Review – Predator: Fire and Stone #2 (Dark Horse)

Posted on November 26, 2014 in Dark Horse Reviews

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Christopher Mooneyham
Release Date: 19th November 2014

After its first minor stumble in last week’s AvP issue two, Dark Horse’s Fire and Stone event is back in full flow here with Williamson and Mooneyham’s impressively structured Predator arc. With Galgo effectively sacrificing his crew in the previous issue – not to mention his somewhat selfish actions (to say the least) in the Prometheus mini-series – he’s still not exactly the most engaging protagonist, but he benefits greatly from his interactions here with the aging one-eyed Predator on his last big hunt.

Writer Williamson manages to navigate the one-sided conversations between Galgo and the Predator smoothly, effectively communicating exactly what’s going on and providing some surprisingly humorous moments that go a long way towards giving Galgo some of the Han Solo-esque ‘scoundrel charm’ he is so sorely lacking. The narrative is strong here, and the trimmed-down cast of characters (effectively just two, for the bulk of the issue) helps us build a stronger connection to both of our protagonists. He also takes a moment in the early pages of the issue to build a greater understanding of the aging Predator’s motivations, giving us an insight into an early hunt which you can see in all its glory in the preview pages below.

Once again, Mooneyham’s distinctively kinetic style is likely the main selling point of this book, and his scratchy-yet-detailed™ approach works perfectly for the tone of this arc, giving us a vastly different look at the surface of LV-223 than Juan Ferreyra’s far smoother version from the Prometheus series. This issue has some great action beats, and the series as a whole seems to be gearing up for something truly memorable – especially taking into account the surprising revelations which take place in the last couple of pages. Also, it bears mentioning just how amazing Mooneyham’s Predator is. This is every inch the gritty, grimy hunter we all know and love, and Chris even goes a little further to help portray the grizzled, battle-scarred nature of this particular behemoth.

Overall, this particular arc maintains its impressively high standard here, providing a unique look at the Predator that goes far beyond the ‘sci-fi serial killers’ they are often portrayed as. Galgo is gradually warming as a character, and while the release schedule of the Fire and Stone event remains its one true Achilles heel, the combined might of the four creative teams are still managing to keep things interesting and – as can be seen here – managing to slip in a few surprises along the way. Highly, highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5.

Don’t forget to check out our Dark Horse: Fire & Stone Review and Interview Hub for all our coverage of this momentous event in one place.

PREVIEW ARTWORK.

[Click thumbnail for full size image]