CLASSICS REBORN
Those classic sci-fi sagas are re-shaping comic collecting. Star Wars has been rejuvenated by The Mandalorian, and the season two premiere has electrified a plethora of SW keys. Aliens and Predator’s Marvel rebirth has created a scramble for their first appearances. Then there are Transformers’ keys, which received a boost from this year’s Netflix animated series.
Now it looks like we can add the Terminator to that list thanks to IDW and Transformers.
AN UNLIKELY CROSSOVER
Let’s be honest, the Terminator’s live-action franchise needs to be buried. There hasn’t been a truly good movie since 1992’s T2, and the best thing since then was the short-lived Sarah Connor Chronicles television series. The last three movies have been embarrassingly bad, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is too old for the part.
Given the franchise’s current state, it makes sense that the comic keys have been dormant for years. Now IDW’s Transformers vs. Terminator crossover has given collectors a reason to think about the Terminator after all these years.
TRANSFORMERS VS. TERMINATOR #1
This IDW crossover is commanding eye-catching figures, at least for the first issue, Transformers vs. The Terminator #1. Much of this comes from the beautiful covers and multiple variants published for the occasion. At a 9.8, the standard cover is averaging $60, and the last two sales were for $85 on June 26 and $75 on July 6.
The biggest winner has been the Kael Ngu cover. While this variant has only sold three times in a 9.8 grade, each sale has been for $100, the most recent of which came on October 9.
Another edition to watch is the Frankie’s Comics variant. Graded at a 9.8, it has a 90-day fair market value of $84, and four of the eight sales have been for $90.
RUST #12
Technically, Rust #12 is the Terminator’s first comic book appearance. It deserves an asterisk, however, because the character is featured in a preview of The Terminator #1.
What is impressive is that a 9.8 brought $400 on October 9.
THE TERMINATOR #1 (1988)
The 17-issue NOW Comics series was set in the apocalyptic future that was alluded to in the original movie and starred an adult John Connor in 2031. Again, Rust #12 is the technical first appearance, but The Terminator #1 (1988) was the first full comic featuring the Terminator. Want one to call your own? Now is a great time, considering prices have been on the decline for two years, and this is a much cheaper option than Rust #12. In 2018 and 2019, this was a $150 for a 9.8. This year, that FMV has dropped to $83.
THE TERMINATOR #1 (1990)
The most famous Terminator comics came from Dark Horse. Since it is not the character’s first appearance, it is not a particularly collectible issue outside of hardcore fans. Still, The Terminator #1 (1990) carries respectable market values, at least in high grades.
At a 9.8, the last one to sell was for $56 on October 8. Just five days prior, another 9.8 sold for a more impressive $90. In all, this comic has a 90-day FMV of $74, which is down from its 2019 $75 average.
THE FRANCHISE THAT REFUSES TO TERMINATE
No matter how many bad movies the studios churn out, The Terminator is proving to be immortal. With the comic reboots for Aliens and Predator, now would be the perfect time to give Terminator an overhaul in the comic world. If a major company like Marvel or DC were to take over the publishing rights, it would boost Terminator’s key issues. Considering all the movie-related titles Marvel is publishing, that is not out of the realm of possibility.
