By Title: Predator: Hunters #5
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writers: Chris Warner
Artists: Francisco Ruiz Velasco
Story Rating: 9
Art Rating: 10
Color Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 9.6
In the epic conclusion the eilte agents Jaya Soames, Mandy Graves, Tyler Swain, and Enoch Nakai become the prey in the ultimate game of cat and house. Dark Horse Comics unleashes a blood driven endgame filled with death and betrayal. The Predators show no mercy as the galaxies greatest hunters. The team must fight for survival in this lethal blood sport.
Chris Warner unearths the hidden history of the island and its people. Humans are influenced by the great predator warriors becoming savage hunters of both animal and man. Henry Bunting leader of the island people stands with the alien hunters and seeks the death of all who have trespassed on his territory.
Henry captures and brings Jaya and her agents back to the island for a hunt where they become the prey. In the midst of the hunt a rouge predator saves Jaya from the tribe people. In the jungle Jaya runs into Artemis, a tribe woman, who helps her escape back to the boat off the coast.
On the boat Jaya pilots a helicopter and heads back to the island. She rains down missiles on the tribe people to save her friends. In the last moments before total escape she hands off technology to the predator that saved her. The predator activates the technology to initiate a bomb to wipe out the twisted civilization on the island forever.
Francisco Ruiz Velasco’s art has strong representations of the jungle, deep vegetation, and growth over the island. Pigments of cool colors are grouped together creating an eerie and inviting atmosphere. Foundations of pale greens, greys, black, and blue create the perfect combination of emotional impact in relation to the story.
Francisco’s line work is neat and contained but very stylized to be unique. The characters each have a complete appearance only a few will sport more detail than the others. The predators are the outstanding visual points in the comic book. Aliens dressed in tribal armor and weaponry give a better image when compared to the less appealing humans.
Comic book fans will cherish this story line and other known titles. The hunt is never ending, follow Dark Horse Comics as the Predators take on the human race and other species in the universe.
