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Did you know there was a comic book adaptation of the classic movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day? Anything will be done to make a quick buck, I guess. The comic version of a rated-R movie comes in handy, especially when you are a 12 year old kid that cannot get into the theater if your life depended on it. I came across comic 2 of 3 when I received a grab bag for donating $20 to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Whenever I see a comic adaption of a movie, I always wonder if it is based on the original script, or the film itself. As far as I can tell, the Terminator 2 comic book is based on the actual film, due to spot-on costume and character matches. There is something that is interesting about the comic that is worth mentioning: deleted scenes are included. By deleted scenes, I mean scenes that can be seen in the directors cut version, or the extended special edition
As one of the greatest action movies of all time, it is needless to say that the Terminator 2 comic book story is pretty awesome. I wish I could say the same for the artwork. Although the drawings are generally okay, some of the panels have horribly drawn faces that remind me of when Napoleon draws Trisha in Napoleon Dynamite
Bottom line is that if you are a fan of comics, and if you are a fan of Terminator 2, then why wouldn’t you want to read the comic (Affiliate Link)? You know I am right. So read it. Yes, right now. Do it!
This Comic Adaptation of Terminator 2 Is a Glitchy, Glorious Time Capsule
Comic book adaptations of blockbuster films have always been a weird off-ramp of the entertainment highway. Sometimes they serve as placeholders for kids who are too young to see the film or too broke to buy the VHS. Sometimes they try to expand the canon. And sometimes, like the Terminator 2 comic book, they give readers access to content that didn’t even make it into the theater. That is where things get unexpectedly interesting.
Marvel’s decision to adapt Terminator 2 into a three-issue comic wasn’t just marketing, it was straight-up opportunistic genius. They knew that the film was already iconic and violent and way too adult for its actual target audience, which, let’s be honest, was 12-year-olds pretending they didn’t sneak into the screening. The comic fills that gap. It is bloodless enough to sit on a spinner rack at a grocery store, but still manages to fire off just enough judgment day energy to hook fans in.
So is Terminator 2 one of the best comic adaptations of a movie ever made? That depends on how you define best. If we are talking historical value, offbeat trivia, and 90s comic book energy, then yes, absolutely. This is a weird little artifact that deserves to sit on your shelf next to the special edition DVD and whatever copy of Alien vs Predator you still regret owning.