There are few Sci-Fi film franchises as iconic asThe Terminator, which has withstood the test of time for a number of reasons. The image of the titular killer robot is immediately identifiable, the movies launchedArnold Schwarzenegger’s career, and it’s probably one of the most quotable franchises in history. But, as entertaining and iconic as the movies are, the latestTerminatorcomic might be even better.
Dynamite Entertainment launched a newTerminatorcomic series in 2024with writers Declan Shalvey and Sal Crivelli, and a number of talented artists, including Luke Sparrow and Colin Craker. Unlike many otherTerminatorcomic book series, this one isn’t simply a spin-off of the films (at least, not directly). Instead, it’s an anthology that really takes advantage of thetime-travel aspect ofTerminatorcanon, while also diving head-first into the true horror of being hunted by a Terminator - and that’s only scratching the surface of why this newTerminatorcomic series is actually better than the films.
8The New Terminator Comic Series Isn’t About John Connor (& That’s a Good Thing)
There are More Stories to Tell than Just Connor’s, &The TerminatorFinally Addresses That
The Terminatorfranchise began with one simple mission: kill John Connor. That came in the form of eliminating John Connor’s mother, Sarah Connor, before John was born, and killing John Connor when he was just a boy. The reason Skynet was obsessed with murdering this particular human was that he would grow up to lead the human resistance, and was integral to humanity’s ultimate victory over Skynet and the Terminators, making John Connor the most important person inTerminatorlore.
But after multiple films, a television series, and many comics dedicated to that story, enough is enough already. Yes, John Connor is important, butThe Terminatoris a vast world that has the potential to touch every time period in history, not to mention the global post-apocalyptic landscape of its future. There are more interesting things in this world than John Connor, and Dynamite Entertainment’s newTerminatorseries finally understands that.
7Skynet Actually Seems Desperate in This New Terminator Series
Terminators are Being Sent Back in Time Throughout History Rather Than Just Key Points
In the movies, Terminators are only sent back in time to key points in history, usually as it relates to John Connor. These missions are deliberate and focused, and are meant to eliminate a specific target. If one mission fails, then Skynet will send another (usually upgraded) Terminator to another point in time of that same target’s life until the mission is complete. In this new comic series, however, Skynet seems to be spiraling with how it’s using time-travel technology - as if it has become desperate.
Rather than sending the latest, best model Terminators to kill a single target of great importance, Skynet is sending its relatively low-level T-800s all over the time stream to kill the ancestors of anyone who might become a threat in the future. The evil AI seems desperate for a win against humanity, and that’s an interesting development that has the chance to be expanded upon in an exciting new way.
6The Terminator’s Anthology Style Means No One is Safe
The Comic has a New Main Character with Every Story, so No One Has Plot Armor
The Terminatormovies may have had nail-biting action sequences, but for the most part, fans knew there were certain characters who were always safe. In the first movie, Sarah Connor was guaranteed to make it out alive, and the same was true for John Connor in the second, third, and fourth films. In this new comic series, however, there is no guarantee that any main character will make it to the end of the story alive. Again, this is an anthology, so there’s a new main character with every passing story - and none of them are safe.
Indeed, the first two full stories in this newTerminatorcomic series have the main characters dying by the end of them, which is in stark contrast with whatTerminatorfans are used to seeing in the movies. This level of uncertainty adds to the layer of horror this series is shrouded in, with real stakes for the characters being hunted by the Terminators.
5Dynamite is Adding Interesting New Ideas to The Terminator Lore
The Terminator Represents Time Itself in the Comic’s Very First Story
The Terminator movies were always pretty straightforward in terms of underlying themes and ideas. Humanity created the means of its own destruction, and only by looking to the past can they find the key to future salvation. But, more than anything else, the films were simply unadulterated action-adventure fun with a hint of horror sprinkled between the exciting shoot-outs. There wasn’t really anything too deep inThe Terminatorfilms, but in Dynamite Entertainment’s new comic series, that’s drastically different.
The Terminator isn’t just presented as a time-traveling killer-robot, but in the first story of this anthology series, the T-800 is presented as a metaphor for time itself. Just as time continues to bring everyone increasingly closer to death with every passing second, so too does the Terminator with its unrelenting, unstoppable pursuit of its target. It’s an interesting new take on the Terminator, and adds to the terrifying nature of the machine in a really cool way.
4The Settings are Fresh and Exciting in the New Terminator Series
The Vietnam War, a Submarine, and a Space Shuttle, Just to Name a Few
The settings in theTerminatorfilms are more or less all the same. They mostly take place in a metropolitan area, where the Terminator is hunting its target in a concrete jungle, spreading carnage and mayhem in its wake. However, in this comic, that has completely changed. Not only does the Terminator travel to different points in time as opposed to just the ‘modern-day’, but it also doesn’t just hunt its targets in cities - or even only on Earth.
The second and thirdTerminatorissues have the Terminator hunting its target in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and the upcoming fourth and fifth issues tease even more ambitious settings: a submarine and space shuttle, respectively. These high-concept ideas are perfect for the comic book landscape, as fans get to see the Terminator in situations that the movies likely wouldn’t want to spend the money to produce, giving the franchise some much-needed change-ups in terms of setting.
3Declan Shalvey Delivers Awesome New Variant Covers with Every Comic
One of the Most Acclaimed Artists in Comics is Giving Fans a New Take on the Terminator Each Issue
Not only are the stories and the settings of those stories arguably more fresh and exciting in Dynamite Entertainment’sTerminatorcomic series than the original films, but the very fact that this series is a comic book is taken advantage of to its fullest extent by the person at the helm of this series, Declan Shalvey. Shalvey isn’t just writing the main story arcs of the anthologyTerminatorbooks, he’s also using his artist talents to create some truly stunning covers.
Shalvey gives fans a new unique cover with everyTerminatorcomic, which is an awesome treat for readers, as Shalvey is one of the most acclaimed comic book artists working today. Fans are able to enjoy Shalvey’s artistic style while reading the stories he’s written, allowing them to become fully immersed in Shalvey’s version ofThe Terminatoruniverse.
2Dynamite is Giving Fans a Bold New Take on The Terminator’s Post-Apocalyptic Future
The TerminatorComic Series Presents the ‘Desolate’ Future in a Completely New Way
InThe Terminatorfilms, fans are shown the post-apocalyptic future many times. The first and second films present it as a cyberpunk dystopia, whileTerminator: Salvationpresents the future as a desolate wasteland, the fallout of nuclear war and continuous warfare. The version of the future is different depending on the movie it’s featured in, as well as the in-world location of the characters themselves - and the same is true for the comics. Dynamite Entertainment’sTerminatorcomic also gives fans an alternate take on the franchise’s future, but this one is decidedly different from the others.
Rather than presenting the future as a depressing hellscape, the first issue shows the future in a very different light: peaceful. The entire world didn’t fall victim to Skynet’s attack on humanity as the films would have fans believe, as two characters in the comic found an untouched corner of the world that they found happiness in - a bold new take onTerminator’s post-apocalyptic future.
1Dynamite Entertainment’s The Terminator Absolutely Loves the Original Films
The TerminatorComic Series Enhances the Movies’ Best Qualities
While the newTerminatorcomic book series might arguably be better than the movies, that’s only possible because of one key detail that’s obvious to fans upon reading this new comic: it absolutely loves the original films. The newTerminatorcomic isn’t trying to undermine the films' continuity, nor is it trying to outshine the movies in any way, shape, or form. The comic is simply adding to the established lore and tone of the originals while presenting fans with exciting new ideas that can exist concurrently with the classic movies.
The main lore of the films is the John Connor story, leaving the comics free to explore other missions Skynet has sent its Terminators on across time. Plus, the comic series is dedicated to putting a spotlight on the horror aspect of the franchise, which is whatThe Terminatorwas founded on before delving into the more action-heavy series it has become, showing a clear level of understanding and love for the original series. And that has contributed greatly to why Dynamite Entertainment’sTerminatorcomic series is arguably even better than the movies.
Terminator
The Terminator franchise, launched by James Cameron in 1984, explores a dystopian future where intelligent machines wage war against humanity. The relentless pursuit of key human figures by time-traveling cyborg assassins known as Terminators is central to the narrative. John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance, is the core target of the malicious machines.
