This article is about the original 1989-1990 comic book series. For the article about the 2009 series, also titled Predator see here.
Cover to Predator issue 1, 1989
Predator (aka Predator: Concrete Jungle) was the first four-issue limited comic book series set in the fictional Predator universe released by Dark Horse Comics from June 1989-March 1990. It was written by Mark Verheiden and illustrated by Chris Warner & Ron Randall, with covers by Warner. It was inked by Warner, Randall & Sam de la Rosa, colored by Chris Chalenor and edited by Randy Stradley.
The series was collected in a trade paperback form released in September 1990, at which time it gained the new title "Predator: Concrete Jungle", and a new painted cover by airbrush artist Den Beauvais.
Intended as a sequel to the film Predator and released before the release of Predator 2, the series was originally intented to feature the character of Alan "Dutch" Schaefer, now serving a police officer, in an urban battle versus a new Predator. When Arnold Schwarzenegger proved unable to participate in the filming of the sequel, the lead character of the comics series was changed to Detective Schaefer, brother of Arnold's Dutch Schaefer from the first film, though elements of the comic book story were still used in the second film.
Cover to Predator issue 2 by Chris Warner
The comics series proved to be a success for the company and spawned the entire Predator comics series that followed, including two direct sequels: Predator: Cold War (1991) and Predator: Dark River (1996) (all three of these "core Dark Horse Predator graphic novels", as they are now referred to by the company, wer later collected in Predator Omnibus: Volume 1 in 2008).
The story was novelized by Bantam Books resulting in the Predator novel series which continues to this day, albeit now published by Dark Horse. The trade paperback title was also used for a video game, though not featuring the same storyline.
In the Predator comics line, Concrete Jungle was followed by the short story Predator: God's Truth (Dec. 1990), the comics adaptation of Predator 2 (Feb.-June 1991), and the new original series Predator: Big Game (March–June 1991).
Plot (Warning: Spoilers)
Official description of individual issues:
Cover to Predator: Concrete Jungle TPB edition 1990, by Den Beauvais
New York City's Detective Schaefer has seen it all, from domestic murders to drug-gang executions. but Schaefer's never seen the Big Apple awash in so much blood as tonight, with flayed bodies hung like meat being cured for mealtime. When Schaefer has a close encounter with one of the murderers, he realizes he's run into something much bigger than the police suspect. Can even the toughtest cop stand up to the ultimate hunter?
Things get worse for Schaefer and his partner, Detective Rasche, as Rasche discovers the existence of a whole fleet of Predators ready to invade and Schaefer comes face-to-face with the Colombian drugs lords! Also, general panic continues in New York as the Predators hunt for Schaefer and kill everyone in their path!
Schaefer and Rasche are reunited at last, but it's just in time to fight the battle of their lives! It's all-out war against the Predator army, and since the army and police want Schaefer and Rasche out of the way—the two must turn to one of their enemies for the manpower they need! Will anyone—or anything—be left standing when the smoke clears?
Behind the Scenes
In the original release of the Predator comics, it is clear that the story was meant to be set in the near future—like Predator 2, the film loosely based on concepts from the comics series was. This can be seen because in the introductory narration by Detective Rasche on page 1, issue 1 of the original release, the year 1991 is referred to in the past tense (stating that it was hotter this year than it had been "back in '91"). But with the release of the sequel series, Predator: Cold War, the date of the original incident was changed, as Cold War states that its events take place in 1990, and that the events from the first series took place "five months ago," and "last year," i.e., 1989, or the present as of when the series was published. The change in date was solidified in reprints and new collections of Concrete Jungle, as the mention on page 1, issue 1 now changes the year mentioned to 1987 (it was hotter than it was "back in '87).
In 2009, the artist on the original series, Chris Warner, was named editor of both Dark Horse's restarted Predator and Alien comic book lines.
In a recent interview with the website AvP2Daily (interview with Chris Warner), Warner said the first Predator comics series "absolutely" had some influence on the film Predator 2: "The basic plots of the film and comic series are almost identical. When Dark Horse created the first Predator series, plans for a Predator sequel had stalled, since Arnold Schwarzenegger had declined being in it. The series showed how you could use other characters in the lead. Probably the first time that a comics series actually had an effect on the film franchise that inspired it," said Warner.
See also
- Dark Horse Comics
- Predator (Comics Series)
- Predator: Cold War
- Predator: Dark River
- Predator: Concrete Jungle (novel)