Terminator: Salvation: The Final Battle #1 Review: This Could Be Cool

Ever since “The Terminator” made its debut in 1984 it has not only skyrocketed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career, it has become an institution. Audiences have seen the series take place not only in the present but even in the future in “Terminator: Salvation.” One of these alleys is in comics. J. Michael Straczynski has made “Terminator: Salvation: The Final Battle” with art by Pete Woods to go back to this world in both present and future.

The story can be split into two. One is the same plot as the first “Terminator:” a person from the future is sent to past to change and gets chased by a terminator. This time it’s three terminators (two male, one female.) The comic’s opening scene is essentially shot for shot of the scene where the Terminator enters a bar and gets his clothes.

The second part is “Terminator Salvation” territory. Here John Carter and his crew are planning to attack a Skynet facility. Meanwhile, a human scientist named Dr. Kogan is working for Skynet is trying to develop a functioning time door and more advanced terminators.

The “Salvation” part is much more interesting than the” Terminator 1” by a mile. The conflict here is better thought out and manages to grasp the reader much better. Dr. Kogan’s plight gives a different perspective on the “Terminator” universe. This is one of the very few times we see a human actually helping Skynet after the apocalypse. Weather she has ulterior motives will have to wait until further issues. When that time comes hopefully it is managed in a way nobody saw coming and will be the part of the comic.

The “Terminator one part,” as said before, is just that: “Terminator one with three terminators. Practically predictable, over done and uninteresting. If Straczynski can pull off something out of nowhere with this part then it will be saved.

Woods’s art is one of those times where the backgrounds and human models all look well made and the facial expressions are weird. Yet another artist who has skill but can’t quite draw facial features that look passable.

“Terminator: Salvation: The Final Battle” has an interesting future story, a ho-hum present story and decent art. With a few changes this could be a welcome addition to the “Terminator” canon.