Terminator #8, written by Declan Shalvey, with art by Colin Craker, ties together the disparate threads of the book's run up to this point, and it does so in spectacular fashion, with an issue that delves into the mind, and decision-making process, of Skynet itself.

While Terminator comics have explored Skynet's POV before, this story takes a surprising turn, as the internal debate over the machines' time-travel tactics leads to open conflict, with one subroutine of the artificial intelligence usurping the authority of another through violence.

Skynet Goes To War With Itself To Determine The Fate Of The Franchise

Terminator #8 Written By Declan Shalvey; Art By Colin Craker; Available Now From Dynamite Entertainment

The first seven issues of Terminator have been largely self-contained, leaving readers to try to puzzle over how the pieces all fit together. The story, so far, has featured Terminators being sent after targets throughout the 20th century, in an effort to neutralize the future human resistance before it even begins. Terminator #8 operates as a kind of "audit" of this strategy, with Skynet evaluating its success rate, and its losses, and deliberating on whether to continue this approach, or pursue other options.

The crucial moment comes when the part of Skynet advocating a change of plans is overruled. "ERROR," Skynet's internal "dialogue" states, "executive decision enabled. Counterarguments disregarded." From there, the situation escalates rapidly, as the distinct elements within Skynet abruptly turn on each other. The "counterargument" part of Skynet activates T-800s in an attempt to seize control, the "executive" part follows suit, and a brief, but brutal, Skynet civil war ensues. Ultimately, the counterargument side emerges victorious. And its new strategy? Instead of many targets, focus on one: Sarah Connor.

Skynet's "Civil War" Gives Fans Terminator Vs. Terminator Violence On A Whole New Level

Terminator #8 Declan Shalvey Sketch Variant Cover

The plot of Terminator #8 is perfectly encapsulated by author Declan Shalvey's cover for the issue, which features a wall of screens, all together forming the image of a T-800 skull, except many of the screens are cracked, shattered, and falling out of place. This represents the disunity of Skynet in the context of the issue, which is the story's most fascinating contribution to Terminator lore so far. Of course, since T2: Judgement Day, Terminator vs. Terminator action has been a staple of the franchise, but Terminator #8 delivers it like never before.

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Almost without exception, Skynet tends to be presented as a monolithic antagonist in Terminator stories, a villainous A.I. for human protagonists, and the occasional reprogrammed robot, to battle against, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Previous Terminator stories, especially in the comics, have "humanized" Skynet before, attempting to make it a more complex character, and a more exciting villain, but few have succeeded to the extent that Shalvey and artist Chris Craker manage in a single issue here, with Terminator #8. Now, fans can only hope that the series delivers more internal strife within Skynet, continuing to unravel this fascinating thread.

The Terminator Civil War Pays Off Author Declan Shalvey's Patient Storytelling

Now, What Comes Next For Skynet?