Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s): Dan Jolley
Artist(s): Jamal Igle
Release Date: 3rd September 2014

The more I read of this series the more confused I become over the relevance of its central character, Elise Fong. The entire premise is built around her, but five issues in we have yet to learn anything of her background beyond the supposed threat she poses to Skynet. This latest issue offered no further insight, so I can only conclude that Elise Fong is quite simply a cipher who hovers on the periphery of the story, merely to facilitate extended action sequences featuring the Terminator and Farrow Greene. With such a rich mythology to draw upon it’s a shame this series has descended into such a mindless, drawn-out slug-fest.

Writer Dan Jolley has pushed a relentless pace throughout at the expense of any serious character development, and has afforded the reader no real opening to establish any kind of emotional investment. His story borrows heavily from the first film, but unfortunately does not feature a protagonist with any believable motivation aside from the T-800 itself. By contrast, the films are able to maintain a similarly breathless pace, but are balanced by fully rounded, believable characters with a strong emotional hook.

Artist Jamal Igle’s work has been the saving grace for the majority of this run, but the second half of this issue feels flat and uninspired. It looks as though the more detailed inking of Ray Snyder is missing; especially in the facial expressions, which have been a strong point throughout. On a more positive note, colourist Wez Dzioba impresses once more, in particular his clever toning of Greene’s flashback lent some much needed emotional depth to the sequence.

With its tenuous premise and under-developed characters, this series has sadly lost its way. Perhaps there will be a series defining finale, but as is, this is purely one for the die-hards.

Rating: 2/5.

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PREVIEW ARTWORK.

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The writer of this piece was: Martin Doyle
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