"Time to Kill": Episode One
Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Nigel Raynor, Insight Studios(c)
Publisher: Dynamite
Those time-traveling cockroaches the Terminators make a surprise appearance in the latest issue of Painkiller Jane. The project few expected but in the real world makes sense begins here. Kristanna Loken stars as Painkiller Jane on the Sci-fi Network. She also had a role in the latest Terminator movie. Based on those connections, it's pretty easy to see the inspiration for this latest crossover.
The story starts out with another compact and informative introduction for new readers to the character and the world of Painkiller Jane. Because this introduction is loaded with violence and acts as a vignette with conflict and regular cast interaction, the faithful fan will not weary of the James Bond styled opening. In fact new and trusty readers will enjoy the entirety.
From Jane's perspective, the opening is the closer, and her closer is a good showcase for guest artist Nigel Raynor. It's usually detrimental if not disastrous when the regular artist ducks out of a venture that's supposed to be big, but in this case Raynor acquits himself extremely well. Raynor may be merely pinch-hitting for Lee Moder, but he embellishes a professional level of character detail.
Jane is still visualized as a less than perfect female action star. She's beautiful but earthy, somebody you can see walking down the street rather than on a red carpet to a movie premiere. She still appears lanky. Although Raynor brings her up a cup size, but not to the extent where she's disproportionate. Raynor's version of Maureen, Jane's police contact and best friend, looks equally accomplished.
Throughout the story Raynor choreographs these characters in a flow of panels. He harmonizes his art with Palmiotti's streamlined storycraft. Palmiotti sets Painkiller Jane's present against the possible future of the Terminators. The two different time zones never clash. Instead, they fluidly merge for one big action-fueled tale
Palmiotti avoids a common pitfall to the crossover concept. He makes the Terminator section just as interesting to Painkiller Jane fans as it would be to Terminator fans. He does this by introducing a new character operating in tandem with John Conner. This character bears some rather familiar attributes, and I suspect Palmiotti is building to something regarding her nature. Her presence scents the Terminator section of the book with a nuance of Painkiller Jane. So even when Palmiotti ports the reader to the future, the book still behaves uniformly as a Painkiller Jane book.
After the introductions, Maureen informs Jane that somebody has kidnapped a bride, one of the 22 that teamed with Jane. Jane promptly decides to rescue her, and it's at this point where Palmiotti takes Jane down a refreshingly different direction. In this way, he avoids a second trap arising from the crossover concept. He doesn't make the book just a vehicle for the plot. Instead, the story acts as a kind of omniscient day in the life of Jane Vasco.
Jane's behavior fascinates. The traverse exhibits Jane's savvy, her intelligence and her wit. The act of doing nothing drops Jane and Maureen at the foreshadowed pre-empted date where they can simply get hammered and catch-up. Unfortunately, the Terminator needs their clothes.
...To Be Continued...
Palmiotti intermingles Terminator routine to instigate the cusp of trouble. As established in the first movie, time travel in the Terminator universe involves nudity. Either they're afraid of contaminating the time-stream with particulates, or the act is one of simple camouflage. Palmiotti asks a simple question to get the ball rolling. What if the Terminator had tried to take the clothes of somebody who was capable of fighting back? A minor scene is likely to become major for the comic book.
Very rarely do crossovers actually interest me. I see them as the younger cousins to Big Stupid Events, but I've had good luck with the Terminator crossovers. Painkiller Jane certainly whets my appetite for part two, which will be broadcast in the latest Terminator issue from Dynamite.
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