Comic Book Review - The Terminator #1

Skynet failed in terminating John Connor, but it has a few more plans up its cybernetic sleeves… 

Fresh from his stint with the Xenomorph in Marvel’s Aliens, writer Declan Shalvey takes on another icon of 80’s cinema. This time he swaps acid blood for cold, hard steel as we get a new entry in the Terminator franchise.

With Skynet’s war on the Connors dead in the water, the insidious artificial intelligence has developed a new way of terminating humanity by targeting the human resistance before Judgement Day even happened. With Terminators sent through time to various time zones, the war of the future is happening in the past. With time literally on Skynet’s side, will anyone survive to take the fight into the future? 

Straight off the bat, Shalvey gives us an opening narrative that throws a curveball to established Terminator lore. Taking place in 2018 we see a lush green environment that’s a far cry from the desolate wastelands that are synonymous with the series. Here, it’s soon established that this pocket of paradise is anything but as a T-800 comes lurking out of the depths. Its target is a seemingly unknown pair of characters (Penny and Harper), who’ve been preparing all their life for this fateful encounter. What comes next is a blistering battle as we see the couple go to extreme lengths to stop the Terminator from completing its goal. As bullets fly, we start to care for this couple whilst simultaneously asking the question of who are they, and why does Skynet want then dead? 

While this question isn’t exactly answered, Shalvey does take us back to pre-judgment day 1979 - long before Skynet’s creation. Here we follow a young couple as they attempt to outrun a dangerous foe. Not only has this person murdered their entire families, but it’s also hunting them down with reckless abandon. With the authorities powerless to help them, the young couple attempt to escape into the depths of the wilderness to survive. It’s here in 1979 where Shavley opens up on the past of his two characters and gives us a reason to root for them back in 2018. 

There are great tidbits of Terminator lore throughout as we learn that Harper has been living off the grid with the Terminator seemingly tracking him down due to his marriage to Penny. It’s very much the mirror image of Sarah Connor’s battle with Skynet however the outcome is very different. The events of 1979 soon find themselves back in 2018 with the two timeframes syncing up pretty well. It’s also here where this opening reaches its conclusion under quite shocking circumstances. 

Much like his work with Aliens, Shalvey shows a great understanding of the source material to craft a story that’ll win over the staunchest of Terminator fans. We get plenty of tension across both narratives as Shalvey weaves an intricate web that pulls together as this standalone story unfolds. Each plot point and question asked does a brilliant job of highlighting a much wider threat that's bubbling away in the background. I’ve already got so many questions of my own and I’m hoping that I find these answers as the series continues. 

Joining Shalvey in this series are artists Luke Sparrow and Colin Craker. Both artists work extremely well together to bring the script to life with the cinematic feel that made the original films a hit. The scene of the Terminator rising from the depths is a brilliant example of this and highlights the depths that the machine will go to complete its mission. Both future and past segue well together with two contrasting styles that let us know what period we’re in. Both main characters are well-designed with plenty of close-up shots that delve into their respective personalities as well as current thoughts. The sheer desperation shown in Harper's battle with the T-800 shows just how far he’s willing to go to protect his loved ones, and it's quite a feat in itself to show this level of emotion within a comic book page. 

Rounding this opening issue off is a short story by Sal Crivelli which charts another encounter with the machines. Over two simple pages, Crivelli gives us the Terminator arriving at its destination to then track its target. It’s a simple two-page story that’s the opening to a much wider serial. While ‘Buried Alive’ works well as a palette cleanser for the main story, at the moment it doesn’t have enough for me to comment on what is happening. However, I’m hoping this changes in future issues. 

Overall The Terminator #1 sets itself off to an electrifying start. With Declan Shalvey at the reigns, we’re getting the opening chapter to a bold vision that respects the franchise's past whilst throwing it into an entirely different direction. With the potential to throw a few curveballs our way The Terminator is already shaping up to be one hell of a ride, and it’s one I’m eager to jump on board. 

Rating: 9/10 

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