Predator: Badlands #1 – Marvel prequel comic cover art & release date

A prequel comicbook for Predator: Badlands is coming soon from Marvel Comics! Written by Ethan Sacks with artwork by Marvel newcomer Elvin Ching, the comic takes place before the events of the movie by Dan Trachtenberg. While the comic takes place before the film, it won't hit comic shops until after the film releases, however – arriving November 12th, 2025!

Below is the comic's cover art by Juan Ferreyra and the official press release by Marvel:

New York, NY— August 21, 2025 — “Predator: Badlands,” the thrilling new entry in the “Predator” film franchise, arrives in theaters on November 7. That same month, Marvel Comics will publish PREDATOR: BADLANDS #1, a tie-in comic by writer Ethan Sacks, known for his stellar work on Marvel’s Star Wars titles, and, in his Marvel Comics debut, artist Elvin Ching, a promising recent participant of Marvel’s Art Atelier program. Serving as the official prelude to the highly anticipated film, the one-shot is being produced in close collaboration with director Dan Trachtenberg, who will also write a foreword for the issue.

“Predator: Badlands,” which stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is set in the future on a remote planet, where Dek, a young Predator outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary. Taking place shortly before these events, the “Predator: Badlands” comic explores the film’s bold new approach to “Predator” franchise storytelling, introducing readers to Dek and other key characters.

THE HUNT BEGINS.
In the one-shot, a young Yautja warrior is given a seemingly simple task by his father: retrieve a piece of technology from a derelict spaceship that crashed years ago. Inside, however, an ancient and deadly threat lies in wait.

“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,” Sacks shared. “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.”

“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,” Trachtenberg raves. “Dek kicking ass in his very own comic book is a dream come true.”

Check out the cover by superstar artist Juan Ferreyra and preorder PREDATOR: BADLANDS #1 at your local comic shop. See “Predator: Badlands” in theaters November 7.

PREDATOR: BADLANDS #1 is the latest Marvel Comics series set in the “Predator” universe. For more Predator comic book storytelling, look for the recently launched series like Predator Kills the Marvel Universe and Predator: Black, White & Blood series at your local comic shop today.

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