Tony Caputo once again gets the guest writer credit—but he’s written two of the three Terminator comics, so how’s he a guest (maybe because, if you read the indicia, you see the original characters are copyright the first artist)? He also completely shuts down the story arc he started last issue. I mean, there’s still little Tim Reese, brother of Kyle (Michael Biehn from the movie), and they go to the brainwashed human town… but Caputo seems to be cleaning house otherwise.

He also reveals there’s no Sarah in “The Sarah Slammers,” the name of the outfit Tim meets up with. I don’t know why I assumed there had to be a Sarah, maybe because it seems like they have a female commander in the previous issues. However, this issue makes it clear the commander’s a dude. A tough dude named Leahy. So I guess they’re named after Sarah Conner? Like homage?

Ooof.

The issue doesn’t need any extra strikes against it, either, not with the art. Thomas Tenney and Jim Brozman are back from last issue, pencils and inks, respectively, but the art’s much, much worse. The most polite description of Terminator #3’s art is amateurish; colorist Rich Powers changes people’s hair colors between pages, even the good robot—synthetic (guess Caputo saw Aliens too)—who’s the only one with a giant eighties mullet in the comic so it’s not like you could confuse him.

Speaking of confusion—someone, either Caputo or lettered Ken Holewczynski, went back to calling the ‘Nators ‘Gators again. I think there are only a couple of times this issue and only one character doing it; there’s a chance it could be a regional nickname for the Terminators. Unlikely, but I wanted to give the book the benefit of the doubt.

Because even though the art’s bad and the dialogue’s bad, Caputo’s got an okay plot and an incredible pace. While the story runs long—twenty-seven pages—and there’s some fluff at the beginning, it’s eventually compelling. Not with Tim and his little girlfriend, not with the humans’ inability to crack the Skynet computers, but when they’re on the run from the Terminators. All of a sudden Terminator clicks.

It’s not a good comic but it is effective by the end. If you make it through the art and the obnoxious kid.

Oh, right—it takes place three years after The Terminator. At least three years after the future part of Terminator (Reese going back in time). Will that detail be important? Doubt it.

The credits for this issue say Tony Caputo (also NOW Comics publisher) is the guest writer. Except we’re on Terminator #2; it’s not like there’s an established team. Plus, penciler Thomas Tenney is new too… but not a guest.

Tenney and inker Jim Brozman deliver possibly better art than the last issue, but it’s not more interesting. Instead, it’s all very blandly composed, with Tenney sure readers want to pour over the page to discover child soldiers early and so on.

The child soldiers belong to Johnnie-O and the Synth-Slashers. Johnnie-O doesn’t make it through the first action scene (he’s a grown-up leading child soldiers, boys and girls, but the boys are stronger). The rest of the issue is Tim trying to get his less capable comrade Ann away from the Terminators. Sometimes they’re called ‘Nators, sometimes they’re called ‘Gators. Whatever proofreading they had going at NOW wasn’t enough.

The issue juxtaposes Tim and Ann’s journey with last issue’s rag-tag unit, Sarah’s Slammers. Terminator needed a guest writer to come in and lean further into its worst details. Though when the characters discuss The Terminator: The Movie, the units just have numbers and don’t sound silly. Except they can only repeat the Kyle Reese line from the original. Apparently, no rights to anything else.

Reese just recently went back in time. Or at least, they thought he went back in time, but the place blew up. The resistance fighters are telling the moon humans about it. Also, in the need for proofreading department, one moon person tells them all the androids on the moon are cool and chill, then the android they brought with them immediately says he’s the only android on the moon.

The questionably action-packed finale brings Tim and Ann into the existing plot. The last line of dialogue reveals a “surprise” movie connection.

Hopefully next issue, they get some creative regularity on the book, but… there’s only so much anyone’s going to do with this comic.