Description

Predator (Dark Horse 2009)              Comics Lot
Writer: John Arcudi
Artist: Javier Saltares
Inkers: Javier Saltares & Walden Wong
Colorists: Wes Dzioba & Andrew Elder
Letterer: Blambot!
Editors: Samantha Robertson & Chris Warner
Covers #1,2,3,4 by: Raymond Swanland

This four-issue limited comic book series was later collected and published in a trade paperback with the title, “Predator: Prey to the Heavens” by Dark Horse in 2010. The story follows the Graham Directive Security mercenary/defense contractor group and their battle with both traditional and Killer clan Predators in Africa.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the release of Predator: Concrete Jungle, the first Predator comic, and released in anticipation of the 2010 film Predators, Predator: Prey to the Heavens was the first original Predator comic series to be released since Predator: Xenogenesis a decade earlier.

Story/Spoilers
In issue #1, The world’s attention is focused painfully on a brutal third world Civil War, a merciless sectarian conflict sparing neither soldier nor civilian, grandmother nor child. But amidst the terror and carnage, where great nations and powerful interests jockey for position and advantage, another blood feud rages in the shadows, one no more humane but decidedly less human. Two warring tribes from the stars have chosen Earth’s killing fields as their arena, with each clan sworn to eradicate the other… and all who stand between them. Each is the other’s prey, each the other’s Predator.

The story… Graham Directive Security, a private military company, is deployed to East Africa to protecting American interest in the region on behalf of Secretary Mengistu from rebel forces. GDS is led by Thorpe and advised by newly arrived U.S. military observer Major Briggs. Thorpe and Briggs lead a security convoy in providing a secure route for the Wecter Corps representatives. After setting up a checkpoint, the convoy noticed that every block they had passed are unusually quiet and empty. Feeling cautious, Thorpe suggest getting off the street in which Briggs agrees and attempt to make a call to Secretary Mengistu’s security team that their travel is further delay. But unknown to him, the security team is massacred by a new faction of Predators. One of the Predators disrupt the communication feed with Briggs. Thorpe and several PMCs walk away from the convoy to observe the damages on the next block and note that the amount of damage is unusually too large to have been committed by the rebels. A large explosion suddenly erupts from the convoy and is follow by sounds of gunfire. The group heads back and hide from behind cover to find Predators having destroyed some of the vehicles and killing the security force that were left there. Thorpe orders his men to hang back and pull a retreat to base if the situation goes bad as he then sneaks into one of the armored vehicles, which he attempts to run and gun down the Predators with the vehicle’s on-board sentry gun.

Next in issue #2, Where there is armed conflict, there is money to be made. And in the midst of a third-world civil war, the military contractors of Graham Directive Security have sold their skills to shield their corporate clients from the sectarian violence tearing a country apart. But the GDS guns-for-hire soon discover that they are in the midst of not one, but two civil wars, one of extraterrestrial origin. And while the brutality and ruthlessness of mankind is well documented, it is nothing compared to the heartless savagery exhibited by the star-spawned Predators, especially when warring clans of the alien terrors are each sworn to wipe the other from existence. The hunt is on…

The story continues… With the on-board sentry gun blazing away, one of the Predators jump onto the vehicle, but is shot by one of the PMCs, Tolin. However, Thorpe is already distracted by the Predator and crashes his car, but fortunately survives from the car’s deployed air bags. Their attack has scattered the Predators to retreat. Thorpe berates Tolin for not following his orders and appears to be intimately familiar with the Predators. With their communication down, thus unable to contact their base, Thorpe, Briggs and the remaining GDS force are forced to return on foot – Thorpe strongly insisted on not using their vesicles as they emit heat signature that the Predators will easily detect. The group soon come under attack by mortar shells launched by the rebels. They manage to avoid the shelling but are then attacked by Predators. Thorpe has his throat lifted by one of the Predators until another different Predator kills his captor, saving Thorpe in the process, and attacking the other Predators. This forces the aliens to flee and sparing Thorpe and the others. The men are surprised by the sudden turn of events before making their way back to the base.

Next in issue #3, While the guns-for-hire of Graham Directive Security knew they were entering a third-world war zone when they signed on, they never bargained for stumbling into the middle of an interplanetary blood feud. After barely surviving a brutal firefight with a squad of Predator soldiers, Thorpe and Briggs hightail it to the GDS compound only to find their base under siege by the off world marauders. Thorpe and his crew haven’t got a prayer of survival-that is, they wouldn’t if they didn’t have the most unlikely ally in the universe.

The story continues… By the time they return, they learn that all electronic communication and devices are being jammed. This news greatly worries Thorpe and Briggs, and they have everyone armed and put the base on high alert. However, the base is not entirely invulnerable as a Predator manages to infiltrate and kill their doctor, in which his decapitated body is hung on the Yutani Building that is left on display that the PMCs could see it. The gruesome scene is blown up by the same Predator that attacked its kin. That night, everyone discusses about their adversaries in which they then realize that the Predators are corralling them as part of their hunting game rather than killing them outright. They then discuss on the other Predator in which they speculate there is a conflict between these different Predators and even suggest the opposing Predator is friendly given that it doesn’t attack the humans. But Thorpe vehemently decry that it’s not helping them and that it isn’t different from the others. After a tense silence, Thorpe admits to Briggs and the rest of his men that he was previously hunted by these creatures in Gabon. Due to his experience, Thorpe is all but certain that this conflict between the Predators wouldn’t spare the humans in the end. After finishing his story, Thorpe orders everyone to pack up and prepare to leave by the next morning. However, the Predators are not letting them escape in which they unleash mortar fire on the base, killing sixteen men and destroying every vehicle. With their escape gone and unable to call for help, Thorpe propose a risky plan: he decide to solely travel outside the range of the creatures’ jamming device in order to contact help from the nearest GDS outpost. But instead, he accidentally finds a Predator encampment with the jamming device as he hid inside a building. Thorpe consider throwing a grenade at the encampment to destroy the device but would alert his presence. Before he could make his move, he is confronted by the opposing Predator. Following a brief standoff, the Predator attack its kin and allowing Thorpe to run back to base.

Finally in issue #4, Think that a third-world civil war is messy? How about an off-world civil war? Caught in the middle of a blood feud between rival Predator clans in an east African war zone, private military contractor Thorpe barely makes it back to base with his hide intact after a pitched firefight with a squad of extraterrestrial marauders. But clean sheets and hot chow will provide cold comfort once the alien killers and their lethal technology track Thorpe down, and he has precious little time to marshal the Graham Directive Security crew for a desperate defense. They might have had a chance had they not lost their most potent ally, a lone rival Predator warrior, but now Thorpe and the GDS soldiers are out of options and out of time as they prepare to make their stand-their last stand.

The story concludes… Thorpe arrives at the base. Now knowing the jamming device’s location, Thorpe has a mortar strike on the encampment and finally getting in contact with the outpost. Unfortunately, the base soon falls under attack by the Predators in which they destroy their armory. The surviving GDS force retreat into the sickbay where Thorpe plans to make a last line of defense while waiting for reinforcement. But during the attack, an inebriated Major Briggs has commandeered a tank and using it to strike back at the aliens. Seeing an opportunity, Thorpe orders his men to stay as far away from the base as possible until help arrives while he remains to help Briggs to fight and draw the Predators to them. The next morning, GDS reinforcements finally arrive, and they are surprised to find the state of the base, a destroyed tank, and a dead Predator. Thorpe and Briggs are nowhere to be found. Thorpe’s men return to the base and demand for medical help. When pressed on what occurred here and Thorpe’s whereabouts, a soldier only bitterly replies that Thorpe and Major Briggs are likely to be dead.

Comics lot contains: Predator (2009 – 2010) Issues #1-4.  Dark Horse Comics

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: 2009 – 2010
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25″ x 6.75″
UPC: 761568161083

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1,2,3,4 are in Very Fine to Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Predator collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Very Highly Recommended.

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