Predator vs. the Planet of the Apes #4
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Alan Robinson
Colorist: Espen Grundetjern
Cover Artist: Stonehouse
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This issue, our heroes make like Chris Hansen in…
To Catch a Predator
The mutated humans of the Forbidden Zone have taken control of the Predator. Arch and the Apes should be no match for the alien hunter, but fortunately the mutant controlling it has no clue of its actual capabilities.
Also fortunate is the fact that the mutants are pretty easy to take down. Before long, General Ursus has a mutant at knifepoint and is using it to control the Predator himself. Arch’s response? Get one of the other mutants to remind the human slaves what they once were—and how to use weapons…
Mutant in the Middle
One of my favorite things about this title is how it’s constantly defying my expectations. What could have been a paint-by-numbers tale of the Predator killing off Apes one by one has shown time and again that it has more it wants to say.
This issue, the Predator earns the nickname "Party Favor" as it gets passed all around. First, the mutants use it to attack our heroes, then General Ursus goes rogue (shocking, I know) and claims his own mutant at knifepoint to keep the Predator under his control. That thing is going to be really angry when that control slips...
As for our human lead, Arch, she proves that we humans excel at bad decisions and wreaking havoc. Faced with the prospect of having to face Ursus's army and the Predator, she decides to have the mutants "tell" the human slaves how to use weapons. Since there were a bunch of guns at the wreckage of her ship, it's easy to arm a bunch of them. Stumbling into an alien world whose ways we know nothing about and bending it to our will, the indigenous people be damned: Christopher Columbus would be so proud.
I know I'm being pretty snarky here, and that's just because it's fun, not because I didn't like the book. The book is actually a lot of fun. I am starting to wonder if Charlton Heston is ever going to show up, but I'm really enjoying these characters and their stories. The use of the Predator is creative, and it's going to be immensely satisfying when it goes nuts and slaughters people.
I can think of far worse ways to spend a little bit of time.
Prey for Relief
Greg Pak brings a story that constantly zigs when it should zag, which gives it plenty of suspense. The various Ape characters are well-presented and fit their classic movie molds, and Arch is a compelling character as the lone human in the bunch. Everything is well paced, and the story zips from idea to idea.
Alan Robinson's art is best described as nothing flashy, but it does the job. His Ape characters are well detailed with plenty of physical character, and it's Arch who has a little less in comparison. Her facial features in particular are a little less finished-looking. As for the Predator itself, it's a little bulkier than I've seen in other stories, but still menacing nonetheless.
Espen Grundetjern's colors use a more subdued palette, which fits the dirty, more primitive feel of the Apes' world. The various weapons and explosions stand out as the destructive forces they are, and the mutants have a unique look to them that shows how wrong they are.
Pass the Parcel
Predator vs. the Planet of the Apes #4 is a fun issue that doesn't go in the direction I expected. The biggest complaint I have is that the Predator doesn't feel anywhere near as menacing as it probably should—but at the same time, if it were presented at full strength, this series would have been one very bloody issue. I'm still expecting a high body count in the finale, only now we're more invested in the characters whose lives are on the line.