Comic Book Review: PREDATORS - Officicial Motion Picture Adaptation

I kind of stay clear from most comic book adaptations of films because frankly most of them are subpar and I've read very few that have changed my mind. The comic book adaptation of the film PREDATORS isn't great but it's interesting in that it tells the story from a different perspective than the film meaning that it gives the reader a new outlook on the film and a different experience.

This story is subtitled "Beating the Bullet," which is in reference to killing the predator before the predator gets you but it is also in reference to the main character Isabelle (a professional sharp shooter) and her plight in the story. She is but one of a group of killers stranded on a planet in which the predators use them as the game in their hunt. All the people Isabelle is stranded with are strangers to her and through the course of the story she learns more about them as she learns more about herself in order to overcome the guilt she feels for letting a friend of hers die at the hands of mercenaries on Earth. This story is more interesting because it tells the entire events of the film through her eyes and the fact that she is trying the right the wrongs of her life on Earth while trying to survive on the alien planet.

Those who have seen the film will be upset that many scenes are absent from this story but if Isabelle was not a witness to the events then she wouldn't know about them which makes for a very interesting read. It was a bold move to tell the story from her perspective rather than the more flamboyant Royce (played by Adrien Brody in the movie). Isabelle makes for the more empathetic character.

This adaptation is written by Paul Tobin based on the screenplay by Alex Litvak & Michael Finch with pencils by Victor Drujiniu but the entire team should be commended for a job well known. It's also good that Dark Horse Comics is getting back into the Predator business. After their recent series and cross over mini-series with Aliens this comic book adaptation is a perfect way to get audiences re-acquainted with a great property.