Beta Ray Greg Presents: Predator Hunters II #4 of 4

FINAL BLOOD!

“In Afghanistan, a heavily armed Stargazer strike force has  been all but wiped out in a failed attempt to kill or capture a Predator. But Jaya Soames’ Hunters team has information Stargazer didn’t, and they have set an ambush at the Predator’s base of operations. All they need is for every single thing to go exactly as planned…”

Dark Horse Comics presents Predator: Hunters II #4 of 4

Writer:Chris Warner

Artist:Agustin Padilla

Colorist:Neeraj Menon

Cover Artist:Agustin Padilla

Scene opens to lasers, bullets, and grenade explosions encompassing the area. The Stargazer strike force is abandoning the mission. A few men tell the Colonel that they can’t carry all the dead and “you know what that bastard will do to ’em.” The Colonel just asks them if they’re in a hurry to become his trophies, too. Complete FUBAR if you will. The colonel knows this mission is a bust and calls in an aerial strike. BOOM. Predator looks pissed, but very alive.

Jaya’s Hunters are taking a mountain pass led by a kid guide from a nearby village named Atal. Atal is well versed in these passes that lead to the Djinn’s (*translation to English is demon*) cave. He tells Swain, a member of the team who befriended him, that the Jihadi do not come this way because they fear the Djinn. Atal leads them to a path across a field lined with tattered red flags. The field is lined with land mines from the soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Atal has been marking the land mines he find with flags. Swain asks him why he would do such a thing…Atal only has one leg. He lost a leg to a land mine and doesn’t want it to happen to another kid like himself. His path gets them through the field safely.

The Hunters get to the valley below the cave. Jaya tells Swain to send Atal back to the trucks. They part ways. Swain tells Atal he has done his part – now it’s his turn to hold up his end of the deal to rid them of the Predator. The team enters the cave the Predator’s ship is parked inside of. Jaya sends Mandy to set charges around the ship. They enter the ship, akin to the Predator 2 movie, into the trophy room. Hundreds of skulls, weapons, and motorcycles litter the room. Death everywhere. The team sets charges on the side of the room.

He’s watching them. The team is discussing just blowing the room up and giving the Predator no way home before the temperatures drop and their body heat is used as a weapon against them. Three dot laser. BOOM. Shells ring out. The team switches to infrared goggles. Thud…thud…thud. The team lands some shots but it just pisses him off. The Predator fires at the team. They’re exposed.

Mandy says they won’t make it out of the cave before they run out of ammo. Best play is to blow the ship inside the cave with all of them in it. Jaya agrees. WHROOOM! as it echos out of the cave.  The Hunters return fire again at the Dijnn. Atal shows up by Swain! Oh kid, what are you doing? Swain tells him he shouldn’t have come because there is no way out. Atal has a plan. There’s one way out: the mine field.

Swain tells Atal to run and don’t stop for anything. Swain gets the Predator’s attention and runs. Atal and his crutch leads the way. Swain takes a partly off way behind him to get the Predator to hit a mine. Swain stops to return fire and make sure Dijnn is still interested in him. CLICK CLICK CLICK. The mine is now active. Damn. Swain swings his rifle away and pulls out his combat knife. Texas style, he says. The Predator drops his weapons. Shwing, his double knife comes out of a gauntlet. Texas style, he repeats.

Swain waits until the last moment. Krakooom! The Predator lays in a puddle of neon green blood. Atal runs to Swain. Swain reaches for Atal, missing most of his hand. Swain tells him his buddies who died at the Predator’s hand will be waiting for him on the other side, pissed it took Swain so long. He tells Atal to be still and just listen to the wind. He doesn’t make it. The team buries Swain. Atal says he’ll stay in Afghanistan to watch over Swain, his friend.

The Hunter Team leaves the country and returns to their home base, Jaya’s home. They’re greeted with a surprise. Herrera is alive (see Hunters first series). He says he has an interesting story, “would you like to hear it?”

The end of part II.

Honestly this issue was great. It seemed like Swain may not live, but you didn’t see his self sacrifice to be the way. Great ending. Great issue. Now with that said, it was a bright sort of rushed ending to an okay story line that got muddled and confusing. Hunters II was not Hunters part one in good ways and bad, but mostly bad. This issue gets a strong 7/10 where the series gets a “Meh” 5/10. I expect more from part III.