The real reason I review comic books is so that I can review films. The amount of tie-ins published each month is booming. The positive side of all this is that if you’ve always wanted to know what happened after, or before, one of your favourite films you can find out. Writers are no longer constrained by their original medium and can expand upon their ideas without limitation.
Throughout the years comics and comic-related films have become acceptable forms of entertainment. Previously, comic films were sporadically released and were somewhat disdained by Hollywood. Now they are mainstream fare and have gained layers of aesthetic and psychological depth that were missing from earlier productions. For example, the Dark Knight and Watchmen both comment on what it means to get dressed up, have an alternate persona, be a vigilante, and take the law into your own hands.
Productions such as 300 and Sin City concentrate on the aesthetic qualities of the comic form translated onto the screen, reproducing the look and feel of static print images through the use of slow motion shots and saturated colours.
Consequently, the standard of comic films and comics has risen. Nowadays, it is hard to settle for a linear, simple plot without any depth. This brings me to the Terminator Prequel comic. As everyone should know, Terminator (the film) was first released in 1984. The following Terminator films followed the same basic outlines as the first film: action filled, Schwarzenegger one-liner, chase film extravaganza. Terminator Salvation, however, promises to take the franchise in a new direction, being a post-apocalyptic war film and scrapping the chase motif.
The comic takes place in 2017, a year before the events in the upcoming film. The issue opens with scenes of various annihilated cities with Terminator robots patrolling the remains. In the midst of this destruction, groups of human resistance fighters eke out a living underground. One group, led by Elena Maric, a former LAPD officer, is headquartered in Detroit, while another, led by Bem Aworuwa, is stationed in an open-pit uranium mine in Niger, Africa. They have formed an unlikely alliance and are planning to disrupt the machines’ supply lines. John Connor plays a secondary role, appearing as a disembodied voice broadcasting from Los Angeles to the rest of the world, urging the other survivors to band together and fight. He also appears for a few panels during a flashback sequence.
The previous Terminator stories depended on the time travel paradox gimmick to inject depth. Terminator Salvation does not have that luxury, but instead adds depth through characterisation. In Niger, a French doctor at the mine, Lysette Gravois, though valuable because of her medical training, is considered an outsider. Yusuf, another character at the mine, is an illegal immigrant from Syria. In Detroit, Jackson Parker, a former factory worker, lives in the sewers with his family, refusing to help the Resistance, but they continuously pester him because of his knowledge of sewer systems. Tension is created through the interactions between the characters and the hostile environment. Humanity is on its last legs, planning an ultimate stand before it is snuffed out completely.
During an interview, writer Dara Naraghi stated: “This lets me play with the themes of human prejudice and class distinctions that people have to overcome. Acceptance and prejudice don’t mean quite the same things when every day is a struggle to survive.”
Although the feeling of bleakness and of humanity barely surviving permeate the comic, the artwork is disappointing. The opening panels show scenes of destruction around the world: Washington DC, Los Angeles, Beijing, and other cities. However, most buildings are intact and it looks like the artist just used a digital eraser tool to remove chunks of the structures, leading to some very strange looking wreckage – the Taj Mahal looks like Godzilla took a bite out of it, rather than a nuclear strike.
The character inking seems rushed and looks sketchy. Character detailing is inconsistent. Up close, the detailing is precise, but in a wide shot, details are removed. This constantly tore me away from the storyline. I felt it’s a shame that the artwork doesn’t match the level of storytelling. Instead of playing with shadows, or using other effects, unimportant details are left out, meaning there are blank faces, strange-looking teeth, and weird smiles. The smiles are the major weakness. Not one smile in the entire comic looks real. This is overcome by having characters frown throughout, which makes sense considering the circumstances, but seems like a cheap trick.
Notwithstanding, Terminator Salvation is a well told story that is a fine accompaniment to the forthcoming film. Strong characterisation has added a new element into the ageing franchise, and the comic ends with a hook that James Cameron would be proud of. One issue will be published per month before the film’s release.
But, really, the question on everyone’s mind is, who will say, “I’ll be back,” now that Arnie isn’t around?
Mr Vella is an English Literature graduate with a passion for speculative fiction, comics, and images.
A review copy of this title was supplied by Malta Comics, www.maltacomics.com