- Writers: David Mariotte, John Barber, and Tom Waltz
- Interior Artist: Alex Milne
- Colorist: David Garcia Cruz
- Letterer and Designer: Jake M. Wood
- Cover Artist: Gavin Fullerton
- Editor: Tom Waltz
- Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer
Thanks to IDW Publishing for the review copy!
TRANSFORMERS VS. THE TERMINATOR is a mashup between two famous robot franchises. What could be a cheap gimmick has thus far proven to be a fun read. The first two issues introduced us to a future where the Decepticons have taken over the world, with the twist being the Terminators are kind of the good guys. When a Terminator is sent back in time to nip the Decepticon invasion in the bud, he teams up with Sarah Connor and the Autobots. In true mashup form, Connor seems to be taking her role from Transformers and also serving as the “Spike Witwicky” role from the original cartoon.
One thing I like about this series is its dedication to the classic character designs. Both Transformers and Terminator originated in the 1980s, and the art looks consistent with how they looked in their introduction. The Transformers you know and love are here, from Megatron and Starscream to Optimums and Bumblebee. Interestingly, this issue includes Arcee, who was a later addition to the Transformers cartoon, and a Transformer I’ve never heard of before named Velocity. Starscream is the standout in this issue, as he starts his trademark scheming.
While the style is consistent with the source material of both franchises, the tone is an interesting mix of both. It is definitely darker than your typical Transformers media, befitting its mashup with the Terminator. The writing is sharp as well, with the characters’ dialogue and motivation being consistent with how they’ve been portrayed in the past. Eagled eyed Transformers fans will catch snippets of easter egg dialogue from the cartoon and The Transformers: The Movie.
If you like one or both parts of the mashup, you will definitely like this book. Even if you haven’t read the first two issues, general knowledge of Transformers and Terminators will allow you to keep up as long as you know the Terminator has sided with the Autobots.
TRANSFORMERS VS. THE TERMINATOR #3 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!
