My Week in Comics: Predator, Superman, and more!

While I’ve slowed down on my comic book reading, I still can’t help but pick some up that I find interesting. Thankfully, I got some real bangers this week. What did I get myself into? Read on to find out!

PREDATOR: BLACK, WHITE, AND BLOOD #1 — 5 out of 5 stars

I'm loving the Predator resurgence recently and adding to the stuff to look forward to is this new anthology comic from Marvel. The stories may happen in different eras, but all end in the expectedly bloody way when a Predator is involved.

I'm a sucker for anthologies, and this one packs a punch in spite of the page count. Superstar writers like Joe Kelly, Eliot Rahal, and Sarah Gailey take us from rural Australia to a busy gun convention in the US, all with a Predator itching to fight. The latter story in particular is my favorite, being a pointed comment on gun culture in the US. "What will a Predator think about a room full of gun lovers?" is a hook I wish I thought about!

The black and white art allow the artists to really push their storytelling to the limit, with only splashes of red and green (I'll give you a guess what these colors serve) as exclamation points at appropriate moments. I also love that the comic is bloody and gory without being puerile. We need more books like this with more bang for your buck.

 

MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL: FRIENDS, FOES & RIVALS #1 — 2 out of 5 stars

I grew up with the old Marvel Swimsuit Specials, so this was a curious pull for me. Whereas the old specials were a played-straight look at our heroes and villains relaxing at the beach, the new Swimsuit Special is even more tongue-in-cheek, with the Avengers doing a swimsuit fashion shoot as counterprogramming against Roxxon releasing AI slop of them in bikinis. I'm not kidding.

The "swimsuit special" parts are just pinups of Marvel characters sandwiched between stories by Tim Seely and Nick Bradshaw of the Avengers (via Janet Pym, the Avengers' resident fashion plate, of course!) recruiting said characters for their swimsuit project. The interstitials are cute, with a Punisher aside that's worth the price of the book alone.

But the pinups themselves are underwhelming and largely uninteresting, made even worse by the reuse of previous variant swimsuit covers to pad the page count. A random X-Men issue is allowed to be horny, but a fun swimsuit issue can’t be released without being sanitized to hell? Leave this to the cover collectors.

FANTASTIC FOUR #1 — 4 out of 5 stars

Yey, a new #1. I positively love how the industry has devalued the comic book’s first issue, but I digress. This is a new jumping on point for the Fantastic Four, just in time for the new Marvel movie coming outthis July.

Ryan North is having fun tearing the Fantastic Four apart in this ish. And while that plan hasn't worked in the past, they're in danger of it working now—especially when Doom throws each F4 member into time immemorial! I love how the tension mounts with each turn of the page, complimented by Humberto Ramos’ dynamic art. Will the family survive this predicament? Dammit, Ryan, you're making it hard to save money!

Great art, a fun and exciting story, and a cliffhanger that makes you want to pick up the next issue? All the prerequisites of a shining first issue. Pick this up!

Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All #1 — 6 out of 5 stars

Superman, so hot right now. Making good use of brand synergy, DC Comics releases an oversized Treasury Edition featuring the Man of Steel, and it's, for want of a better word, super.

Classic Superman writer and artist Dan Jurgens brings us a nostalgic done-in-one featuring all the toys he played with in the 1990s—Maxima, Cyborg Superman, and more—while respecting the state of the playground today. Pulling from decades of Superman history, Jurgens takes us on a fun ride for both newbies and diehards alike.

Bruno Redondo on pencils, Caio Felipe on inks, and Adriano Lucas on colors is a team up made in heaven, giving us incredible interior art that's classic comic book clean with plenty of modern energy. Redondo uses the massive canvas he's given to great effect, with nary an inch of page wasted. This book stands as the most gorgeous looking on the shelves this week.

If you're new to Superman, I couldn't imagine a better place to start. This is an instant classic you should pick up when you get the chance!

So what were your pulls this week? Let me know down at the comments! Thanks for reading and stay safe out there!