[Comic Book Review] IDW's TRANSFORMERS vs. THE TERMINATOR TPB

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[Comic Book Review] IDW’s TRANSFORMERS vs. THE TERMINATOR TPB

Joshua Winchester

February 3, 2021

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PopCultHQ received advance review copy of TRANSFORMERS vs. THE TERMINATOR TPB from IDW Publishing. Available February 3rd, the creative team for this book features writing by David Mariotte and John Barber, art from Alex Milne, colors by David Garcia Cruz, and letters from Jake M. Wood.

Here is PopCultHQ’s Spoiler-Free Review of…

TRANSFORMERS vs. THE TERMINATOR TPB

Story: David Mariotte, John Barber, & Tom Waltz

Writing: David Mariotte and John Barber Art: Alex Milne Colors: David Garcia Cruz Letters: Jake M. Wood

Cover Art: Gavin Fullerton

1984: When a deadly race of machines emerge from another time, will a robotic guardian be able to protect the Earth from a dire future… or will the T-800 fail in his mission to prevent the world from becoming a plaything to the Decepticons? It’s up to one Terminator to save the future, and nothing’s gonna stand in his way!

PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review: TRANSFORMERS vs. THE TERMINATOR TPB

If there was ever a time for a book of such epic proportions, that time is now. Transformers vs. Terminator is without a doubt one of the greatest crossovers ever brought to life. Nothing more needs to be said other then this. It’s time for the ultimate wish-fulfillment comic ever. This is a wild ride and everyone gets a front-row seat. Transform and roll out!

Writing: David and John must have grown up during the 80’s, because this entire book is full of amazing writing that is a clear love letter to these two franchise groups. Not only do they smoothly connect the Cybertronian war into the Skynet war, they bring the personalities of many of the most beloved/reviled Autobots and Decepticons to life with their script-work. Major plot twists abound in the book as well, furthering the already awesome story and leaving just enough juicy tidbits behind for future works in this universe.

Art: One of the most amazing things about this art is the Transformers. These bad-as-can-be bots are rendered in their various classic forms and styles. None of the overly insane looks that perpetrated the Michael Bay movie series. No, these Autobots/Decepticons are the way they always are meant to be. Ripped straight from the small screen of many a collective childhood, and given fresh life at the hands of Alex Milne.

Colors: Colors are a key feature for any comic featuring the Transformers. Their bright and shiny schemes are not only a clear way to identify who is who, they also just look downright cool. David Cruz handles the task of making sure every bot has the right colors and does a spectacular job of it. Everything about the coloring for the TPB is quite literally out of this world in the best way possible.

Letters: Lettering for a series of this scope and magnitude could be seen as a daunting challenge. Fortunately, Jake Wood is up to the task. While it would be a stretch to say that one clearly hears Arnold’s voice whenever the Terminator has dialogue, the opposite happens with the Transformers. It’s as if the various performers who gave these iconic characters their original voices are reading the dialogue inside one’s mind. An epic achievement accomplished by a gifted letterer.

PopCultHQ’s overall assessment:

Transformers and Terminator – two powerful icons of 1980s pop culture. For years these franchises have existed worlds apart. Now, thanks to this amazing group of industry professionals, the two are joined in a fast-paced, engaging story. Whether any readers have grown up as fans of the Transformers or the Terminator film series, this TPB is truly the best of both worlds. Be ready because there is not one single moment that anyone will want to miss when they pick this up.