Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle #3 Review

Is there enough power in this endoskeletal design to hold attention? Or is this just a franchise that needs to shutdown? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

John Connor and his army of human resistance fighters have finally brought the battle to the machines, but a desperate chase is unfolding in the past that could render their valiant efforts futile!

I’ve been a massive fanboy for this saga since I saw a T-800 save a kid who was destined to destroy all others like him. And as this latest issue proves there’s a lot of material left in this sci-fi opus, perhaps more than the creators of the fourth installment even realized. But that said there are some goofy moments within this piece, even as this chase starts to heat up.

J. Michael Straczynski handles the script and the seasoned author takes what he accomplished in the first two issues and runs with it as he allows the action to take center stage. We get both the present day and future war struggle, as the scribe charts a steady course toward the next logical step of the property. My only real complaint is the implementation of secondary abilities for the machines, it’s true that this is not a first for Skynet, but it still looked weird to see bodily functions shift in favor of a designated model number.

The art by Pete Woods continues to be a competent extension of the source material. The talent employs techniques that never rob us of the filmmaker vision that made this whole endeavor a must follow event. There were some oddly shaped panels that caused a bit of a distraction but as far as tech art goes these renditions do just enough right to garner praise. I especially enjoyed some of the more subtle actions brought on by the antagonists.

Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle #3 may not re-write the future or challenge the notions of fate, but it does entertain from opening to close. So grab a bottle of your finest, find a spot and enjoy this. Recommended.

3.5/5