Dynamite; $4.99  

The Terminator Metal series goes inside the minds, or CPUs, of Terminators in an anthology book that provides insight into how they process situations and survive. The first two issues were set in the future during the human resistance, while issue three takes readers back to 1889 in Blue Mountains, Oregon. 

An outlaw who just committed murder in a small town needs a place to hide. What he finds is a Terminator in need of maintenance and power. Once the Terminator is discovered, it heads out to find a way to make repairs and boost its battery. On the way it learns the meaning of the term “Wild West.” 

This series by Declan Shalvey and Rory McConville dives into the Terminators objectives and AI-based rationale beyond the single objective of killing a target. Each issue comes at it from a different angle, featuring twists that emphasize their cold logic, with nuances that hint at emotion.  

Terminator Metal #3 sees a Terminator doing whatever it can to survive and complete its objective. Artist Colin Craker creates the old West ambiance through the settings and clothing, and the futuristic Terminator gives it the fish-out-of-water juxtaposition. That effect makes the Terminator even more intimidating, while also emphasizing his limited odds at surviving in this low-tech world.  

–Amanda Sheriff