David Mariotte (Author) John Barber (Author) Tom Waltz (Author) Alex Milne (Artist, Cover Artist) David Garcia Cruz (Colorist) Gavin Fullerton (Variant Cover Artist)
Thanks to IDW Publishing for the review copy!
I don’t usually gravitate towards crossovers and mashups, but this one kind of makes sense. Terminators are killer robots that threaten humanity. Decepticons are killer robots that threaten humanity. This lends itself to pondering, who would win if Transformers and Terminators fought? The natural follow up question is, who would you want to win?
This series, dubbed “Enemy of my Enemy,” takes place in its own universe apart from the IDW series currently running. Issue 1 is mostly focused on the Terminator side of the crossover. Terminator has a long running place in the public consciousness, after two really good movies, some meh ones, and the most recent return to form in 2019 (if you haven’t seen TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, I strongly recommend it). The most interesting thing about this series is how it turns some of the Terminator conventions on their head while staying true to the key elements of the Terminator universe.
While we spend most of the issue with the Terminators, the Transformer part of the crossover is done effectively. Terminator fans will recognize iconic vehicle designs in the Transformer alt-modes while Transformers fans will recognize some of the original characters. The end of the issue cements the two franchises together and sets the table for the rest of the series. If the last page isn’t a fake-out, we are in for a crazy ride.
This series doesn’t require a deep knowledge of Transformers or Terminator mythology to enjoy. It obviously helps to know what the deal is with Terminators generally, which I’m imagining most people who are interested in this comic would have. For the Transformers side, if you know who Starscream and Megatron are, you pretty much know everything you need to get into the series. With that said, fans of the 80s cartoon will appreciate references from the show’s pilot. Finally, the tone seems to veer closer to the grittier Terminator side of the crossover equation, so I’m not sure this comic is intended for younger audiences.
Transformers vs. The Terminator #1 is now available.
Have you read the issue? What are your thoughts? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
[…] of my Enemy,” takes place in its own universe apart from the IDW series currently running. While issue 1, focused mostly on the Terminator side of things, the Transformers get chance to shine in issue […]