Is Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines going to be a good summer movie? I have no idea if it'll be entertaining, and I have my doubts (though I look forward to seeing Claire Danes on the big screen again). Fortunately, this prequel comic book is entertaining, and it explores an interesting question that's been lingering since the first Terminator movie. Some untested creators do a fine job with the material, mining some untapped potential.
In the future, mankind is an endangered species, hunted down by the Terminators, agents of Skynet, the sentient machine network that rules the world. John Connor, the leader of the human resistance, has tasked a husband-and-wife team with a special mission. Rather than destroy or run from a Terminator unit, they must trap one and capture it. A Terminator needs to be sent back into the past to protect Connor in his youth, but actually getting their hands on one of the deadly robots proves to be a daunting -- and deadly -- task.
Parlov does a pretty good job of bringing the grisly future of the Terminator movies to life, but he doesn't quite go so far as the fields of skulls we've seen on the bif screen. No, he wisely holds back and provides a landscape that scarred but nevertheless familiar. It makes it easier for the reader to relate to this extreme and ugly way of life.
While the core creative team is composed of relatively new names in comics, I was pleased to see that the colors were handed off to one of the industry's best: Paul Mounts. He brings the destructive energy and climactic action of the Terminators to life through shockingly bright reds and oranges. At the same time, he maintains drab tones for the quieter moments, reinforcing the stark and horrific world in which the characters exist.
The concept is a novel one. Sure, we know that the resistance sent Terminator robots back to protect its leader, but how did it pull it off? Brandon's plot tells the grisly story behind the mission, and it's not only a logical extension of the Terminator legend, but one that really delves into the horrors of war that the title character represents. Don't get me wrong... this isn't much deeper than the action-oriented, special-effects-laden stories from the big screen. But the storytelling is solid here, and the premise is intriguing.
