Terminal #3 Review: Skybound & Image Comics Push Superhero Violence Into Nightmare Territory
Terminal #3 takes Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey’s increasingly dangerous superhero universe into full-blown horror, with Andy Kubert delivering a brutal opening sequence that makes one thing clear: the threats facing these characters are only getting worse.
There are superhero comics that use violence for spectacle.
Then there is Terminal.
From the beginning, Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey have built this new series around uncertainty. Heroes can lose. Victories can turn ugly without warning. New powers carry terrible consequences, and the next threat can arrive before anyone has recovered from the last one.
That philosophy continues in Terminal #3, arriving September 23, 2026 from Skybound and Image Comics.
Alessandra is reeling from recent events. Her team is being pushed toward increasingly dangerous confrontations. The Awakened continues to gain power, and just when it appears the existing conflict might already be more than these characters can handle, another deadly enemy begins to emerge.
But the most unsettling thing about this issue may not be another massive superhero battle.
It may be what has been waiting underground for years.
Terminal #3 Opens Like an Adventure — Then Becomes a Nightmare
The preview begins far away from the central superhero conflict.
Brazilian rainforest. Many years ago.
A climber makes his way through the dense jungle before descending into a massive cave system. Andy Kubert initially stages the sequence like an adventure story. The rainforest is colorful and expansive, giving the character—and the reader—a sense of discovery.
Then he falls.
After regaining consciousness deep underground, the explorer finds himself surrounded by an enormous, unnatural light.
For a moment, it almost feels miraculous.
That feeling does not last.
Something is wrong.
Very wrong.
The sequence erupts into grotesque body horror as the character begins violently coughing up blood. Whatever he has encountered does not simply attack him.
It appears to transform him from the inside.
Kubert lets the horror build before unleashing one of the most disturbing images of the series so far, turning the unfortunate explorer into an explosion of blood, flesh, bones, and something far more monstrous.
It is excessive.
It is disgusting.
And for Terminal, it works.
Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey Keep Readers Off Balance
The defining strength of Terminal continues to be unpredictability.
Kirkman and Casey understand superhero storytelling well enough to know exactly when readers expect certain conventions to kick in—and then they deliberately undermine those expectations.
An adventure sequence becomes horror.
A super-powered confrontation becomes a massacre.
A character who appears safe suddenly is not.
A victory can create an even larger disaster.
That instability gives the series an identity beyond simply being an ultra-violent superhero comic.
Readers who have been following the escalating conflict can revisit our Terminal #2 first look for more on the developing war surrounding The Awakened.
The official setup for issue #3 finds Alessandra sinking deeper into despair, yet there is little opportunity for anyone to stop and process what has happened.
The battle continues.
Enemies grow stronger.
New threats are appearing.
And the opening sequence suggests that the heroes may not even understand the full scope of what is coming.
Our earlier Terminal #2 preview offers another look at how quickly Kirkman and Casey have been expanding the mythology surrounding this increasingly dangerous world.
Andy Kubert Delivers Some of Terminal’s Best Horror Yet
Andy Kubert remains one of the biggest reasons Terminal works.
His superhero credentials are obvious, but issue #3 gives him another opportunity to demonstrate just how effective his storytelling can be outside traditional superhero combat.
The rainforest sequence is an excellent example.
Kubert starts large.
The opening page establishes the environment before gradually trapping the reader underground with the explorer. Once inside the cave, the panels tighten, shadows become heavier, and the isolation begins doing much of the storytelling.
Then comes the light.
It fills the cavern.
The character appears tiny against it.
That temporary sense of wonder makes what follows considerably worse.
When the violence finally arrives, Kubert does not hold back.
The transition from an injured explorer coughing blood to a page overwhelmed by biological horror is deliberately shocking.
Yet the storytelling remains clear.
That matters.
There is a significant difference between chaotic artwork and controlled chaos. Kubert understands exactly where the reader’s eye needs to move before delivering the final visual impact.
Dave McCaig Makes the Violence Explode
Colorist Dave McCaig adds another layer to the sequence.
The rainforest begins with bright blues and vivid greens. It looks alive.
Once the story moves underground, black begins swallowing the page.
Then warm yellow illumination fills the cavern.
Finally, everything turns red.
That progression dramatically changes the emotional temperature of the scene without requiring additional explanation.
McCaig’s color work also helps preserve the superhero DNA of Terminal even when the comic enters horror territory.
The colors remain bold.
The characters remain larger than life.
The powers remain visually explosive.
But those same tools are being redirected toward something darker and much more uncomfortable.
The Awakened Are Becoming a Bigger Problem
While the flashback provides the immediate hook, the larger conflict surrounding The Awakened continues moving toward something potentially catastrophic.
The group is becoming more powerful.
Alessandra is struggling emotionally.
The existing team is already being pushed by increasingly dangerous enemies.
Now another unknown threat is entering the equation.
That creates the kind of pressure-cooker storytelling that Terminal has handled especially well.
The series does not feel interested in giving readers a clean hero-versus-villain structure.
Instead, Kirkman and Casey are constructing an entire ecosystem of super-powered individuals, monsters, factions, experiments, and unknown forces.
Some may become heroes.
Others may become villains.
Some may simply be weapons.
And based on how quickly people die in this series, others may not survive long enough to decide.
Terminal Is Building a Dangerous Superhero Universe
One of the more exciting aspects of Terminal has been watching the wider world take shape.
The covers alone reveal how diverse this universe is becoming.
There are armored combatants, monstrous beings, glowing energy powers, enhanced humans, massive creatures, gunfighters, and characters who seem almost impossible to classify.
That variety suggests that Kirkman and Casey are thinking beyond a single storyline.
There is clearly a larger mythology underneath Terminal.
The question is how much of it readers have actually seen.
That Brazilian cave sequence could be another piece of that puzzle.
For anyone interested in tracing the series back to the beginning, our original Terminal #1 announcement explored the massive creative lineup assembled for the project.
Collectors can also revisit the Terminal #1 all-star variant cover reveal to see how Skybound positioned this series as a major superhero event from the start.
An All-Star Creative Team
Few modern creator-owned superhero comics arrive with a roster like this.
Robert Kirkman helped redefine creator-owned comics through Invincible and The Walking Dead.
Joe Casey has spent decades experimenting with superhero conventions across everything from Uncanny X-Men to Wildcats and his own creator-owned work.
Andy Kubert has illustrated some of the most recognizable superheroes in the industry.
Then there are Arthur Adams and David Finch, both bringing their distinctive styles to the visual identity surrounding the series.
The full creative team also includes Sandra Hope on inks, Dave McCaig on colors, and Rus Wooton on letters.
It is a creative lineup built from people who understand superhero comics.
That makes their decision to brutally dismantle many of those conventions even more entertaining.
Terminal #3 Covers
Collectors will have six covers to choose from when Terminal #3 reaches shops.
Cover A – Andy Kubert & Dave McCaig
Kubert delivers a huge creature-driven composition that captures the series’ combination of superhuman action and monstrous violence.
Cover B – David Finch & Dave McCaig
Finch gathers several major players around an enormous creature, creating the feeling that an all-out war is about to erupt.
Cover C – Arthur Adams & Dave McCaig
Arthur Adams puts the focus on explosive superpowers with the highly detailed character work that has made his superhero art instantly recognizable.
Cover D – Ben Oliver – 1:25 Incentive Variant
A more restrained and ominous character portrait provides an interesting contrast to the explosive regular covers.
Cover E – Brandon Peterson – 1:50 Incentive Variant
Peterson goes straight for action with gunfire, explosions, forward movement, and a composition designed to feel like the middle of a firefight.
Cover F – Yanick Paquette & Simon Gough – 1:100 Incentive Variant
The highest-ratio incentive features striking figure work and should immediately attract collectors following the complete Terminal cover set.
Readers can also explore the official Image Comics page for Terminal #3 for additional release information.
Is Terminal #3 Worth Picking Up?
Based on this extended look, absolutely—particularly if you have already been following the series.
Terminal #3 appears ready to push everything that makes the book work even further.
The violence is escalating.
The mythology is expanding.
The emotional consequences are piling up.
And perhaps most importantly, the series still feels unpredictable.
The Brazilian cave scene succeeds because it proves Terminal does not need a massive superhero battle to create danger.
Sometimes one person entering the wrong place is enough.
Whatever was inside that cave could potentially connect to something much larger.
And considering the state of Alessandra, The Awakened, and the rest of the current conflict, the heroes hardly need another problem.
Unfortunately for them, that appears to be exactly what they are getting.
Terminal #3 Review Verdict
Terminal #3 continues Skybound and Image Comics’ transformation of superhero storytelling into something nastier, stranger, and considerably more dangerous.
Robert Kirkman and Joe Casey continue expanding a world where powers do not guarantee survival, victories rarely solve anything, and the next horror may be waiting somewhere completely unexpected.
Andy Kubert delivers an especially effective opening sequence, beginning with exploration before slowly tightening the tension and finally unleashing full-scale body horror.
Dave McCaig’s colors make that transition even more dramatic, moving the sequence from lush rainforest adventure to underground darkness before drowning the page in red.
The result is another strong reminder of what separates Terminal from safer superhero books.
You may know the genre.
You may recognize the storytelling language.
But that does not mean you know what happens when you turn the page.
Review Score: 9/10
Book Details
Title: Terminal #3
Publisher: Skybound / Image Comics
Story: Robert Kirkman, Joe Casey
Artist: Andy Kubert
Inker: Sandra Hope
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Release Date: September 23, 2026
Cover Price: $3.99
Genre: Superhero, Action, Horror
Format: Full Color
Final Thoughts
Three issues in, Terminal continues carving out a distinct place among modern superhero comics.
The creative team is not simply trying to make superhero fights bloodier.
They are creating an atmosphere where almost anything can go wrong.
Characters are vulnerable.
Powers are unpredictable.
Enemies keep escalating.
And now the series is suggesting that some dangers may have existed long before the current conflict ever began.
That makes Terminal #3 more than another violent chapter.
It feels like another piece of a much larger mystery.
What was inside that cave?
How does it connect to the present?
Who is the deadly new enemy?
How much more can Alessandra endure?
And what happens if The Awakened becomes too powerful for anyone to stop?
Those questions should make the wait for the next issue considerably harder.
Join the Discussion
Are you reading Terminal?
What do you think happened inside the Brazilian cave, and which Terminal #3 cover are you planning to pick up?
You can also check out another early look at the issue through the Terminal #3 preview from AIPT.
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