Did you know that cinema's most iconic extraterrestrial hunter has also been taking trophies for decades in the pages of the best Predator comics?
For quite a while now, Dark Horse Comics, who had the rights to Alien and Predator in the realm of comic books, has putting out several series and one-shots that were well worth our time. With Disney's takeover of Fox's empire, the opportunity to move both franchises to Marvel (also owned by the House of Mouse) came, and things changed for the first time in forever. So far, Marvel Comics' take on both franchises has been interesting to say the least, and you definitely shouldn't overlook the comics they have put out so far.
There's also been some big sci-fi wins on the big screen recently with Alien: Romulus as a much-praised return to form for the Alien franchise, a win that arrives after 2022's Prey did the same for the Predator movie series.
On top of ranking our ten favorite Predator comic books, we had to list the best Alien comic books of all time as well. And then, of course, you'll need to check out the Predator movies ranked and Alien movies ranked too.
10. Batman vs. Predator
- Release year: 1991
- Authors and artists: Dave Gibbons, Andy and Adam Kubert, Sherilyn Van Valkenburgh
Having a Predator face off against a renowned superhero isn't a novel idea. On top of the Yautja species' many crossovers with the Xenomorphs, Dark Horse Comics already ran collaborations with other universes/publishers. According to most Predator fans and comic book readers, chief among these is the original, three-issue Batman vs. Predator series written by Dave Gibbons.
DC and Dark Horse's 1991 collaboration was a great success and spawned two sequels years later. You could say the story almost wrote itself, as having the Predator show up in Gotham City felt remarkably natural. The galaxy's greatest hunter against the world's greatest detective and vigilante? This one was an easy win for everyone involved.
9. Predator: Captive
- Year of release: 1998
- Authors and artists: Gordon Rennie, Dean Ormston
Not every notable Predator comic book is a series. In fact, Predator: Captive continues to be a fascinating one-shot you shouldn't skip. Written by Gordon Rennie, with art by Dean Ormston, it swaps the usual dynamics and has the Predator be at a disadvantage. Long story short: This Yautja has been captured by a billionaire to be studied, but how will that end for the humans?
Predator: Captive is a neat little tale of sci-fi horror and has a premise that could easily be turned into a tense movie. Moreover, it's got a unique art style and plenty to say within a small number of pages. It's the kind of experiment based on a famous IP we wish we could get more often.
8. Predator: 1718
- Year of release: 1996
- Authors and artists: Henry Gilroy, Igor Kordey
Predator: 1718 should instantly ring a bell if you're a big fan of the movies. At the end of the second one, Mike Harrigan receives a flintlock pistol from an elder Predator as a token of honor, with the year 1718 engraved on its side. Prey canonically tied into this little wink that first suggested the Predators had been hunting on Earth for a very long time, but Henry Gilroy and Igor Kordey's original comic book short story still rocks.
Without getting into major spoilers, the story takes place in Guinea in 1718 and follows pirate captain Raphael Adolini as well as the Predator that eventually nabs the pistol. Of course, a 'Predator vs. pirates' story was a cool concept on its own, but, on top of that, it feels poignant and meaningful in the end. There's a lot packed into this one, and it was a great reminder of how powerful one-shot comic books can be.
7. Predator: Nemesis
- Year of release: 1997
- Authors and artists: Gordon Rennie, Colin MacNeil
Predator: Nemesis is another short-ish story (two issues only) that throws the creature into a famous historical period to see what would happen. This time around 19th-century Colonial India and Victorian England are in for a gruesome shock; at the end of one trail of blood, Captain Soames finds a killer that's not from our world.
On top of the obvious callbacks to Jack the Ripper stories, there's a surprising element of mythology and legend thrown in for good measure. The end result is a compelling two-issue tale of horror and intrigue in a setting that no one would've initially thought of for a Predator story. It just works, and the narrative doesn't exactly play out how you'd expect it to.
6. Predator: Primal
- Year of release: 1997
- Authors and artists: Kevin J. Anderson, Scott Kolins, John Lowe, Jimmy Johns, David Nestelle, Dave Stewart
Another two-issue comic book series that you ought to read is Predator: Primal. It's one of the most basic stories published by Dark Horse, yet one that instantly became iconic and perfectly exemplified how flexible the franchise is. Unfortunately, it's not about a Predator hunting a group of primitive human beings, but it's a great time regardless.
Written by Kevin J. Anderson, it pits a Predator against an angry mama grizzly bear – one of Earth's apex predators – during hunting season in Alaska. The mix also includes a lone forest ranger and a fire that spirals out of control. It's tight, explosive, and raw in a way few Predator comic books are.
5. Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest of the Species
- Year of release: 1993
- Authors and artists: Chris Claremont, Jackson Guice, Eduardo Barreto, John Beatty, Gregory Wright
We're of the opinion that the Predator IP benefitted from crossovers much more than Alien, perhaps because of how remarkably simple and easy-to-digest the core premise behind the Predator franchise is. That's why several Alien vs. Predator crossovers are very easily among the best Predator comic books of all time, and Deadliest of the Species continues to be a must-read.
The 12-issue series, written by none other than Chris Claremont, takes place after the events of Aliens: Outbreak and its sequels, that is, after Earth was overrun by aliens and later liberated. Much has changed for mankind, and the story follows a genetically engineered 'trophy wife' named Caryn Delacroix as she unveils her past as well as surprising connections to both Yautjas and Xenomorphs.
Deadliest of the Species has everything you'd want out of an AvP comic book, plus it's got a surprising storyline with several crazy twists and even a female Predator known as 'Big Mama' (really).
4. Predator: Fire and Stone
- Release year: 2014
- Authors and artists: Joshua Williamson, Chris Mooneyham, John Lucas, Dan Brown
From 2014 to 2015, Dark Horse worked on an extremely ambitious crossover event which included four separate series: Predator, Alien, Prometheus, and AvP, all using the 'Fire and Stone' subtitle. By and large, it was yet another major Alien vs. Predator event with everything long-time fans had come to expect. However, adding Prometheus' Engineers in relation to the Xenomorphs (plus all the new on-screen lore that came with them) spiced things up quite a bit.
While all four series are well worth reading, it was Predator: Fire and Stone that ignited the biggest celebration, especially as it reached its conclusion. With the addition of the enigmatic Engineers to the movies' canon, the interconnected AvP comic book universe became even more unpredictable and dangerous, and this comic book series made good use of the potential of pitting a Predator against an Engineer.
3. Aliens vs. Predator
- Year of release: 1990
- Authors and artists: Randy Stradley, Phil Norwood, Chris Warner, Karl Story, Robert Campanella
The original Aliens vs. Predator five-issue comic book series opened up a whole new (bloody) universe of crossover possibilities, as both sci-fi horror icons mixed together remarkably well. Even today, the original story arc remains a must-read for any fan of the two creatures, as it perfectly encapsulates all the excitement and surprisingly logical worldbuilding born out of putting the two IPs together.
The main character, Machiko Noguchi, soon became a fan-favorite heroine and eventually an icon after starring in Aliens vs. Predator: War and Three World War too. The story was almost adapted into a movie years before Paul W. S. Anderson's take on the concept. It remains to be seen if Disney and 20th Century Studios will consider a return to the crossover on the big screen, and we can only hope they look at comic books such as this one (as well as some of the killer video games) for inspiration.
2. Predator: Bad Blood
- Year of release: 1993
- Authors and artists: Evan Dorkin, Derek Thompson, Chris Warner, Keith Aiken, Chris Chalenor
Born out of a short story, Predator: Bad Blood dealt with a simple premise that would have a huge impact on the franchise: There are 'bad' Predators and 'good' Predators. Sure, even the 'good ones' hunt dangerous humans for sport, but what if some members of the species simply went rogue and on mindless killing rampages?
That's a bit of an issue for everyone involved, and Bad Blood introduced a psychotic Predator on a mass slaughter rampage in New Jersey before being hunted down by another Predator. The CIA is involved, there's plenty of carnage to witness, and the clash between the two extraterrestrials doesn't disappoint. The concept of 'bad bloods' quickly became a big part of the Predator canon, and 2018's The Predator toyed with that idea (in its own way) as the backbone for its entire plot.
1. Predator: Concrete Jungle
- Year of release: 1989
- Authors and artists: Mark Verheiden, Chris Warner, Ron Randall, Sam de la Rosa, Randy Emberlin, Chris Chalenor
Predator: Concrete Jungle was originally titled just 'Predator' and marked Dark Horse's first-ever foray into the franchise. After all these years, it remains the best Predator comic book series that's been published so far, in our humble opinion. At four issues long, it's well-paced, looks great, and honors the original movie while firmly expanding the canon as an alternative to everything that came after on the big screen.
Much like the original Aliens comic books in relation to James Cameron's masterpiece, Predator: Concrete Jungle was meant to serve as a sequel to the 1987 original movie. It stars Alan "Dutch" Schaefer, the protagonist of the original sci-fi action/horror flick, now a cop facing a new Predator in an urban environment. It was followed by two direct sequels, Predator: Cold War and Dark River. Of course, it also inspired Predator 2's basic plot and shares its name with the overlooked 2005 video game developed by Eurocom.
