Of all the things I love about The Terminator: Metal, the best part is that it fully explores the dark, desolate future wrought by Skynet. Previous films in the Terminator franchise only touched on it briefly, but Metal thrusts readers right into the middle of the action, showcasing how humanity is adjusting to fighting a seemingly never-ending war against Skynet and its machines. The Terminator: Metal #4 is a story dedicated to the toll said war has taken on the Resistance.
Upon learning that Skynet has crafted three new production factories to mass-produce Terminator units, the Resistance sends one of its most decorated soldiers, Captain Stock, to carry an EMP generator to one of these factories. Detonating the generator will deal a serious blow to Skynet and give the Resistance the edge it needs. Thanks to a unique storytelling structure by Declan Shalvey and Rory McConville, the lead-up to this mission is given as much detail as its actual execution, revealing how the seemingly separate pieces of this puzzle fit together.
The Terminator: Metal #4 also continues the trend of having a different artist illustrate each issue. This time, the illustration duties fall to Fabio Gallo; despite being a relative newcomer to the scene, Gallo delivers imagery that fits into the war-worn world of The Terminator. Every panel features the wear and tear on the human characters’ faces, the sandy landscapes dotted with the wreckage of vehicles, and the viscera of flesh and blood spilling from a body. I also have the feeling that Gallo might become an in-demand artist once editors start noticing his art style is similar to Marco Checchetto’s. Colin Craker’s colors once again bring an apocalyptic vibe to the proceedings, resulting in reddish skies and the gleaming chrome of Terminator endoskeletons.
Dynamite
Where The Terminator: Metal #4 really succeeds is in its major plot twist. Throughout the story, there’s a sense of unease. Stock insists on carrying the EMP generator himself, despite his fellow soldiers’ plea to help. Two younger soldiers, benched by Stock, decide to join the mission and get a grim reminder of Skynet’s uncanny ability to predict human behavior. This raises more than a few questions, including “what if the EMP generator doesn’t work?” and “What if there’s a Terminator feeding intel inside the Resistance?” Without spoilers, I can say that the end result isn’t what anyone expected, but it recontextualizes a war story into a tragedy.
It’s also the only way the issue could have ended. War often means that the people fighting it have to make sacrifices or cross moral boundaries to achieve victory, leaving all kinds of scars on those who live through it. One of my favorite authors, H.G. Wells, had one of the most profound sayings about the nature of war: “If we don’t end war, war will end us.” The Terminator: Metal #4, while depicting a fictional future war, shows there’s truth to his proclamation.
The Terminator: Metal #4 features a story that twists and turns through time, culminating in an ending that highlights the horror of war. Shalvey and McConville continue to infuse new life into the Terminator mythos with each issue; not every franchise has writers who care that much.
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