Predator fans are getting more than just a movie this November. Not only is Predator: Badlands stalking its way into theaters on November 7th, but Marvel Comics is also dropping a brand-new tie-in comic that dives deep into the origin of the film’s young Yautja protagonist.
Predator: Badlands #1 is a one-shot comic written by Ethan Sacks (Star Wars) with art by Elvin Ching, who recently came up through Marvel’s Art Atelier program.
The issue is a direct prequel to the upcoming film and was crafted in close collaboration with Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg, who’s also contributing a foreword to the comic.
The upcoming film is set in the future and stars Elle Fanning as Thia and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek, a young Predator outcast.
The comic will focus on Dek’s earlier days, exploring his backstory and setting the stage for the events of the movie. In the film, Dek and Thia form an unlikely alliance as they journey across a hostile alien world in search of the ultimate adversary.
“For a writer who grew up a lifelong fan of the Predator franchise, there is no bigger game than the chance to hunt with the Yautja,” said Sacks.
“Working hand in hand with the filmmakers behind Predator: Badlands, we made sure this prequel story fits into the cinematic saga like a puzzle piece. It’s going to give fans a deeper, richer experience – especially when they get to feast their eyes on Elvin Ching’s art.”
The story in the comic centers around Dek as a young Yautja sent by his father on what seems like a simple retrieval mission to a long-abandoned spaceship. But of course, nothing’s ever simple in the Predator universe. Inside that ship lies a deadly ancient threat that will challenge the warrior in brutal, unexpected ways.
Trachtenberg, who previously earned critical acclaim for Prey, is excited to see the comics play such a vital role in the franchise.
“Badlands is the first Predator movie to draw inspiration so heavily from the comic books. So it’s with great delight that you and I now get to look at splash pages, from the minds of Ethan and Elvin, of a formative adventure for our characters that serves as a perfect companion to the film,” he said. “Dek kicking ass in his very own comic book is a dream come true.”
This comic marks another major step in Marvel’s expansion of the Predator universe after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, giving them access to heavy-hitting properties like Alien, Planet of the Apes, and Predator. With Badlands aiming to carve out a bold new direction for the franchise, this prequel issue feels like an essential read for anyone looking to go deeper into this deadly alien world.
Predator: Badlands #1 hits shelves on Wednesday, November 12th, just a few days after the movie drops on November 7th.
