Author: Maximilian

  • The New TL

    The New TL

    Welcome to Terminal Lance 5.0

    With many projects in the works, 2026 is bringing with it a new era of Terminal Lance. With it, I decided to build a new website to showcase the comic and act as a home base of sorts.

    Like many brands in the modern age, TL is spread out across many different platforms. Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, BlueSky, Discord… It goes on. However, the core of TL is right here, just as it has been for the last 16 years.

    The core idea of TL 5.0 is focus on the core of Terminal Lance: the comic. All the way up until 2022, TL always had the latest comic featured on the front page with easy navigation to move between entries. This changed with the previous site redesign in the interest of expanding the TL brand into new avenues. This was great in theory, but the site really lost something in the process.

    The nature of web browsing has fundamentally changed over the years, and websites gave way to social media in a serious way. Traffic on this site reduced significantly as traffic on social media picked up, so my focus was taken away from the site.

    As part of the redesign, I also updated the archive! Every old 3-panel black and white TL classic comic has been updated for modern displays with over double the resolution. This was a monotonous task that needed to be done by hand, but it was much overdue.

    While I was going through each and every one of the over 400 comics that needed to be updated, it brought back a sea of memories from the journey that this comic has taken me on. Many of the comics have, frankly, not aged very well. Many of the jokes are dated, but what bothers me more as an artist is just the execution of the drawings. TL went through many eras over the years, but we definitely didn’t start with the polished, professional look the comic has today.

    Feel free to look around, enjoy your stay, and look forward to more TL.

  • Hot Brass Day

    Hot Brass Day

    You can always tell a Marine has been on the range by the kisses left on their necks from the hot brass of their battle-buddy’s rifle. The scars from spent casings flying directly into your neck decorate the skin of many Marines going back generations. It turns out, standing on a line and firing puts your buddy to your right directly in the line of fire for ejected brass from your rifle.

    Watch any Marine live-fire range and you’ll eventually see a few unlucky denizens doing the dance of their people.

    In other news…

    Welcome to the new Terminal Lance!

    I wanted to start 2026 fresh with a facelift for the website here. TL 5.0 highlights the latest comic on the front page and, in many ways, is a throwback to the original site. There’s still some adjustments to be made here and there, but take a look around and enjoy your stay.

  • Battlefield 6 – Review
    SCORE
    8.5/10

    Battlefield 6 – Review

    I’ve always enjoyed the cat and mouse relationship that Battlefield and Call of Duty have had over the years. They seem destined to contrast each other with every release, with each one striving for different goals. As Call of Duty strays more toward slop territory, Battlefield 6 feels like a much-needed reset in the contemporary military shooter space, even if it feels like a slight step backward in some ways for Battlefield itself.

    First and foremost, I should say this game captures everything Battlefield is known for. Big, sprawling battles with vehicles, destructible buildings, customizable weapons, classes, you name it. Graphically, the game looks phenomenal and runs surprisingly well with a refined feel to it. On the base PS5, this game will maintain a solid 60FPS while looking amazing the whole time.

    There’s a big emphasis on class progression in this game, with each character archetype having its own skill trees and goals needed to move into new abilities. Some of these are a bit steep, frankly (like the need to kill 15 stunned enemies with the Assault class in order to unlock the next Assault class subclass) but it adds a lot of engaging goals during matches that add more to the game beyond striving for kills and capture points.

    The ground gunplay in this game feels much more refined than previous entries in the series, feeling snappier and more like Call of Duty when you’re running and gunning (in a good way) than before.

    Vehicles are all here and accounted for, to varying effect. If I am disappointed by anything, it’s the bizarre lack of jet gameplay in this release. BF1 and BF4 before it had really fun, comprehensive flight gameplay that saw me in the pilot seat most of the time. BF6 flight gameplay has a few issues that I hope can be addressed in the future:

    1. Flight area is way too small, making a jet feel like a fish in a bowl as you barely have room to leave the bounds of the battlefield. This greatly reduces the amount of epic dogfights you could potentially get into like in previous games.
    2. Bombing is weak, confusing and difficult to play.
    3. Anti-air vehicles can reach way too far, leading to them camping in their home base for the entire match, harassing flying craft from afar.
    4. No jet loadouts. This is a really bizarre omission when you consider every other vehicle gives you load out options and customizable weapons.

    It really feels like jets were an afterthought in this game, which sucks because they were always so much fun before. Otherwise, BF6 is a solid multiplayer shooter that gives you mostly everything you expect from the Battlefield franchise, and a welcome contemporary military game.

  • Elden Ring: Nightreign – review
    SCORE
    8.5/10

    Elden Ring: Nightreign – review

    Like many gamers, I’ve been playing FromSoftware stuff for a long time now, dating all the way back to Demon’s Souls on PS3 over 15 years ago. When Elden Ring came on the scene back in 2022, it was a very solid culmination of years of refinement of Miyazaki’s “souls” formula brought to a new(ish) IP to great success.

    When Nightreign was first announced, I was skeptical about the entire idea of a Fortnite-inspired Elden Ring spin-off. I mean, I actually thought it was just a DLC until it actually came out. However, after nearly 100 hours on the game, I can faithfully say that Nightreign has become a new favorite of mine for its addictive gameplay loop and fast-paced action.

    Fast-paced is the keyword here. From the moment you load into the map, you have what feels like mere moments to accomplish everything you need to accomplish. The basic idea of the game is Elden Ring gameplay and vibes, but with a Fortnite-inspired toxic ring that slowly shuts down the map every few minutes and funnels you toward the boss fight. Starting at level 1 every time, you have this limited amount of time to gain as many levels as possible (maxing at 15), collect as many weapons and buffs as you can, and face the boss with up to 2 of your best friends (or random players–or solo).

    Writing this out, it doesn’t sound fun, but it ends up being a frenetic and extremely engaging time where you’re absolutely locked in for every moment. This is ultimately what makes the game so addicting, and you can expect each match to last about 45 minutes from start to finish (if you make it to the end “Nightlord” boss).

    Replacing the iconic character creator from Elden Ring is a selection of 8 set characters with unique classes and abilities (plus 2 more if you get the recently released DLC). Each character fills a specific role:

    Wylder is a kind of standard warrior type with a small shield and big sword, Recluse is a wizard with a big hat, Guardian (my favorite) is a defensive role with a big shield and a halberd, etc.

    Initially I was disappointed at the lack of a customizable character creator, but the game is designed to be fast, simple and broad enough to accommodate the game loop. I do think it would be nice if each archetype class had an ability to customize the character, but at the very least, you can unlock a number of different skins for each one.

    My biggest complaint about the game is the relic system, which is basically a gacha gambling roll for a stone that you can equip that gives you some stat-bonuses. The issue with it is that, with 10 characters in the game, you often get stones that are completely irrelevant to you, and there’s very seriously no way to influence what stones you get. Each run through the game rewards you with a handful of them, and they are 100% random. It would be nice to have some kind of crafting system where you can at least combine certain effects to make new stones that you can actually use. As it is right now, the system is more frustrating than anything else.

    But that’s a minor gripe to an otherwise strangely addicting Elden Ring romp. It might seem like “SlopSouls,” but Nightreign has weirdly been one of my favorite games of the last year.

  • 16 Years of Terminal Lance

    16 Years of Terminal Lance

    Today we celebrate 16 years of Terminal Lance!

    I launched TL in 2010 when I was still an active duty Lance Corporal stationed in Hawaii. I had just returned from my 2nd deployment to Iraq and still had about 5 months left before my EAS.

    At the time, it was a huge risk since no one had ever really publicly ridiculed or criticized the Marine Corps at large. However, since day one I put my name on every comic strip that I published and stood behind the work.

    TL has brought me many ups and a few downs, and it’s been an epic journey from the day I launched until today. Who would have thought that a humble comic strip would see me become a New York Times bestselling author and traveling around the world.

    In 2026, we’re a long way from home, but we’re not done yet.

    View behind-the-scenes of this post and more on the official TL Patreon page and check out our new commemorative 16th anniversary shirt on the official TL shop.

  • Merry Christmas, Marines

    Merry Christmas, Marines

    Wishing everyone a very Merry Marine Corps Christmas. I picked out your favorite MRE menu items for you to enjoy today. Some exciting things already in the works for TL in 2026, so stay tuned.

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from yours truly.

  • Pardon Me

    Pardon Me

    It’s Thanksgiving this week, and it’s the time of year to look around and give thanks to the things that enrich our daily lives. All of us can be thankful for our health… for our families… and for our friends that get us through the day to day.

    Me? I’m thankful for all of the Lance Corporals in the Marine Corps that keep it real every single day. Much like the majestic American turkey, the Lance Corporal is a free spirit, a wild card of ingenuity and unpredictability. It keeps things fun and lively in a world marred by monotony.

    With Thanksgiving also comes BLACK FRIDAY, and to celebrate, we have 10% of all purchases at the official TL Store and a new Drill Instructor shirt to commemorate. Head over to the official TL store and pick it up right here.

  • 250 Years

    250 Years

    Today officially marks the 250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps, which is obviously a big day for the expeditionary force.

    As the legend goes, the Marine Corps was born in a bar. Tun Tavern, Philadelphia to be exact. One can only imagine the kind of debauchery that led up to such an iconic moment that would stand the test of history. 250 years later, we still talk of their legends and still fight in their Corps.

    I had the pleasure of being the Guest of Honor at Security Bn’s Marine Corps Ball this weekend in Quantico. That evening, I saw a ball room full of young, wondrous Lance Corporals and everyone else that follow in the footsteps of the legends of Tun Tavern, Philadelphia.

    I also drank way too much, lost my voice shouting over the music, and made the Staff NCO’s and officers stand up during my speech for no particular reason. It was a great night, and honestly a nice reminder that what I do (and have done) is unique in the world… As are the Marines.

    Happy 250th Birthday, Marines.

  • Halloween Horrors

    Halloween Horrors

    The most horrifying thing a young Lance Corporal can experience is the agony and anxiety of not knowing why First Sergeant wants to see you in his office first thing in the morning. The blind text and the total lack of context is key. They do this on purpose to keep you in a state of uncertainty.

    In other news, this has obviously been a difficult month for the military community with the government shutdown. I’m not really sure how all of this will shake out, but I feel for the young Marines and families caught in the middle of it. I know they managed to scrape together a military paycheck for this weekend, but there’s also many government employees and people on SNAP and other benefits that are feeling the hurt right now.

    At the very least, I hope everyone had a good Halloween last night.

  • Aura-Farming

    Aura-Farming

    There’s a brief moment after running a range or strenuous training evolution where, covered in sweat, dirt, and clad in all of your gear, allows for the perfect aura. This is a time when you should take a photo for your profile pic, or maybe just bask in the warmth of looking like a complete and total badass. There are few things more authentically cool than a Marine immediately after doing the hard work of the day.

    “Aura-farming” is a term I have come to really enjoy recently, and I think just by virtue of being in an organization that operates in really cool gear and events, there’s more opportunities than most occupations to exploit the moment.

    Let’s face it: you probably won’t ever be this cool again. Stock up on the photos while you can, it will come in handy when it’s time to impress the boys and girls in your college class while using the GI Bill.

    Watch this comic come to life behind-the-scenes on the official TL Patreon!

    I hate having to upsell you guys on stuff, but I just want to mention that TL has been 100% independent for 15 years, hand-drawn and never AI slop. If you want to support independent artists, subscribe to TL on Patreon or Instagram and help keep things running!