Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone #4 Review

Can this poor series turn things round in the final act? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

As a desperate scientist’s violent evolution reaches its deadly apex, an alien-and-predator battle royale erupts in the bowels of the doomed Geryon armada! Now, on a ship of killers—there can be only one survivor . . .

Yet another chapter of Fire and Stone comes to an end, and with only one more issue of Predator: Fire and Stone, as well as the Prometheus: Fire and Stone – Omega one-shot, it won’t be long until this event reaches it’s conclusion. This is a sad notion, as though Alien vs. Predator has admittedly been the weaker link within this crossover, the events itself has been awesome.

Leaving his best till last, Christopher Sebela delivers a script that solidifies AVP’s place in the Fire and Stone crossover. Though it’s not enough to make up for the past failures of the series, the climax itself is a great bridging gap between the different series, with the character development being particularly intriguing. Despite this, there was a part of me that felt this was too little, too late, with the emotional struggle between Elden and Francis feeling a little cliché.

Despite being a fan of Ariel Olivetti‘s art on most comics, I’ve felt his unique style has been ill suited within the AVP Universe. This in no way means that his art is terrible, with the execution being as fabulous as ever. It’s just that the sleek finish that his unique colour palette produces, along with the bold inks, gives a harsh look. Another positive to take away from Olivetti’s is the way he embraces the story, with his dynamic layouts, and emotional pull allowing for a dramatic overtone.

Alien vs. Predator: Fire and Stone may not have been the best entry in the crossover, being the exact opposite, but one thing it was, was a worthy addition. This proves true till the end, as despite still having flaws, the dramatic climax proved entertaining.