The Terminator #3 opens with a familiar phrase: “War is hell”. In the case of Private Edward Duggan, that becomes quite literal since he’s being hunted by a Terminator. Part two of “Apocalypse Then” slams on the gas and doesn’t let up as Duggan races to get on the last plane out of Vietnam while staying one step ahead of the literal killing machine on his heels.
As it turns out, there’s another reason why Duggan is racing to get to safety, and it adds an entirely new layer to the story. Declan Shalvey’s shown that he can capture the horror elements of the original Terminator film in the previous two issues, but with The Terminator #3, he also gets the other half of the equation: the resilience of humanity. It’s that resilience that fueled Kyle Reese, and it’s present in Duggan. Even though he’s outmatched, he refuses to give up.
This leads to some pulse-pounding moments courtesy of artist David O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan’s first five pages bring a carefully constructed cacophony of chaos, beginning with Duggan hijacking a bike and riding away from the Terminator. Another massive panel showcases the Terminator awash in flame from a tank shell, with Colin Craker covering the page in reddish-orange light. From the first page to the last, readers will be on their toes.
Dynamite Entertainment
But O’Sullivan also deserves credit for making the Terminator a truly frightening force. It is finally stripped free of its false flesh, and its iconic metal skull stares straight ahead, the glowing red eyes locked onto readers. This leads to a truly frightening page where Duggan, seemingly getting to safety via helicopter, turns to thank his pilot…and the pilot’s head spins around, revealing the Terminator’s glare. From the way O’Sullivan structures this page, it looks as though the Terminator’s staring right at the reader.
The Terminator #3 also continues its backup story, “Buried Alive”, by Sal Crivelli and Cracker. While I’m loving how Cracker’s artwork upholds the action elements of Terminator 2: Judgment Day – especially when a Terminator’s victim ramrods it with a car – I feel these backups could use a little more meat, as four pages only goes so far. That, and I still don’t know why this Terminator has been sent back or why another Terminator is working to impede it.
The Terminator #3 concludes its Vietnam-set story by highlighting the combination of horror elements and human resilience. This approach, combined with the time traveling through different eras, makes this a Terminator story worth reading.
You must be logged in to post a comment.