Marvel Gives Our First Glimpse Of ‘Predator Versus Spider-Man’
by Tony Thornley
First they came for Wolverine across Canada. Then they hunted the Black Panther through Wakanda. Now, Spider-Man becomes the target of a vicious extraterrestrial Predator, as the streets of New York City run red with blood in the first look at Predator Versus Spider-Man.
Marvel Comics and 20th Century Studios’ Predator/Marvel Universe crossovers have been some of the most brutal and violent stories the publisher has released. Writer Benjamin Percy carved a niche for these types of gritty stories, even before writing these crossovers. For the latest, he’s joined by artist Marcelo Ferreira and introduces a new type of Yatuja Predator.
Tensions in New York are already high as a heat wave has caused rolling blackouts across the city. Peter Parker is doing his best in the webs to calm the pressure cooker the city is turning into. It’s a terrible time for the city to be turned into a hunting ground for an invisible hunter — a vicious killer with no clan, no honor and no code. It’s a bloodthirsty killer about to be known only as Skinner…
“Spider-Man is at the top of every writer’s wishlist. I’m thrilled and grateful to get this opportunity, putting this beloved webslinger against the galaxy’s greatest hunters in the urban wilderness of New York,” Percy said. “It’s so much fun to live in Peter Parker’s world — and to put my own wild spin on his relationship with MJ, Jonah Jameson, and (yes — oh, hell yes) Kraven. Marcelo Ferreira captures the visual dynamism of Spidey so well, and we’ve had a lot of fun designing a Predator that is unlike any other. This Yautja — who we’re calling Skinner — has no code or clan. He’s the perfect nightmarish foil to the big-hearted Parker.”
I really enjoyed Predator Versus Wolverine. Though I skipped the Black Panther sequel (since I usually pick up Wakanda stories in trade), I’ve heard great things about it as well. I’m a huge Spidey fan though and this looks like the perfect mix of frightening and fun. And legitimately, the fact that Percy is adding Kraven to the mix — a character he’s born to write AND is a fantastic foil to a Predator — is icing on an already delicious cake.
Check out the first round of covers from the limited series, featuring the work of Ferreira, Paulo Siqueira, Greg Land, Ryan Brown, Humberto Ramos, and Pepe Larraz, as well as the first stomach-turning preview pages, and watch for the limited series starting in April from Marvel Comics.
