Kevin McDowall reviews Transformers vs. The Terminator…
Transformers has always been at the forefront of the comic industry; whether it be the interesting early Marvel years to the hyper gritty modern marvel that is the IDW take on the franchise. Sometimes though a creative team is let loose and you end up with the craziness of Transformers in the Ghostbusters universe or even the My Little Pony world. The unusual crossover to happen this time is Transformers Vs. The Terminator, a time warping battle to save the world.
Issue #1 introduces us to the ravaged future world set so in stone in the immortal Terminator films. This isn’t the human survivors verses the machines though. In this world it’s Skynet struggling to hold back the onslaught of the apocalyptic Cybertronians. A lone Terminator is chosen to travel back in time to before the attack of the transforming menace to change history and save Skynet and the world from tyranny. There’s some cute little features like the Seekers sharing a body shape with the Hunter/Killers from the Terminator franchise. There’s even some nods like the T-8000 sharing that distinct Alex Milne Cybertronian character design. Our Terminator makes it back in time and quickly finds itself travelling with an average waitress called Sarah Conner as they travel to the crash site of the original Transformers ship. More nostalgia nods abound as the vehicle they use to travel in looks like a certain iconic red truck with a blue striped trailer…
Issue #2 finds us on the Cybertronian capital ship the Ark as the Decepticons lay waste to the remnants of the Autobots. An intervention from the tiny T-800 changes the battle and drives the Decepticons away, leaving the Autobots in an uneasy alliance with the sole Skynet machine. There’s a fantastic mix of characters from the G1 continuity like Optimus, Bumblebee, Wheeljack and Grimlock to IDW introduced characters like Velocity. Special mention goes to the designs of the fem-bots like Arcee and Velocity. They are beefed out and look dangerous, nothing like their slender boob box original designs and that’s awesome to see.
Issue #3 has the Decepticons attacking Cyberdine Systems to destroy the only credible threat to their reign of Earth and eliminate Skynet before it’s ever activated. The Autobots must unearth their plans and stop them before its too late. Even in this alternate universe, Sarah Conner still kicks ass and even the deadly Ravage is no match for her.
The final issue #4 ends this battle with a massacre of both the Autobot and the Decepticon ranks as the dastardly plan of the T-800 comes to fruition. Even in the aftermath of the climactic final fight, in a very Terminator fashion, ‘life finds a way’…
This was an exceptional little read. The story was amusing in that ‘tickles every nostalgia box’ kind of way, especially if you’re a fan of these opposing kinds of franchise. Nods like Starscream shouting ‘Judgement’ at the Terminators is a lovely touch. Alex Milne is just a god of Transformer design by this point and the mix of Cybertronian and the essential ‘G1’ style was a delight for the eyes throughout the entire comic run. The standalone story format worked well and the writers deserve props for making it fit into both G1 Transformers and the established lore of Terminator. Needless to say it didn’t work out well for humanity either way! Tansformers vs. The Terminator is highly recommend as long as you don’t care for its stand alone nature and what it does to certain characters.
Rating: 9/10
Kevin McDowall – Follow me on Twitter @robotsintheshed
