The Terminator #1 Review: An Emotional Upgrade

I often find myself fascinated by the conceit — and execution — of licensed comics. In the right hands, they can be well-executed retellings or expansions of stories fans know and love. In the wrong hands, they can be a half-hearted collection of storyboards, which either misunderstand or do not do justice to their source material. In a separate precarious set of circumstances, they can even lead to the birth of an original idea within the comic canon of another publisher. The latest fictional saga to play that game of chance is The Terminator, James Cameron’s surprise sci-fi hit that has blossomed into a wide-ranging collection of sequels, prequels, offshoots, and everything in between. While the sleek conceit of the franchise has led to quite a few comic spinoffs over the years, Dynamite’s newest crack at it is effective right out of the gate. This week’s The Terminator #1 comes close to being truly outstanding, offering an impactful reading experience for both die hard franchise fans and new readers alike. 

The Terminator #1 traverses across decades and quieter woodland locales to tell the story of Harper and Penny, an unassuming couple whose lives were forever changed by the war between man and machine. As the circumstances surrounding the couple grow more and more dire, a surprising amount of carnage ensues.

Anyone going into The Terminator #1 expecting the start of a massive battle against Skynet, littered with Easter eggs and high stakes for the overall franchise, might be left disappointed. This issue’s small-scale plot does very little to set up the grand narrative that might be on the horizon — but that is a large part of why it ends up being so effective. For those who are only culturally aware of the Terminator lore, the issue proves to be incredibly accessible, instead leaning on the universal emotions being felt by its protagonists. For those who might be a bit better versed in the Terminator world, there are certainly more levels of detail to be gleaned, but in a more subtle manner. If anything, the direct pivot away from the plight of Sarah and John Connor should prove to be a refreshing change of pace, preventing the franchise as a whole from getting a little too stale or insular.

A large part of the freshness of The Terminator #1 is thanks to Declan Shalvey’s script, which comes across as the perfect distillation of his scrappy, but emotional narrative style. Again, there are not necessarily massive pontifications about the ethics or politics of the robot apocalypse, but those observations can be clearly felt within the margins. Instead, the priority is delivering a self-contained exercise in emotion, which had arguably been lacking from some of the saga’s bigger installments as of late. Sure, some of Shalvey’s narration does land a bit awkwardly, but those moments are too fleeting to really bog down the story at hand.

On an aesthetic level, the art from Luke Sparrow fits both the gritty established oeuvre of Shalvey’s work, and the visual language of the franchise, while also advancing the overall look into a new territory. The character designs, both human and robotic, are consistent and intentional, and the wooded settings immediately feel immersive. Once the issue culminates into a tragic space, even the gore is handled tastefully but impactfully, to the point where readers can practically feel the splatters of blood and the desperate firing of a shotgun. The gorgeous color work from Colin Craker helps the art translate even more, bathing panels in a stunning collection of earthy teals, pinks, and browns. The unfussy lettering courtesy of Jeff Eckleberry helps convey the emotion of the issue’s proceedings, but does feel a bit underdeveloped in some text boxes.

The Terminator #1 might not be the most groundbreaking licensed comic to arrive this year (an honor that is easily given to the Aliens vs. Avengers crossover book from Marvel), but its debut issue is nothing short of a pleasant surprise. By shifting focus away from the worn-out stories of the franchise’s main protagonists, this first issue is able to craft a portrait of ordinary life in an anything-but-ordinary robot apocalypse. On both a narrative and aesthetic level, The Terminator #1 is so straightforward and effective that its attempts at a larger narrative feel like an afterthought — but you still can not help but be excited to see this creative team eventually tackle it. Whether you have voraciously followed every chapter in the Terminator saga, or are jumping into the decades-old story for the very first time, you will probably find something impactful in this debut issue. 

Published by Dynamite Entertainment

On October 9, 2024

Written by Declan Shalvey and Sal Crivelli

Art by Luke Sparrow with Colin Craker

Colors by Colin Craker

Letters by Jeff Eckleberry

Cover by Declan Shalvey