Terminal #1 (Image Comics, 7/22/26): Writers Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey and Artist Andy Kubert unveil a hidden, escalating war between superpowered humans when a woman searches for her missing sister. This oversized issue lays the groundwork for a new type of superbeing, which could be Image’s answer to the X-Men. Verdict: A solid start.
Credits:
- Writer: Robert Kirkman, Joe Casey
- Artist: Andy Kubert
- Colorist: Dave McCaig
- Letterer: Rus Wooton
- Cover Artist: Arthur Adams (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: July 22, 2026
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 44
- Format: Double-sized issue
Covers:
Analysis of Terminal #1:
First Impressions:
Kirkman’s biggest superhero property to date is Invincible, which is a grittier take on Superman-like characters, so I was curious to see how Kirkman was going to tackle a new property with a new angle. I like the creativity and the approach, even if the explanation is a bit fuzzy.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):
Terminal #1 begins with an “event” ten years ago that affected the leader of the “good guys,” Theed. A mysterious, bright light appears in the sky and makes his eye splooge out of his head and become sentient… maybe, I guess. It’s not quite clear.
Now, we hop into the middle of a battle between Imp and Blaster. Imp gets away with important data, and Blaster gets ripped in half.
Elsewhere, we meet Marilyn Howe, a woman who’s exhausted all means (legal and illegal) to find her missing sister, Ali. When Marilyn meets a hacker who uncovered the existence of supers, Imp leaps from the shadows and kills the hacker. When he turns his attention to Marilyn, her long-lost sister, Ali aka Crusher, appears and drives Imp off.
Ali has her sister pack a bag so they can hop a private jet to a mysterious island where the team of supers is headquartered. Marilyn is introduced to the Maculox, a giant sentient eye that babbles about the light of the universe and the embers that exist in all humanity. Maculox has the power to activate latent superpowers in humans – a goal for the ascension of the species. Since Ali gained invulnerability and strength from the ritual, the team believes Ali would as well.
The issue ends with Ali accepting the offer to ascend, with unexpected consequences.
How is the story in Terminal #1?
How do you do mutants without doing mutants? You start with an inexplicable cosmic event, sprinkle in some New Age-sounding gobbledygook, and you wind up with Robert Kirkman’s answer to the X-Men.
The setup works, as long as you can get past the loosely defined, hand-wavey explanation for what’s going on, with the expectation that clarification will come in later issues. The leader character, Marilyn, who acts as the audience surrogate, fulfills her role by giving the characters a target to dump a ton of vague exposition. And the few characters with powers that we see actually use their powers are cool enough.
However, the volumes of vague exposition are both positive and negative. The pacing frequently downshifts to walking speed as Marilyn tries to make sense of what’s happening, but everyone around her tap dances around being direct and clear. That mix of not wanting to shock Marilyn, while at the same time dragging her into a hidden world on a moment’s notice, creates a structural conflict that’s more frustrating than mysterious. Why draft her into a world with such urgency, but then try to ease her into the knowledge of what’s happening? In this way, the writing contradicts itself, and that contradiction becomes the most glaring in uneven pacing.
How is the art in Terminal #1?
Andy Kubert’s art is fantastic and a feather in the cap for Skybound’s latest title. Kubert’s panel compositions are cinematically gorgeous, the pencils/inks are darn near perfect, and the character designs are unique enough to be instantly memorable. If you’re going to kick off a new superhero universe, Kubert is a perfect choice.
Likewise, Dave McCaig’s coloring is fantastic, both in palette selection and application. Shadows and shading reflect (no pun intended) light and dark beautifully, and the brief bits of gory violence are handled with just enough blood to be realistic without looking gratuitous.
Characters
Marilyn Howe is the Kirkman’s main character throughout Terminal #1, although the ending implies the next issue will shift focus. Marilyn expresses the same confusion and doubts the reader would experience during a sudden change in worldview, and the emotional conflicts she feels over her sister make perfect sense, giving the issue personal weight.
Originality & Concept Execution
Well, if you wanted to do something like the X-Men without copying the X-Men, Kirkman figured out a reasonable way of doing it, even if the “how” isn’t at all clear. The originality of the concept is there, but the execution is a little lacking.
Pros and Cons
Art Samples:
The Scorecard:
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 4/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1.5/2
Final Thoughts:
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Terminal #1 brings a new kind of mutant menace into the world when a cosmic force arrives to help humanity reach its potential… or something like that. Robert Kirkman’s not-X-Men mutant story is a solid start for superhero fans who want something different, and Andy Kubert’s art is phenomenal.
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