Predator Vs Wolverine
Writer – Benjamin Percy
Artists – Ken Lashley, Greg Land w/Jay Leisten, Andrea DiVito, Hayden Sherman, Kei Zama, Gavin Guidry
On a hot and humid Saturday afternoon, I decided to walk over to the Carnegie Library location in Brookline to see what graphic novels they had to borrow. Predator Vs Wolverine was misplaced alphabetically and it immediately jumped out at me.
One of the hot topics when the Alien and Predator franchises were bought by Marvel was if we would ever see a crossover between the Marvel Universe and these slimy, gross alien creatures. The answer was revealed when this four-part mini-series was announced. I actually added it to my pull list but never got around to reading the single issues yet.
The battle between Logan and Predator spans the mutant’s entire history from his youth to present day. Ken Lashley handles the events in the here and now as the rest of the artists handle the flashbacks as we learn about the various run ins and battles between hunter and prey. My favorite era was the Muramasa one with Logan training under the master in sword fighting in Japan. The art in this section is rendered beautifully by Kei Zama. My favorite battle is the one that takes place between a young Logan and Predator in the cold and snow of 1900s Alaska. The Predator thinks this young boy is easy pickings but don’t count out James Howlett yet!
There is a lot of action, blood, gore, and suspense packed into four issues and I’m impressed that they were able to accomplish so much in that span. This could have easily been five or six issues at the very least.
This is the type of blockbuster you would expect on the big screen. I’m surprised this collection wasn’t printed in an oversized edition like other big stories. My guess is to keep the book affordable and to fit easily on your bookshelf.
As I have discussed in previous reviews, Wolverine is celebrating his 50th anniversary this year and this is a story that honors the character and his legacy. I’m sure many of you will be looking for stories to celebrate the best there is at what he does, and this entry can definitely be added to your reading list.
The only thing that I really didn’t like was the ending to the story. The final battle is a bit anti-climatic after showcasing so many awesome battles and not knowing who would walk away the winner. I won’t say too much more but it’s something to prepare for before you sit down and read it.
This story is a great appetizer before the next entree – on Wednesday August 28th, 2024 – we will see the Xenomorphs face off against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Aliens Vs. Avengers #1.
Next time you visit your local library, check for the availability of Predator Vs. Wolverine. If you’d like to check this story out ASAP, it is available instantly on Hoopla.