First off, I have to agree with people that the art in this issue was disappointing. That's strange, given the fact that I liked the art in issue #1 quite a bit. Here, though, I think we're seeing a bit of "middle issues artwork decline"; my guess is that the final issue will look much better. The Predators do look too clean, but my biggest complaint is that the visual storytelling with them isn't nearly as strong as it was in the previous or in Predator #1. I kept finding myself going back to earlier pages and looking at helmets to try and keep the Predators straight. I did have to laugh when the accelerated Predator's armor grew in size with him. It must be made out of the same materials as the Hulk's giant purple pants.
Otherwise, I am looking forward to seeing how the Predator's grotesque evolution unfolds.
The xenomorphs are just plain
sloppy here. I'm fine with this comic being more about Elden and black goo shenanigans, but it would have been nice to have a bit more, well,
Aliens vs Predators in this AvP comic, and it would have been nice if what we had gotten had been a bit more dynamic. But I guess since the xenos were an afterthought in the script, it makes sense that they would be an afterthought in the art.
Also, Elden asking the xenos if they know where Francis is just came off as ludicrous to me. Maybe it was just how bluntly he asked.
As far as the writing goes, for me this issue was on the borderline between crazy fun and just a plain old mess. I'm starting to think that the AvP leg of Fire and Stone will basically be like
Gremlins 2: it will just keep throwing in more and more crazy stuff and upping the ante until it reaches critical mass and implodes in on itself. Whether this will happen in a satisfying way, or whether it will be a repeat of the final three issues of DotS, remains to be seen.
I didn't mind Elden's monologue as much as other reviewers, but I do agree that this issue, like Aliens #2, would have benefited from less exposition dumping. This issue says a lot without really adding much to the story or the mythology, and I'm beginning to have the same creeping sense of dread that I had when I realized the Prometheus movie only had ten more minutes left and wouldn't be answering any of the questions it raised. I have my fingers crossed that Fire and Stone kicks it into a better gear in the second half.
I guess my biggest problem was that this issue just keeps adding new elements that I'm worried won't pan out. The scene where the Predator bloods Elden is interesting, but the mediocre framing and art really killed it for me. So the weird plants that spring up in Elden's path are actually parasitic, and the accelerant does heal Francis, rather than mutate him? Or will he start to mutate in some horrible way later? Will the accelerated Predator story-arc go anywhere interesting? Are we going to have a repeat of Galgo and Ahab's relationship with Francis and the surviving Predator? If Issue 3 and 4 turn out to be good, this issue will look better in retrospect, but as it stands, the lackluster art and and "throw everything at the fan!" storytelling left a bad taste in my mouth. It wan't a terrible issue, but I expected better after liking issue #1 so much.
