Dark Horse Interview - New Comic

[Russ]

AvP (ironically) not so much. The predators just aren't doing it for me in these issues... maybe because I can't really ascertain any characterisation, they're just predators going around killing stuff as usual.

Biggest problem is it's not an AvP story.

Once done with the comics, I'm going on to the new Aliens novel trilogy (are these connected with the comics - this is a lengthy thread and I've not yet read it, I've been avoiding novel and Fire and Stone threads till I've read them is all).

There's some minor connections in the 3rd novel to the Aliens series but nothing major. More just acknowledging some of the characters and the Onager.

Cool, thanks so much.

No, it's not an AvP story, it feels as though the predators have been parachuted in - the characters in the first ones were really rich... I'm not sure that the main plot point (the artificial human and what happens to him) really resonated with me, but the whole atmosphere and "feel" of the pieces utterly nailed it.

I'm thinking as I type that Yatuja (sp) are really problematical --- without knowing more about them, they don't offer much. But I do know that there's a vocal fancore on here that really doesn't want anything really revealed about them, their culture and their motivations as it dilutes them.

But without any of that, they really are just violence candy. Movies are different, they work in movies, but printed medium might be limiting. That said - I've really background in the earlier EU stuff past the first couple of graphic novels.

[happypred]

Let's introduce another species they created and start to explore them, their relation to the Aliens and etc.

Other Engineer creations and other alien species would be great additions to the franchise. Fire and Stone actually has some of both. That's a step in the right direction. More would be better.

The Predators must have a several/enemy rival species. There should be hundreds if not thousands of prey species. More should be revealed about the Predators themselves. Numerous tribes with distinct cultures would be an interesting direction.

The Engineers themselves may have had ancient rivals. The time is now to reveal more about the AvP universe.   

[RakaiThwei]

The Predators must have a several/enemy rival species. There should be hundreds if not thousands of prey species. More should be revealed about the Predators themselves. Numerous tribes with distinct cultures would be an interesting direction.

You mean like how there are different Native American cultures with distinct cultures? I would've thought that some of the old films and the old EU touched up on that a bit. I mean if we look at the Antarctic clan and the Lost clan, I would think that they are different clans with different cultures and aesthetics.

[Ultramorph]

I was looking though some of my comics today, and I just thought it was funny how... (Images from the Omega trailer below)

Spoiler

Elden in Omega looks almost identical to Caryn Delacroix's adult alien offspring from DotS.

[close]

[happypred]

You mean like how there are different Native American cultures with distinct cultures? I would've thought that some of the old films and the old EU touched up on that a bit. I mean if we look at the Antarctic clan and the Lost clan, I would think that they are different clans with different cultures and aesthetics.

Right, I'd like to see that expanded upon

Possible tribes...
Sport Hunters
Yautja 
Super Predators 
Killers 
Bad Bloods 
AvP/Mayans
Hish

[RakaiThwei]

Right, I'd like to see that expanded upon

-Rest Snipped-

Actually, I would like to see that handled differently but the concept would remain more or less the same.

For one, I would like to see them keep the Yautja concept. The Predators which we know from the first two movies, as well as the AvP movies would of course be the Yautja. But there would of course be the clans with the different cultures. Different clans, different rules, different customs. Much like how Native American tribes are.

The Killers would be one clan who could more or less be seen as disgraced Hunters who willingly more or less had outright decided to abandon the traditional aspects of the hunt. These guys would be considered a larger threat to many clans but still seen as Yautja, as far as species are concerned. However most traditional clans would outright have major conflicts with them.

Bad Bloods more or less would be their own thing but this could still overall fit with the concept of the Killers and potentially the Super Predators. Bad Bloods would still be dishonored or criminal Predators.

The Super Predators should be retconned to being the Hish. As much as you and I both don't like these... abominations, the Hish concept seems to really fit these guys considering that their practices more or less are similar. The Hish had operated a jungle planet, so did the Super Predators, and the Hish had hunted humans and other species on this planet.. Much like the Super Predators. An expansion on why these things are different from the Predators we know, similar to the Romulans and Vulcans would be a viable explanation. If we have to have these things, then they should be a cousin race/species.


...That's how I'd like to see Predators in the New EU handled at least.. But I am not holding my breath.

[Corporal Hicks]

The Predators must have a several/enemy rival species. There should be hundreds if not thousands of prey species. More should be revealed about the Predators themselves. Numerous tribes with distinct cultures would be an interesting direction.

You mean like how there are different Native American cultures with distinct cultures? I would've thought that some of the old films and the old EU touched up on that a bit. I mean if we look at the Antarctic clan and the Lost clan, I would think that they are different clans with different cultures and aesthetics.

That is how I always took it. Every Predator films Predator has had a different appearance or differences and as such is probably a completely different ethnicity/race within the Predator species. And with that comes completely different ideologies, beliefs, etc.

I was looking though some of my comics today, and I just thought it was funny how... (Images from the Omega trailer below)

Spoiler

Elden in Omega looks almost identical to Caryn Delacroix's adult alien offspring from DotS.

[close]

...and...thanks for spoiling Elden for me. 

[vikingspawn]

Now Buffy and "Fire & Stone" are their best sellers since Star Wars left last August

Hellboy is their bestseller, followed by Buffy and AvP

#114
HELLBOY AND THE BPRD #1
$3.50
DAR
22,368

#151
BTVS SEASON 10 #10
$3.50
DAR
16,448

#171
ALIEN VS PREDATOR FIRE AND STONE #3
$3.50
DAR
13,261

#173
PROMETHEUS FIRE AND STONE #4
$3.50
DAR
13,237

#177
ALIENS FIRE AND STONE #4
$3.50
DAR
12,735

#182
PREDATOR FIRE AND STONE #3
$3.50
DAR
12,128

I really hope Sebela hasn't poisoned the well.

You forgot to include the books sold since September, October, November....

Take a look at the charts:

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2014/2014-09.html

September 2014:

129   Aliens Fire And Stone   1*   $3.50   Dark Horse   19,878
131   Prometheus Fire And Stone   1*   $3.50   Dark Horse   19,468
140   Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10   7   $3.50   Dark Horse   17,701

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2014/2014-10.html

October 2014:

144   Alien Vs Predator Fire and Stone   1*   $3.50   Dark Horse   20,319
158   Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10   8   $3.50   Dark Horse   17,729
163   Predator Fire and Stone   1*   $3.50   Dark Horse   17,166
185   Prometheus Fire and Stone   2   $3.50   Dark Horse   14,407
188   Aliens Fire and Stone   2   $3.50   Dark Horse   14,240

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2014/2014-11.html

November 2014:

154   Alien Vs Predator Fire and Stone   2   $3.50   Dark Horse   13,942
155   Prometheus Fire and Stone   3   $3.50   Dark Horse   13,624
159   Aliens Fire and Stone   3   $3.50   Dark Horse   13,357
167   Predator Fire and Stone   2   $3.50   Dark Horse   12,695
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Those are the top Dark Horse books since September right after Star Wars had their 2 final books in August.

It kind of looks like the 4 "Fire & Stone" titles are their top sellers...     

[RakaiThwei]

That is how I always took it. Every Predator films Predator has had a different appearance or differences and as such is probably a completely different ethnicity/race within the Predator species. And with that comes completely different ideologies, beliefs, etc.

And I agree with that.. to a certain extent.

For me anyway, and this is taking account of the old EU as well as what the NECA backstories indicate-- I still regard the Predator species as the Yautja, at least for the mainstream Predators anyway. That's the ENTIRE mainstream species. However if you want to introduce ethnicity or more appropriately, nations, similarly to Native American or other aboriginal tribes then that's also fine but each clan would have to be designated by their clan name. Kind of like how some Native American tribes go by their respective names such as the Iroquois, Creek, Mohawk, Apache, Comanche,  etc. You could argue that we have that already but I think it needs to be solidified. Though... I would think the old EU may have done that already but no one seems satisfied with that but me.

In regards to the Super Predators.. I do not consider them Yautja for a variety of reasons such as physiology and cultural differences. They maybe a cousin species and should be treated as such-- even given their own species name in their tongue. Personally, I think these guys need to be retconned as the Hish or written as something else entirely with a backstory that corroborates with Rodriguez's statement that these are dishonored Predators, that they were once a tribe of mainstream Predators who were exiled long ago, found a new planet, denounced their species name and either...

1) Adapted accordingly to the planet's biosphere conditions, which explains their radically different appearance.

2) Take cues from the July 2009 PREDATORS draft script, and explain that these Predators had experimented on themselves.

But again, I am not holding my breath. This is just how I would handle things and is solely my opinion.

[Russ]

They should hire you for this shit, Rakai. I agree on all counts above.

[RakaiThwei]

They should hire you for this shit, Rakai. I agree on all counts above.

Ha ha ha ha ha! I am flattered that you think I should be hired for this Russ, but I really am just one disgruntled fan who really wants to continue on being a part of this fandom and enjoying the franchises but I'm hardly at all qualified to decide what should go where and how they should handle it. I would love to handle the reigns of things, I'm sure any fan would but.. I'm simply not qualified.

And I am sure some folks would say that they shouldn't hire me because I have a certain image of what the Predators should be partly because I embrace the Perry's versions of the characters with the Yautja concept. A lot of people don't like the Yautja concept believe it or not, but that concept is widely accepted.. even by casual fans.

This is just all my opinion and partly me expressing some disgruntled feelings and concerns with how Fox generally handles the franchises. Sure, fans want expansion but at the same time I don't think we need to discard concepts which were established either, it just a matter of writing out where what fits, and how it fits. I was always having the concepts that different Predator clans had different rules, different customs and cultures like Native American tribes but in the case of the Super Predators, I kept in mind the whole Romulan/Vulcan evolution concept and in my own head, tried to explain that these could be a cousin species with their own culture and perhaps, denounced their Yautja name and came up with a new name. As for the Killer clan, these would be genuinely evil Yautja who more or less care for nothing but the kill.

Just my opinion of how they should handle things. I would be genuinely surprised if someone adopted this idea. Stranger things have happened but, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[happypred]

You forgot to include the books sold since September, October, November....  

You posted a link for December 2014 sales. I was therefore talking about the bestseller for December 2014

I wasn't trying to discredit what you had said

[Ultramorph]

I was looking though some of my comics today, and I just thought it was funny how... (Images from the Omega trailer below)

Spoiler

Elden in Omega looks almost identical to Caryn Delacroix's adult alien offspring from DotS.

[close]

...and...thanks for spoiling Elden for me. 

Once it has been seen, it cannot be unseen.  Seriously, though, Dark Horse can't be unaware of the resemblance.

[RakaiThwei]

Once it has been seen, it cannot be unseen.  Seriously, though, Dark Horse can't be unaware of the resemblance.

It could be coincidental. But I remember Sebela saying that the writers didn't even look at the old comics for this reboot. But DeConnick said that they had looked over the old stuff.. unless I am mistaken in all that.

[happypred]

Sebela has proven himself to be full of sh*t