Mild Mannered Reviews - Specials

Superman vs Predator #3

Superman vs Predator #3

Scheduled to arrive in stores: July 26, 2000

Cover date: September 2000

Writer: David Michelinie
Artist: Alex Maleev
Colourist: Matt Hollingsworth

Reviewed by: Gareth Baker (GHLBJEDI@aol.com)



In its hide-a-way cave the Predator gathers its weapons for the coming fight. Whilst outside the evil Dr Ward's base, the mercenaries fire their weapons in fear into the empty forest. Superman watches them, and is joined by Dr Trabor and they sneak inside. Inside Dr Ward and Rollins are preparing to fire their weapon which will kill anyone who does not have perfect genes.

Back outside, the mercenaries are attacked, but the Predator has its cloaking field on and they can't see him. When the last mercenary tries to run, the Predator cuts him down with a weapon like Xena's chakram.

Once inside the base, Trabor tells Superman about his mysterious past. He used to be in the army, one of those black-ops units. They met up with one of these aliens, and he was the only one to survive. The pair split up and Superman begins to sneak in. Trabor sees the Predator and opens fire. Hearing the shots, the guards see Superman and he has to use his wits to beat them.

Skane shoots the rifle from Trabor's hands just as the Predator escapes and takes him captive. Then the alien attacks and Skane runs off. The Predator walks up to Trabor and wanders off. Last time he survived he was injured, this time he has no weapon. Is Skane a bigger threat? The Predator goes after Skane.

Superman gets into the labs and tells the scientists to stop what they are doing, but the generators are elsewhere, and if he smashes anything he will just spread the mutagen here.

Skane and the Predator fight hand to hand, but he cheats and pulls out a gun. The Predator shows him that that was a big mistake.

Superman finds the generators. Ward, Rollins and some guards are there. As Superman begins to creep up on them, the Predator attacks him. The guards run, Ward goes to find Skane, and Superman and the alien fight it out - and Superman is losing.

Dr Trabor arrives, and punches out Dr Rollins. Meanwhile, Superman begins to punch out a wall, which falls and crushes the Predator. Superman locks the alien in one of the cells but Trabor suggests that the alien may know how to shut down the weapon and that they should let him go. Which they do.

Superman follows the alien to the generators when Ward drives a jeep into Superman knocking him over. Suddenly the Predator throws his "chakram" and Ward loses his head.

Suddenly the weapon begins to warm up. The Predator sees this and activates his auto destruct. Superman realises what it is, and Trabor has to drag Superman away before it's too late. Just as they leave, the Predator throws Superman a vial.

The temple explodes.

Superman drinks the contents of the vial which cures him of the alien virus that had weakened him.

Back in Metropolis, Lois and Clark are glad to be home. Clark can't help worry that more aliens might come.

3Story - 3: Sadly an average ending to this series, though this was better than part 2. Good to finally find out about Dr Trabor, and it wasn't quite what I expected (which was a CIA sort of thing) so this came out as a nice "surprise". My main complaint (as with the whole series) is the inconsistency. Why make Superman ill and take away all his powers and then have him make a big effort and still be able to use them? Which brings me onto my next point. The cure was a bit of a cop out I thought. That's all there is to say really as there was no real story just a race against time and lots of fights.

3Art - 3: Nice art all round this issue. It has suited the series as a whole, and I have quite enjoyed it. By far the big strength has been the colours by Hollingsworth, though Maleev draws a good Predator (page 3) even if his Supes ain't brilliant and his Lois is ugly.

2Cover Art - 2: The worst cover of the series. Uninspiring and not eye catching in any respect and overly cluttered.



Other relevant reviews:

Mild Mannered Reviews

2000

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic was on sale.

January 2000

February 2000 March 2000 April 2000 May 2000 June 2000 July 2000 August 2000 September 2000 October 2000 November 2000 December 2000 Annuals

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