We have just uploaded the 122nd episode of the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast (right-click and save as to download)! For our second episode of 2021 we’re joined by Jeremy Barlow, the writer of Dark Horse Comic’s final Alien vs. Predator series, Thicker Than Blood, and the unfortunately cancelled Predator: The Original Screenplay!
Jeremy talks to us about the original picture for the series and how it evolved, about the Predator clan’s deleted backstory, working with Doug Wheatley, how Predator: The Original Screenplay differed from the finished film and plenty more!
What did you think of our latest episode? Be sure to let us know down below! You can also listen to any of our previous episodes in the Podcast section under the News tab on the main menu. The Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast is also available via iTunes, PodBean, GooglePlay Stitcher, and Spotify! Please be sure to leave a rating and review on whichever platform you’re using!
And if you’d rather see our beautiful faces, the video version of the podcast is also available on the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy YouTube channel!
If you’d like to find out more about Jeremy and his other work, be sure to check out his website!
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As soon as marvel re release them in their own formats, you can be sure that they will be on Amazon and comixology.
Just looked up a Marvel trade on Amazon and it has a price for "Kindle and comiXology", so perhaps DH Aliens comic will end up back on Amazon at some point.
The Kindle and Comixology app's can be used to read digital comics purchased through Amazon. A majority anyway.
Don't think you can use the Kindle app to read comics purchased on The Comixology site though.
But the electronic versions of any book on Amazon is Kindle...?
Thank you.
What's the best way to own them?
Like for example, the best version of Dead Orbit's the oversized edition.
Comixology, Amazon, your LCS, local book stores if they have them in stock. Don't know if you could find it at your LCS but I've been fortunate to have found old single issues of the original series so long as the shop has a back issue section.
Yep! Because of covid19 they didn't release all the individual issues, but the 96 page trade paperback is the whole story, missing issues and all!
All Alien and Predator digital comic material has been pulled from comixology, which is an Amazon company. As such, there shouldn't be any for kindle.
So the idea would be we have honor coded Predators, Bad Bloods and Territorial Predators... the latter being perhaps reclusive clans that will kill everything alive that invade their space. I can roll with that I think, and could really appreciate it if fleshed out well. Indeed!
But in this book to me Barlow was all over the place. They were like bad bloods, until they're not. They're territorial, until they're not. Instead of just shooting the ship, they board, kill men, women and children, string them up in hunting practices. Wait, was this over territory or a hunt? But once we lose a couple limbs, Pred and invader kids are besties now, even holding Maria back from danger.
Barlow mentioned there was some sort of redemption arc for the Elder? I couldn't find it in the book I read. He stated the Predators reasons for boarding was mechanical versus organic, etc., and with these Predator motivations, it definitely shows to me. *sigh* However, the Predator artwork? I found it so, so gorgeous! So it's a mixed bag for me on that front. Happy you enjoyed it though!
And doesn't appear to be available electronically via the Marvel site.
Sounds like it will be fun to hear!
Spoiler alert for Adam; corporal Hicks shows up in Mandalorian.
I also recently realized that Michael Biehn was in the video game command and conquered Tiberian sun, which blew my mind because I used to play that game all the time as a kid and I never realized he was in it
Man I F'ing loved this comic.
Honestly, I'd love to see more of the Predators outside of the hunt. I want to see more straight military action. It's why War #0 and The Rage War have a big appeal to me. It's nice to see divergent behavior, a reason a lot of us are probably super into the Bad Bloods for.
I can see why you struggle with that.
My thinking on that is that it can be argued that we know very little about Predator culture, races, habits and so on. So this differing behaviour and agenda is fascinating to me. It add mystery to them and makes them, for want or a better word, alien. These guys seem more unique.
And perhaps that might be the teeter point for where one might feel. What people get stuck on or waive by.
Spoiler
I can't say I needed the backstory in there. Not to say I wouldn't like it there.
But an essay from Barlow, detailing his ideas and stories would have been a great bit of bonus material.
I honestly don't think, in the comic itself, we need to understand the Predators. I really enjoyed wondering what they were up to with the Xeno and their behaviour.
I prefer to call it a spirited debate!
Thinking of the poster on the wall, George Miller did that for Mad Max Fury Road. Maybe that's where Barlow learned it. The characters, even the cars had backstories, some that were adapted into great comics. But the rub is we weren't missing anything in Fury Road for a viewer to not understand its core characters like the Predators. Instead I was left confused by their actions/motivations. If Barlow can tighten his writing akin to Miller's, his stuff could be top shelf to me!
It's a damn shame that we didn't get all the background detailed in a some extras for the trade. Damn shame.
It's called anal editing.
I suppose "win the lottery" is another viable out.
I'm glad everyone is enjoying this.
This story is now my second fav AVP behind the original.
Was also real cool to hear one of my comments get a mention here. Lol.
Yep, and the Predators were handled character-wise really badly here too in my eyes / my humble opinion, but... although I wouldn't pick a 15 year old girl and an 8 year old android as my lead protagonists unless I was writing an AvP series for Disney+
Have to agree here. That character was kinda pointless
I do believe if Barlow eliminated some inconsequential portions like Denver and his bird and explained the Predator family dynamic, all playing off the Thicker than Blood angle in a human and Predator aspects, it could have been wonderful. Instead, any indication of the Predators relation to each other is non existent, and there's no clue to indicate we were witnessing a Predator father and two sons. Heck, the one flame throwing the Xeno came across as the elder to me because he had the battle scars and busted mandibles. Like Wolf, he looked like he's been going at it for a long time...
It's cool the whip came back even if it was in a sort of roundabout way. Likely the artists decision to base it on the Requiem whip since that has available reference material Fox would already approve. Shame we don't see that thing more often. I'm not expecting it show up in Hunting Grounds but I'm kind of surprised I don't see it more in comics.
I have to say though that as interesting as that dynamic is for the Predators and how it relates to the kids, it doesn't really come out in the story. Sure they only had so much time to do it but that seems like crucial information that would've benefitted the story. It's something cool to look back on the story in hindsight but I shouldn't have to listen to a pod cast in order to get what a character's deal is. I'm not saying Jeremy Barlow should've shoved it in, I'm saying Thicker Than Blood needed an extra issue to help convey that and I pin the blame on Darkhorse for that. It works fine without it but that's such an interesting detail I'd have liked it actually getting the time to be explored. That all being said TTB is one of the best AVP stories I've read so if Marvel ever gets around to reprinting it I would love to see them do something like a "directors cut" where Jeremy can add that back in.
I had my misgivings about the setup and not seeing the demise of whip predator, but this is a d*mn good AvP story. It's a worthy story for DH to end on, definitely a high note.
I had it in my top five AVP comics but after listening to the podcast and giving it another read, I would nudge it into my top 3.
RidgeTop you mention Dark Horse's more out-of-the-ordinary graphic novels, as someone just getting into the comics, would it be possible to list a few as would be keen to get them?
I instantly went and bought the comic book. Can't wait to dig in!