Dark Horse Announces "Predator: Life and Death" (FaS-style Crossover)

[Ultramorph]

This looks and sounds like a very fun series. It will be cool to see some diverse Predators. I'm glad that they seem to be doing one miniseries at a time, rather than doing four at a time like with FaS.

EDIT
Issue #2 is up for pre-order on TFAW.
http://www.tfaw.com/Profile/Predator%3A-Life-and-Death-2___497564

[happypred]

I gotta ask... why are they using the Kenner Predators?

Are they canonizing them now along with their wonky backstories?

Unlikely. The artist probably just likes aspects of the design.

I am not really seeing a massive similarity...the top of the helmet though

[RakaiThwei]

I am not really seeing a massive similarity...the top of the helmet though

Look at the leg armor too. The shin armor. It's similar too.

[happypred]

I am not really seeing a massive similarity...the top of the helmet though

Look at the leg armor too. The shin armor. It's similar too.

Good catch...man, I think the backstory of Hivewars Pred would make an excellent comic

[RakaiThwei]

Good catch...man, I think the backstory of Hivewars Pred would make an excellent comic

I'm not entirely opposed to the Kenner Predators having a cemented place in the rebooted canon. It's just a few that... I really have a hard time in digesting like Scavenger, Nightstorm, and Night Recon. I mean... I wouldn't mind Scavenger and Nightstorm if they were in their original incarnations and not the retconned newer incarnations where they're the Super Predators. Night Recon on the other hand is just too bizarre.

The Kenner Predators, some of them do have backstories which can fit in with the films, assuming we're to account with the NECA backstories but even then.. some of the backstories are off. Hive Wars Predator however, does fit in with the films.

So... I'm fifty-fifty on the Kenner Predators.

[HuDaFuK]

I gotta ask... why are they using the Kenner Predators?

Because someone liked the look?

Wolf is on the cover of Predator: Incursion, it doesn't automatically mean he and his entire life's story are in the novel.

[Corporal Hicks]

Same as Celtic in Forever Midnight. Or Scar and the Elder on Flesh and Blood. It's just a design that's either in the story (which might not be the case, sometimes the designs are completely different) or the artist just liked that armour set. I really don't get the fuss. 

[happypred]

Just musing that the Hivewars Pred would be a cool character...I doubt he actually does become one

[Ultramorph]

I agree with Hicks, it's just an artistic thing that we shouldn't read too much into. Even if the Predators do wind up looking a bit like Kenner Preds, it's entirety unlikely that they'll go out of their way to include the silly backstories.

We have our first short preview of issue #1, courtesy of Previews World:
http://www.previewsworld.com/catalogimages/STK_IMAGES_PDF/STK680001-700000/STK699022.pdf
I like the art quite a bit. Can't wait until March!

They also have an exclusive interview with Dan Abnett:
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/977?articleID=173518
He addresses the Fire and Stone connection.

Spoiler

Dan Abnett: It's a self-contained story, in as much as I'm explaining everything you need to know. New readers can jump right in. But I guess you'll get an extra kick if you know the various movies well, and there's extra depth to be had if you've also read Dark Horse's previous cross-franchise event, "Fire and Stone." And why wouldn't you? It's available in handy trade editions, and a big collection, and it's great.

[close]

[Corporal Hicks]

Liking the looks of that interior artwork! Looks like just the right style.

[Perfect-Organism]

Well that opens up a new can of worms.  They couldn't see that derelict from space.  There is the tacit implication that there is another reason why nobody saw the derelict on LV-427 during all the years of colonization.

Not to mention the fact that this is clearly trading in Alien territory which really distrubinly disrupts the franchise boundaries again.  I am really not looking forward to more Predator / Engineer scraps or interactions of any kind for that matter, but as I am interested in the continuation of the Aliens stories I'll probably pick this up.

[Corporal Hicks]

I am really not looking forward to more Predator / Engineer scraps or interactions of any kind for that matter, but as I am interested in the continuation of the Aliens stories I'll probably pick this up.

Shame. The Predator series was the best thing about Fire and Stone.

[Ultramorph]

The fact that they can't see the Juggernaut from orbit sort of reinforces my suspicion about what planet Tartarus is. Remember

Spoiler

in Prometheus: Fire and Stone when they're in middle of the jungle, but all their scanners are just reading "metal everywhere" or something like that?

[close]

Either way, I hope we get some good Predator vs. Engineer action.

[RakaiThwei]

Either way, I hope we get some good Predator vs. Engineer action.

As long as we aren't seeing Engineers tossing Predators like rag dolls while they've got one in a headlock, fine, I guess.

[Perfect-Organism]

Either way, I hope we get some good Predator vs. Engineer action.

As long as we aren't seeing Engineers tossing Predators like rag dolls while they've got one in a headlock, fine, I guess.

Right.  Please don't WWE this thing.  We need battle of wits not headlocks and noogies.

The reason why I would like to see less and less battle brawls with Predators is that Aliens is mostly becoming a mature adult fantasy series.  It is about asking the big questions and finding horrific answers.  F and S brought things down to a He-Man level.  Big monsters duking it out is basically for kids.  I used to really like the idea of mixing Aliens and Predators back in the 90s, but the tone of the franchises has really diverged especially since Prometheus.  Aliens / Prometheus is much more erudite, while Predator is the rude red-neck of the series.  Its a culture clash and an age gap more than anything these days.  I dislike getting drawn into a kindergarten brawl which is what the idea of AVP in the Prometheus age feels like.