predator (released in March 2023) and I finished the second issue when I decided to hit pause for the time being and read the first volume before continuing. 

Theta Berwick is the sole survivor of a Predator attack on the planet Damara in 2041. Flash forward to 2056, and a grown Theta has over 20 Predator kills under her belt, except for the one that killed her mother and father. As she barely escapes a run in with other hostile aliens, her trusty ship crash-lands on the cold, snowy planet Tusket. She must find a way to repair the ship before she dies of hunger and exposure. When she comes across an Arstar outpost called Port Medway, she finds her hopes renewed with the equipment and food she needs…that is until she comes across deceased and headless service workers hanging upside down. A Predator has found her. Can she survive this latest encounter and get off Tusket before it’s too late? 

I remember reading the first issue of this series when it was released and it was a strategic maneuver on Marvel Comics’ part because the prequel Prey was released at almost the same exact time. There was even an ad for the movie inside the front cover of the comic. 

When I borrowed this from Hoopla, I read an issue each day until I got to the fifth and sixth issues because I wanted to see how the story concluded. I read them both in one sitting. The build of the story was good through the first five issues, but the ending was a bit anticlimactic for me. I’m not sure if it was because some of the plot elements were spoiled in volume two or because the final battle Theta takes part in was a bit underwhelming. 

I do like the direction the Predator franchise is going so far. It was recently announced that Wolverine would be facing off against the Predator in the Fall. There is a tidbit of information revealed in issue five where a scientist that has been studying the alien warriors reveals they have been traveling to Earth since the 1700s. I wouldn’t mind a prequel series set in colonial times, maybe a Predator lands on Earth during America’s War for Independence. That famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware? Maybe he was running from a Predator stalking him and his soldiers. The possibilities are endless with the direction these stories can go. 

The best part of the new runs of Alien and Predator is that it makes me want to go back and read some of the collected series released by Dark Horse. It’d be nice to see how those stories compare to the new ones. I am also in the mood to rewatch the Predator movies. It’s been a while since I have seen the original one and to be honest, I never got a chance to see the sequel with Danny Glover yet. 

Predator Volume 1 Day of the Hunter is available now instantly via Hoopla. Predator Volume 2 will be released in October. You have time to read the first volume before the next one is released. It’s not too late to pick up the single issues of volume two at a local comic store near you or online.