Elden stalk Francis as the warring Predators and Xenomorphs battle. With the Engineer’s enhancement making him the new alpha species, Elden dispatches all those that stand before him. As someone equipped with a mouth load of teeth that can project from his stomach, Elden does not have much of a match. The Engineer’s accelerant not only affects Elden, though. A Predator comes across the goop and begins a similar transformation. Meanwhile, a lone Predator survivor bows down in homage to Elden by doing the branding and commission of weapon.

Meanwhile, Francis gets a helping hand from the accelerant. Because of his terminal illness, the concoction repairs him without fully transforming him. As he flees from Elden, he comes across a Predator that does not tolerate his presence.

Ariel Olivetti delivers gruesome and wonderful work by depicting Elden as a mutation unlike any other in the Aliens/Predator universe. Elden’s scowl and grimaces convey added menace courtesy of the character’ black, soulless eyes. The detailed work on the non-human characters displays a unique talent as each Predator and Alien stand out while still remaining faithful in depiction to the source work.

Sebela’s writing also makes this book worth reading. The premise that the two creatures now have something above them on the food chain signifies an interesting change in the decades old Alien vs. Predator fight. Callbacks to the first AvP comic series as well as the movies make this a book long standing fans and newcomers will find exciting.

Although I cannot rate the book higher than a 3, I will say that it is a must-read 3.

Score: 3/5

Writer: Christopher Sebela Artist: Ariel Olivetti Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 11/5/14 Format: Mini-Series (2 of 4); Print/Digital