Things are not looking good for John Connor and the human race with this sixth installment of Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle. This issue rocks with lots of action and more character development, as we see more sides to Dr. Kogan, John Connor, and serial killer Thomas Parnell.
A new kind of fear has been instilled in John Connor’s troops, as Thomas Parnell merges with Skynet and exacts his own kind of horrific vengeance upon the human race. John and Simon almost run out of time, as they send a re-programmed Terminator back into the past, and yet this is a turning point for John, as he realizes that, from this moment on, he does not know what is going to happen. For the first time, his future (and ours) is uncertain.
Not entirely in control of all the Skynet forces yet, Parnell revels in his new-found power and is unconcerned over the toll it’s taking on the T-Unit forces. For all the intelligence Skynet possesses, they are just now figuring out that having a serial killer run your war may not have been such a good idea after all. Dr. Kogan knew the risks involved, but it was the price she paid not to die an early death from cancer. But, being the very smart scientist she is, Dr. Kogan has backup plans within backup plans.
Though the action moves swiftly, we finally get a few moments to breathe and discover a little bit more about the characters. Through Dr. Kogan’s narration, we get a glimpse into Parnell’s past and why he is the way he is. It’s smartly executed and very tight. I especially like the splash page on page 21, as Parnell merges even more deeply into Skynet. The art and color give off the root of violence at its core – hungry, desperate, and unforgiving. We also see that Simon is more than just a soldier, and even though I still don’t know why anyone would follow John Connor, he chooses the people around him well. So, that counts for something when it comes to character. I also like the way we see the world through Parnell’s eyes as a T-Unit. His violence is magnified by the close-up shots and the wash of red color. It gives us a feeling that we are in the midst of these atrocities.
On a personal note, I love that Parnell resembles Tom Hiddleston.
J.M. Straczynski, whose credit are too numerous to bother mentioning, pens the series with art by Pete Woods, colors by Matthew Wilson, and lettering by Nate Peikos of Blambot. This issue will be available in stores tomorrow, May 7th.
