Ever watched a Terminator movie and thought, ‘I know exactly what this needs: a Christmas special’? Well, 2025 is your year! Introducing Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
Published by Dynamite Entertainment and STUDIOCANAL, Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town is written by Paulina Ganucheau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black White & Green, Disney Villains: Maleficent, The Powerpuff Girls) and artist Kendall Goode.
Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town is a landmark story for the franchise. None of the movies were ever set during Christmas. So what happens when the Terminator shows up to spread festive cheer? A whole lot of fun.
The comic opens on Christmas Eve, many years after the cataclysmic Judgement Day, where we follow Resistance soldier Eva and her teen companion, who’s curious about the old festivities (or Christmas ‘lore’). In between dodging drone attacks — and fighting a T-800 dressed as Santa Claus — she recalls heart-warming fables of Christmases past. Her stories are almost a mythology in the brutal post-Judgement Day world.
Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town is a fan-pleasing comic packed with fun action sequences. In just 30 pages, it features drones and a T-800 Santa. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like if Santa Claus were a killer robot, this comic answers that question. However, I was also struck by its sentimentality, particularly Eva’s reflections on the things we often take for granted at Christmas, which for her is eating cookies by the fire. While it won’t make you cry, the comic still manages to pack a lot of heart into its short format.
The artwork is effective. When necessary, Kendall Goode brilliantly depicts the post-Judgement Day world, but the style isn’t as gritty as we see in the movies.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The one-shot isn’t quite as funny as I expected, but it’s still an absolute blast (literally).
There’s a killer robot Santa. What’s not to love?
Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town #1 debuts December 3, 2025 from Dynamite Entertainment.
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