John Hansen

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘RoboCop versus The Terminator’ (1992) (Comic book review)

Dark Horse closes out the first of its three stints with the “Terminator” license with the saga’s first crossover: “RoboCop versus The Terminator” (1992). Later, “The Terminator” would cross over with “Aliens/Predator,” “Superman” and “Painkiller Jane,” plus another meeting with “RoboCop.”

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘Endgame’ (1992) (Comic book review)

Dark Horse closes out its “1984 saga” with the deliciously hardboiled three-issue “Endgame”(1992). Artists Jackson Guice (pencils), John Beatty (inks) and Gregory Wright (colors) are a perfect complement to the writing of James Robinson (“One Shot,” “Secondary Objectives”) with their loads of shadows, panels “shot” from above ceiling fans, and one page of a bunch of […]

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘Hunters and Killers’ (1992) (Comic book review)

After three series set in 1984, Dark Horse takes a break from that saga and delivers its first in-depth portrayal of both the Future War and a part of the world other than Los Angeles in “Hunters and Killers” (1992). In that sense, it’s a throwback to the Now Comics.

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘The Enemy Within’ (1991-92) (Comic book review)

Dark Horse makes it 3-for-3 so far on its “Terminator” miniseries with “The Enemy Within” (1991-92). New writer Ian Edginton competently continues the character arcs of Mary Randall, Dudley and Ed Astin. While the art by Vince Giarrano (pencils and inks) and Steve Buccellato (colors) isn’t quite as gorgeous as the previous two series, it’s solid.

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘Secondary Objectives’ (1991) (Comic book review)

“Secondary Objectives” (1991) features the same plot as the first movie – a Terminator (well, two of them in this case) – intends to track down and kill Sarah. But while that was a tense action-movie experience, this four-issue series lives and breathes more.

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘One Shot’ (1991) (Comic book review)

We’re only up to 1991 in our “Terminator” flashback series, and those TDE (time displacement equipment) platforms in the Future War are already getting mighty crowded. The same month “T2” came out (July 1991), Dark Horse sent more folks into the time bubble in “One Shot,” which is the actual title of this 51-page one-shot comic for […]

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ movie and novelization (1991) (Review)

The latest issue of Star Wars Insider (No. 155) espouses ring theory as a way to glean greater depth from the repeating motifs in the “Star Wars” films. The theory could also be applied to James Cameron’s two “Terminator” films: “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991) copies so many plot points and set pieces from the first film […]

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘Tempest’ (1990) (Comic book review)

As Now Comics, which would go bankrupt in 1991, wrapped up its run on “Terminator,” the license was quickly snatched up by Dark Horse Comics – so quickly that its first two issues of “Tempest”overlap with the final two issues from Now (August and September 1990). While several other companies would hold the license in the […]

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘All My Future’s Past’ (1990) (Comic book reviews)

Now Comics wraps up its stint on “The Terminator” with its best work. The two-issue “All My Future’s Past” is a prequel to the first movie chronicling the events leading up to the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Kyle Reese climbing onto the time-displacement unit platforms and traveling from 2029 to 1984. Writer Chuck Dixon shows solid knowledge […]

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘The Burning Earth’ (1990) (Comic book review)

Now Comics’ run of “Terminator” stories makes a significant jump from mediocre to widely lauded with the five-issue mood piece “The Burning Earth” (1990). This is because the painterly art comes from Alex Ross, who was only 19 at the time (the same age as Sarah and Kyle in the first movie!) but has gone on to […]