2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Terminator. Dynamite Entertainment celebrated this milestone by reprinting many out of print comics based on the film franchise. Now, a new trailer reveals something of the twisted time travel tales to be told in Dynamite’s new Terminator comic.
Produced in partnership with STUDIOCANAL S.A.S., the new comic is an anthology that will tell different stories set in the world of Skynet. The main series will be written by ThunderCats author Declan Shalvey, with art by Star Trek artist Luke Sparrow. However, the series will also feature backup stories by popular comics YouTuber Sal Crivelli and a rotating team of artists.
The trailer for The Terminator #1 may be viewed below.
New Terminator comic is “Quantum Leap from Hell”
When asked for a description of the new Terminator series, Declan Shalvey described it as “Quantum Leap from Hell.” The original films operated on similar lines as that classic science-fiction show about a time traveler trying to put right what once went wrong. Conversely, the Terminator films focused on Skynet’s attempts to kill future resistance leader John Conner and insure a machine victory. However, given their repeated failures, the new comic will see Skynet seeking new targets to assassinate via time travel.
“We’re going for a more stripped-down, pulpy approach to the book,” notes Shalvey. “As innovative and groundbreaking as the first film was, it was also grounded in its environment, being noirish and moody as hell. An unstoppable force is coming to kill you — that’s the element of the franchise I want to lean into.”
To that end, the new comic finds Skynet targeting new figures across time, sending humanoid robots after other people whose lives might change the future. Most issues of the new Terminator series will, consequentially, be “done-in-one” tales based around new heroes. This will allow the new series’ creators more creative freedom, while still adhering to the rules and aesthetic of the movies.
The Terminator #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere in October 2024.