Summary

• Dutch returning to the Predator franchise in Predator: The Last Hunt #2 could be the greatest fan service ever seen in the series.
• John Schaefer's mission to find his brother, Dutch, which began in Predator: Concrete Jungle, may finally come to fruition.
• The title "The Last Hunt" could refer to Dutch, hinting at a final, epic showdown with the Predators in the far future of 2068.

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Predator: The Last Hunt #2! Dutch, the original Dutch’s older brother, John Schaefer.

In Predator: The Last Hunt #2 by Ed Brisson and sco Manna, Theta and her partner, Paolo, have found a Predator Stasis Farm, where the Yautja have been storing the unconscious bodies of those they’ve kidnapped and planned to hunt later on their designated game preserve planets. While they come across a group of human survivors who escaped their stasis pods - including and especially John Schaefer - Theta and Paolo soon realize that this planet has been abandoned, and the only living creature within the Stasis Farm itself was perhaps the most vicious Predator these warriors have ever seen.

Before they all realize their mission was nothing more than an elaborate trap, John describes to Theta what he re about being captured by the Predators. John had been tracking a Predator in Thailand, though the Yautja got the better of him, as the next thing he re is waking up in a stasis pod on this far-off world in the year 2068. So, when he meets Theta, John immediately s her to investigate the Stasis Farm, as he hopes to finally complete the mission he started decades ago: finding his brother, Dutch.

Predator Can Finally Pay Off John Schaefer’s Decades-Long Mission to Find Dutch

John Schaefer first undertook this mission in Dark Horse Comics’ Predator: Concrete Jungle by Mark Verheiden, Chris Warner, and Ron Randall

John Schaefer is originally a character from Dark Horse Comics’ Predator continuity, whose storyline began in the unofficial comic book sequel to the first film, Predator: Concrete Jungle. This comic predates 1990’s Predator 2 by more than a full year, and actually continues Dutch’s storyline through the eyes of his brother, John, who learns that Dutch has gone missing, and realizes that the Predators were responsible (after having faced one himself in New York City).

Throughout Predator: Concrete Jungle, as well as many other subsequent storylines, John Schaefer hunts Predators looking for any trace of his brother. However, in Dark Horse’s established Predator canon, he never found Dutch, and John’s story seemingly ended once the Predator comic books started being published by 20th Century Studios. But now, John has the chance to finish the mission he started back in 1989, and finally find his brother.

Dutch’s Inclusion in Predator: The Last Hunt Would Perfectly Explain the Comic’s Title

The title of this current Predator storyline is Predator: The Last Hunt, which is a bit strange considering the wider Predator universe under 20th Century Studios has only just begun. Sure, ‘The Last Hunt’ could be referring to Theta, whose storyline may very well be ending in this volume, but it could also be referencing a much older, more established character in Predator lore: Dutch. If John Schaefer were to find Dutch in this storyline, then Dutch could battle the Predators one more time in one final, glorious ‘last hunt’.

If ‘The Last Hunt’ is referring to Dutch, then 20th Century Studios would be paying off both John’s storyline by having him find Dutch, and Dutch’s storyline by giving him an epic final send-off. But, before any of that can happen, Theta and John first have to find Dutch, something that has been strongly teased in this chapter of Predator lore, and would mark the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic action-hero.

Predator: The Last Hunt #2 by 20th Century Studios is available now.