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Tales of the TMNT #52 [Review]

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: The Crystal at the Heart of the World

Investigating a worrisome shutdown of an important machine, the Turtles and Utroms find themselves on Moo Mesa, where they encounter a plot that might just be bigger than the TMNT and C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa combined can handle…

talesofthetmnt052Plot: Murphy, Brown and Laird
Script: Murphy
Thumbnails: Ryan Brown
Art: Dario Brizuela
Letters: Eric Talbot
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Back-Up Story: The Mission by: Dan Berger
Editor in Chief: Peter Laird
Managing Editor: Dan Berger
Design: Eric Talbot
Front Cover: Dario Brizuela and Steve Lavigne
Back Cover: Fernando Leon Gonzalez

The issue opens with the traditional frontispiece with one of the Turtles in cowboy getup, fixin’ to tell us a story…one that begins with the opposite of a certain cliche, as a figure on horseback in the desert rides toward us–OUT OF the sunset rather than off into it. We quickly see that it is an Utrom, who has infiltrated the place known as Moo Mesa. He shuts down a device to spark his own agenda into motion–though the shutting-down of the device draws the attention of Utroms on Earth who soon journey to Moo Mesa (with Turtles and Casey in tow) to investigate the device’s shutdown. (Re)uniting with their now “old allies”, the C.O.W.Boys of Moo Mesa, and a new (deja-vu-inspiring) ally, the immediate threat is faced, while yet a greater threat is revealed.

This is the third issue to unite the Moo Mesa crew with the Mutant Turtles crew, and I’m certainly enjoying the recurring crossover. Writer Ryan Brown has done plenty of work in the TMNT-verse, and created the C.O.W. Boys (you might remember them from a two-season animated series). It seems only natural to bring the two properties together for another go-round, and it’s done so to great effect. While perhaps part of a larger meta-arc, this issue stands alone fairly nicely–we have a good introduction bringing characters to the forefront, rising into the action, a climax, and then things settle out…both closing this story and setting up the next (due next year).

The art works very well here–visually, it has the appearance of an “animated” sort of style, without losing the feel of being its own original comic work. While I don’t know any of the C.O.W. Boys characters well enough to recognize individuals, I do notice how hard it is to tell the Turtles apart–it’s only dialog or visible weapons that allows that discernment. Still, all fits together quite well, and neither set of characters seems out-of-place in the presence of the others.
For me, the highlight of the issue is a guest-appearance by a certain transdimensional Cowlick. This has me totally chomping at the bit for the next part of this series of issues and itching for the long-promised Forever War–I actually got my hopes up that this issue would actually kick that off, but we’re left with a simple “To Be Continued in Tales of the TMNT #58…”

There’s also a two-page micro-story of no small amusement to close out the issue…which is another thing this title has going for it. As a package, we get a nice cover, an extra artist’s work on the frontispiece, a 28-paged story, a 2-page backup story, a pin-up page with another artist’s take on characters found in this issue, and a full-color image on the back-cover worthy of being a poster…with nary an ad to be found. A comic this pure to its title/self–and for the (relatively low) price point–is hard to come by, and such a real treat.

If you’re looking for decompressed, deep character-studies, you’ll probably be disappointed. Looking for a simple, old-fashioned TMNT adventure with the bonus of having the C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa along, this issue’s for you. Recommended to any TMNT fan, C.O.W. Boys fan, someone contemplating checking out “a” Turtles book, or anyone just looking for an enjoyable single-issue that packs the value in under a single cover.

Ratings:

Story: 4/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

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Tales of the TMNT #53 [Review]

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Very Good
Story Title: Alien Invaders, This Mortal Shell, Ghosts of Christmas Past

A boy plots to steal a toy from Casey’s daughter but finds more than he bargained for; Don and April process their present situation; Leonardo remembers one fateful winter’s evening years ago.

talesofthetmnt053Alien Invaders
Script/Pencils/Inks: Jim Lawson
Lettering: Eric Talbot
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Cover: Jim Lawson and Steve Lavigne
This Mortal Shell
Authors: Colleen Frakes & Jon-Mikel Gates
Pencils: Adam Staffaroni
Finishes, Greytones & Letters: Andrew Arnold
Ghosts of Christmas Past
Script/Layouts: Dan Berger
Art: Chad Hurd
Toning Assistance: Sam Ellis

Though black-and-white, this issue is one of the better comic values I’ve found recently. More than fifty pages of story, uninterrupted by ads. One main story exceeded an expected 22ish pages, with two well-sized “backups”…all for a nice low price of $3.25.

The first/main story of the issue sees a plumber fixing a problem in Casey’s house. The plumber’s assistant while checking a toilet upstairs spots a rare, collectible “Lil Orphan Aliens” toy that belongs to Shadow (Casey’s daughter), and decides that he has to have it. When he and a friend later scope out the house and make to steal the toy, they find themselves confronted with four rather life-size and active “aliens.”

This story is a typical sorta tale for this title: it’s set during the past, at a time when the turtles were living with Casey and his daughter, Shadow at the farmhouse. This is a sort of slice-of-life kinda piece for the characters–no huge villain, no life-changing (for them) cataclysmic event. Just a story of one instance of the weirdness outsiders would find when they start poking into stuff at the house that they have no business poking into. The turtles are not the main focus of the story (they’re just part of the environment, which we can appreciate as readers for knowing who/what they really are).

The story itself is fairly simplistic and cliched–I’m sure I’ve seen very similar scenes/stories before with the TMNT–but it’s still rather amusing. The story provides a nice bit of commentary on the fanatical urges some people seem to get when it comes to “collecting” rare stuff. The art is typical Lawson, which is to say there are no surprises, and it has a good consistency. Lawson for me is one of a handful of artists I specifically associate with the TMNT, and while it probably isn’t for everyone, I’ve grown to like it in the TMNT stories.

The next story features a conversation with a pint-sized Donatello and regular-sized April, catching up on recent events; their conversation is interspersed for the reader with flashes to the mutated Raphael dealing with an attack by alien-hating people on the street.

This story was created by students of the Center for Cartoon Studies, and is a pretty good outing. I’m not entirely thrilled with the visuals–I much prefer Lawson’s take on the mutated Raphael, for example–but in a title that features so many different visual interpretations of the TMNT characters, I don’t take any huge issue with it. The story itself somewhat recaps some major events in the “core” TMNT book, while in itself being just a conversation between old friends Don and April. As there’s been one issue of that “core” book since 2006 or so, I find it a nice moment to revisit that “present time” while I think it would also serve to allow newer readers/visitors to the TMNT-verse a chance to see the status quo of the “present” status of the characters.

The final story sees Leonardo facing an overwhelming swarm of Foot ninjas, and reminded me immediately of the Leonardo 1-issue Micro-Series from the original Mirage run, and for good reason.

The art seems rather dark, almost like it was printed from color to black-and-white. The style reminds me of the 2003 animated series, and is a style I really like. The story’s ending did not surprise me in the least, even as it hit close to home, and a lot is really said by what happens without being stated explicitly, and for the moment makes this one of my favorite shorts to appear in this title.

All told, you get a lot of story in this issue, with glimpses into several periods of the Turtles’ lives and continuity. There is plenty of bang for your buck, and for the price and size of this issue as well as its content, you can hardly go wrong with this. As with many comics, you’ll find even more to appreciate in this as an older reader, but a new reader just picking this up should have little trouble picking up on stuff if the basic concept of the TMNT is known.

Ratings:

Story: 4/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

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Booking Through Thursday: Harder

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Walt

btt button

All other thing being equal, would you rather read a book that’s hard/challenging/rewarding or light/enjoyable/easy?

bookingthroughthursdayhardMaybe it’s splitting hairs, but I don’t know that it has to be one or the other.  A hard/challenging/rewarding book may still be something enjoyable and light, as far as something I’ve chosen to read and want to read as leisure.

Whatever the phrasing, though…it all depends on my mood at the time, and the specific book and context. There are times when I’d rather read something that could be deemed a hard/challenging read, and there are times I’d rather read something easy.

Comics OR written word, it all varies. Even a light read can be dense with dialogue or other wording which can slow things down and make it harder, while something harder may flow very nicely and be an easy, quick read (or it becomes a quick read when actually retaining the information fails and it’s just the eyes going over the words).

I don’t think I choose my books based on whether they’re hard or light reads. Hard OR easy, they are what they are. I think it’s more about how engaged I am with the material,and how I feel about the material. I might find, say, Comic Book Nation to be a light/enjoyable/easy read…I’m interested in comic books, and so a history of comics from the early 20th century to 2001 (something I’m familiar with but no expert on) will be light/enjoyable/easy, but to someone with zero familiarity or interest in comics, that might be a hard/challenging read that may or may not be rewarding in the end.

Just as–sitcom-joke or otherwise–I’m sure there are people who would find reading a dictionary, encyclopedia, or the equivalent of a science or math textbook to be light reading, while I would consider it hard and (barring coursework) probably highly unrewarding.

What I’m reading:

Right now, I’m reading back through The Walking Dead graphic novel/collections. And with payday tomorrow, I plan to purchase John Grisham‘s new book The Litigators, and dive right into that.

Filed under: Booking Through Thursday, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Tales of the TMNT #51 [Review]

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Night of the Living Gingerbread

Transported to a different time & land, the TMNT face zombies, werewolves, and a dragon with a new friend as they seek a way to return home.

talesofthetmnt051Script/Art: Dan Berger
Tones: L. Jamal Walton
Letters: Eric Talbot
Cover: Dan Berger and Steve Lavigne
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Editor in Chief: Peter Laird
Managing Editor: Dan Berger
Design: Eric Talbot
Publisher: Mirage Publishing

Shadow–Casey Jones’ adopted daughter–has put two of the turtles to sleep insisting each of them, in turn, read to her a bedtime story. Tired after three times through the story, Mikey decides to regale her with a tale of an experience he and his brothers once had.

Ever-annoying timestress Renet shows up, wanting to show off her new clothes to the turtles–clothes that go with the new time scepter she’s got. Inexperienced as she is and against the turtles’ warning, Renet time/space-teleports them to some far-off land…the turtles find themselves alone, and definitely NOT home.

They rescue a squishy fellow named Gutwallow from some zombies attacking him, and then strike out (alone, having been left behind by Gutwallow) to see if a Chronomancer might be able to return them to their own homes. The turtles encounter other monsters on their journey, and eventually learn that it’s up to them to rescue Renet, in order that the timestress can return all of them to their proper time/place.

The story presented here seems fairly simplistic–nothing particularly deep. Of course, this is a single-issue story, not something dragged across 6+ issues, and so takes us as readers across the main steps of the story without delving into half-issue side-stories and drawn-out conversations between characters. We simply have a story of the turtles in an unfamiliar landscape, battling zombies, werewolves, dragons, and magic, with a bit of time-travel thrown in for good measure.

The art is some of my favorite–I really like this depiction of the turtles. They have a distinct appearance that isn’t quite any of the animated versions, nor the oldest, classic iterations. I’m reminded very much of the TMNT Adventures series, which made this all the more enjoyable, even if that resemblance is just in my head.

This tale is just in time for Halloween, too, and avoids undue seriousness. I’m not sure if this is quite something to hand to the youngest of kids, but it’s certainly no “adult” comic.

As with most other issues of the title, it’s a stand-alone: you really don’t need to have read the previous issues, nor are you committed into buying future issues. There’s no “To Be Continued” here. Sometimes I’d enjoy a more serialized ongoing story for the turtles–but the way this book is handled, I’ve gotten used to and do enjoy the one-issue tales from all throughout core turtles history, as well as all the different visual takes on the characters.

Very much recommended for any TMNT fan, but especially for anyone who doesn’t mind that an issue is not part of some larger event or saga, but is just an episode from within the overall TMNT timeline.

Ratings:

Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

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Tales of the TMNT #22 [Review]

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Average
Title: Change of Power

Summary: The Turtles help an old ‘friend’ overthrow his father’s criminal empire…

talesofthetmnt022Plot: Ross May & Peter Laird
Script: Ross May
Pencils: Scott Cohn
Inks (1-26): Sean Parsons
Inks (27-29: Mike Manley
Tones: Bonaia Rosado & Scott Cohn
Cover Pencils & Colors: Scott Cohn
Cover Inks: Sean Parsons
Frontispiece & Letters: Eric Talbot
Publisher: Mirage Publishing

This is another pretty standard issue for this title. The story takes place somewhere between TMNT vol. 2 and the current (vol. 4) series, and follows the Turtles aiding an old friend who wants to take down his father’s criminal empire.

The story itself is not bad at all, and pretty readily accessible. In and of itself, all you need to know gets explained during the story, including exposition on events from TMNT vol. 1 #s 9 and 46-47. Despite this, the story itself is ultimately rather forgettable–good and entertaining as it’s read, but nothing particularly memorable in the long run, except a seed of question regarding Splinter’s master, Hamato Yoshi’s past.

The artwork is a mix of good and not-so-good. The human characters work quite well, but the depiction of the Turtles feels quite a ways “off” from a ‘standard’ imagery; while they are certainly recognizable, the interpretation rubs me a bit the wrong way.

The issue is a single-issue, stand-alone story: one needn’t have read any other TMNT comic at all to be able to follow the basic story; those who have read prior TMNT stories, and especially the 3 issues referenced here, will probably get the most out of this issue.
On the whole, a worthwhile issue if one really digs the TMNT. Otherwise, I’d suggest waiting for the next issue, or checking out other recent issues instead.

Ratings:

Story: 3/5
Art: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

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The Rest of the Stack: Week of October 26, 2011

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Walt

The Rest of the Stack is my general mini-review coverage of new comics for any given week. It’s in addition to (or in place of) full-size individual reviews. It’s far less formal, and more off-the-top-of-my head thoughts on the given comics than it is detailed reviews.

ANGEL & FAITH #3

angelandfaith003Angel and Faith continue the search for Mohra blood, and though the two find themselves at odds with one another, they do make a pretty good team. By issue’s end, they find themselves facing a threat more powerful than they imagined–and though he doesn’t yet know it, Angel’s in greater danger than even he knows. Three issues in, and I’m not yet finding the overall story. of course, if memory serves this is a 24-issue series, so we’re a mere 1/8th in so far. The story doesn’t seem to be really shaping up in a big way yet–but we’re getting plenty of smaller moments. The art continues to do a good job showing the characters as themselves, with a hint of the actors but not slavishly modeled after the human counterparts. I like that this is steeped in established continuity, and that for a licensed comic, it holds at $2.99 rather than the $3.99 so many others have embraced. I don’t know that this is in itself a jumping on point…but if you want to jump in and get your feet wet, snag this and the previous couple issues. I imagine this’ll be neatly collected into 4 6-issue volumes, so halfway in, may also be as well served to wait for the collected edition. (7/10)

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #2

furyoffirestorm002I’m definitely liking the whole “in from the beginning” this title’s letting me do. I’m intrigued by where things are going to go…but the issue itself is rather forgettable. Ronnie and Jason each are “a” Firestorm, and they’ve fused at least once into this “Fury” creature. Whether they can do that at will or will fight to avoid becoming it remains to be seen. This issue wastes no time cutting the characters completely loose from their established lives–which at least at this point has me a little wary–it seems this might be veering off a little quick from what I’d hoped for in the book. We do seem to have a front-running for supporting cast member, but it’s hard to tell for certain. I’ll be back for #3, but I had the rather disturbing thought of just how easy it would be to passively shed this book from my pull list without missing it much. I enjoy it as I read it, but it’s not all that stand-out impressive in and of itself. (6.5/10)

STAR TREK (IDW) #2

startrek002While I would be irked to see classic ‘Trek episodes adapted into 6 issue arcs featuring this version of the characters…I can’t help but wonder if two issues is enough space. I thought for sure I was in for a 3-6 issue arc when the first issue wasn’t in and of itself a complete adaptation. The crew rallies and deals with their threat here. and before long the Enterprise is back off on its continuing mission. The story’s solid enough–and while I can’t decide what would be an ideal size for each adaptation, I continue to really enjoy the concept of experiencing classic Trek through the filter of the 2009 characters. Unfortunately, I’m already guessing that nothing truly major or unexpected will happen with the characters in this series–which makes this a rather “safe” sort of series, where sure, we’ll get the twists of this cast, but ultimately the toys are all going to stay in the toybox for the next movie, so there seems little chance of major character beats. The $3.99 cover price doesn’t help, either. While this is one of only about 3 $3.99 books to make my recent cuts…when I thought this had NOT actually been pulled for me, it didn’t bother me–so for better or worse, this is one of the books I could most easily “give up,” especially with the notion of just getting the collected volumes. (7/10)

TEEN TITANS #2

teentitans002I didn’t get nearly the thrill out of this issue as I did the opener. Which isn’t to say this was bad or anything, but it lacked something the first issue had. I’m not sure what to make of this story so far–but the whole “let’s gather a group of potential victims together to strike back before the group chasing them can get any others” seems somehow rather cliche and overly familiar. This ‘Skitter’ character isn’t interesting to me, so whether she returns or not, I don’t much care. That she may be part of the new lineup really doesn’t thrill me…but then, this is only the second issue. It’s kinda crazy to think about what now-long-established favorites weren’t exactly embraced the moment they first appeared. Still…I think my enthusiasm at the New 52 has waned a lot more (and faster) than anticipated. Maybe I’ll force myself to stick with what titles I chose to go beyond #1 with for their first arcs…or at least, through the 3rd issues beginning tomorrow. (7/10)

THE WALKING DEAD #90

walkingdead090Hard to believe this is another arc down (at least, if we’re going with “arc” as being “another 6 issues.”) I’m amazed at the way the human stuff gets played up, the interactions between the cast. As I’m presently re-reading the earlier volumes, it’s also kind of amazing to see how much has changed, and that much of the key stuff that so defined this series for me, the most powerful moments, are mostly in the first half of what we have so far. At issue 45 we were in the midst of that story where we were told no one was safe, and saw horrific deaths of some beloved characters. Having been desensitized to that a bit, I’ve yet to really care much about new characters since, even while seeing these longer-term characters evolve along the way. This issue IS the end of the next 6 issues, and the cliffhanger is something I saw coming a couple pages before getting to it, though I don’t know I truly EXPEcTED it. It definitely holds a lot of potential, though it could be a major developing point, or just as easily little more than a moment given extra attention. Still…I’m enjoying this version as much as I’m enjoying the tv version, and thankful they’re separate entities. (8/10)

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Abadazad vol. 1 [Review]

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: The Road to Inconceivable

Summary: We’re introduced to Katie and her present situation as well as beginning to learn a bit about Abadazad…while Katie’s life changes forever…

abadazadvol01Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Drawings: Mike Ploog
Colors: Nick Bell
Cover Art: Mike Ploog
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children

This book has been a long time coming. For many, though, it’s a bit of familiarity, as we–like a certain character in the story–return, at last, to the world of Abadazad.
About two and a half years ago, CrossGen introduced a fairly unique and interesting new comic series–Abadazad. After just a handful of issues, though, CrossGen went down, and by extension, so did Abadazad.

Long story short (look stuff up online if you want more of the CrossGen story), Abadazad has found a new home, and an interesting new format.

This is no standard comic or graphic novel or TPB, etc. It’s a hardback book–reminds me offhand of the Series of Unfortunate Events books, and a couple other series-I-don’t-know-the-names-of that I see lined up in the YA section at Wal-Mart all the time.

To open this book, flipping to the right page, it certainly looks like one of those sorts of books inside as well (as opposed to, say, some mass market paperback books reprinting comics and such).
Some very familiar images adorn certain pages, sometimes interspersed with the text itself, other times large singular images on a page opposing text, sometimes a full-page image or double-page spread. And still other pages, are actually in ‘standard’ comic book format–these taken from those original 2004 issues of Abadazad that saw print.

It seems that here we get a rather interesting–if a bit haphazard (mostly in a good way, I think)–mix of prose and “comic” and simply images to go with said prose. The prose is Kate’s narration, what she’s recorded in her diary…er…memoir…diary. And on occasion, it leads into the “comic pages” that give brief visuals of Kate and the situations she finds herself in, and the characters she interacts with.
This style feels almost like a voice-over-on-black that then leads into a scene, or a voiceover-into-scene transition, were one to visualize this as a movie or tv program or such.

Physical and style description aside, what of the story?

There’s just something about the story itself that draws one in. It’s at once familiar, and yet new. Not too far in, a reference is made about “through the rabbit-hole,” “over the rainbow,” “into the wardrobe,” showing an in-text awarenessof the likes of Wonderland, Oz, Narnia; another reference goes to Middle-Earth…perhaps the mention alone leads one to slightly shift their mind to try to see this in the same light as those classic stories.

We meet Katie–Kate–a 14 year old girl living with her mother. The father ditched them years earlier. Accompanying that, Kate had a younger brother–Matty. One quickly realizes that she’s writing about Matty in the past tense. Five years later, and she and her mother are still deeply traumatized at having lost Matty. Her mother–“Frantic Frances”–has distanced herself all the more trying to hide from the loss, while Kate herself has tried to harden her heart and move on without wanting to allow herself to dwell on her lost brother.

Her crazy old neighbor introduces her to the “truth” behind the stories she’s read since she was a kid–and had bonded with her brother over reading them to him. The truth leads to what will be Katie’s great adventure/quest/whatever, and the true meat of Abadazad.

DeMatteis‘ story is well-thought-out, drawing on the familiar while injecting some new to the concept of a fantasy-world-turned-real. Given the context of the story, the characters are very believeable, and while there’s not a LOT of depth yet, this is just introducing the characters, context, and world of Abadazad. This book’s story sets the stage for what is to come, presenting the reader with all they need to know to get the characters and know what they’re all about.

Ploog‘s art captures a great style that looks right at home simply as illustrations for a prose tale, but then lends itself to a rather realistic visual style on the comic pages–realistic, but a sort of ‘softness’ that mutes the seriousness of the story. This gives a tone that keeps the seriousness from totally weighing on the reader, while allowing for its presence. Additionally, the comic pages give visual on the settings depicted much moreso than one would get simply from single-image illustrations.

On the whole, while not entirely a prose book nor by any stretch a graphic novel, this book is a great blend of both, and while maybe not 100% original, is certainly comparatively unique in this blending. Adults should find a certain enjoyment of the story, and yet it seems pretty well-suited for a younger crowd (though as with anything, I wouldn’t indiscriminately give it to a kindergartener or such).

The prose is enough to not be something boring to adult readers, but is simple enough for younger readers. It also provides a “hook” to bring readers into the story, and the comic pages in addition to providing visuals to small scenes serve double-duty by showing someone what comics are–and can be.

Even if for some reason someone disapproves of comics, this format holds more prose than comic, so might make parents happy seeing their kids read a prose story–but the comics enhance the story for someone who wants more than just a few ‘static’ images here and there in their story.

Whether you’re interested in this for having read the original comics, or this is the first you’ve even heard of Abadazad…I highly recommend checking these books out!

Ratings:

Story: 4.5/5
Art: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW) #3 [Review]

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Walt

Story: Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz
Script: Tom Waltz
Layouts: Kevin Eastman
Art: Dan Duncan
Colors: Ronda Pattison
Letters: Shawn Lee
Editor: Scott Dunbier
Associate Editor: Bobby Curnow
Published by:IDW

I’ll talk about the “bad” here, first. This is not the TMNT that I grew up with. The characters themselves–as we’ve learned in these last couple issues–are quite different from previous iterations. For one thing, so far, we don’t even have all four turtles together as one family–three believe their ‘brother’ may not even exist, while this ‘brother’ doesn’t even know about the others or how he came to be what and where he is at present. And after half a decade of the primary TMNT book being Tales of the TMNT, a monthly series with mainly done-in-one stories, I can’t help but feel like this story is decompressed, and I’m anxious to see the turtles as a group–it seems so obvious that they’re not going to be kept apart more than perhaps this arc, so it’s easy to just want to get to that point and get on with things.

But–and this is in the face of any and all complaints listed above or not–I am loving this book on the whole. I’m still getting used to Duncan‘s art, but with the assumption that he’s going to be “the” TMNT artist long-term, it’s easy to see how I’m going to find myself embracing this vision of the turtles. Much as Lawson defined these characters for me for years on the Mirage series, I totally expect Duncan‘s will as well. I certainly hope so, anyway. There’s a sort of sketch-like quality to the art that in many cases would tend to put me off a bit, but here, it manages to–through the colors–evoke a bit of the more familiar black-and-white take on the characters. The colors are a bit muted, which lends another quality to the visuals that I like. There’s plenty of color…but the muted tones fit with the sort of muted story.

These are not super-heroes…these are mutants living in a sewer, trying to avoid detection while seeking out a lost family member. I wish I could say that Eastman‘s breakdowns were obvious to me–but I only know that work based on the issue’s credits. However, it’s cool (at least on a meta level) knowing he’s got that sort of hand in this as a part of the overall visual storytelling on this series, and lends a bit of continuity between the classic and the current.

The story itself is actually quite good–I’m really enjoying it, despite it feeling stretched and such. That, or it’s just got me that hooked and engaged that I’m eagerly awaiting each new issue, and it’s always at the top of my stack when I decide what I’m going to read first. Eastman obviously gets the characters, having co-created them. And while I’m otherwise unfamiliar with Waltz, he’s got a big part in this, too, or wouldn’t be credited as he is.

This issue opens with a several-page fight scene in which Raphael (well, we know it’s him but he doesn’t) and Casey beat on some purse-snatchers, while their banter serves to give us exposition, filling things out about the characters more rapidly than otherwise possible, given the flow of story. In their home, the other turtles finish a training session before touching off an ongoing argument amongst themselves and Splinter. A flashback further fleshes out the characters’ current origin. Finally, it seems the two groups may soon converge, as we’re left on a cliffhanger that may or may not be a bigger deal than it looks.

Oh, and just in case anyone’s wondering: there is as yet no mention of Oroku Saki, no mention of a Shredder…and to me, that’s a fantastic blast of fresh air. I’m thankful for a nemesis that is not just another re-tread of a character who was never supposed to appear beyond the original TMNT #1 27 years ago. If you’re at all interested in the TMNT–this is a great re-imagining of the characters, worthy so far of the classic work and certainly a wonderful entry point for new readers. Whether you’re steeped in TMNT mythology or brand-new, there’s plenty here for all.

Story: 8/10
Art: 8.5/10
Whole: 9/10

Filed under: INDEPENDENT/SMALL-PRESS PUBLISHERS, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Superman #2 [Review]

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Walt

Flying Blind

Script & Breakdowns: George Perez
Pencils & Inks: Jesus Merino
Colors: Brian Buccellato
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover: Perez & Buccellato
Associate Editor: Wil Moss
Editor: Matt Idelson
Published by: DC Comics

From the very first look at this issue–the cover–there’s something that’s been missing for me for a long, long time from Superman comics. I can’t quite put my finger on it, put words to it…but I’m pretty sure it’s something to do with just really liking the look of this new costume as shown here. Maybe it’s just simply that I like Perez‘ art over so much of what I think of with a lot of Superman stuff in recent years and so the cover grabs me. This also seems like the sort of cover, somehow, that “fits” an early issue of a new series, and whatever else to it I can’t find words for…I just simply like this cover.

The interior visuals are high quality as well, and I can’t help but think some of that’s gotta be Perez doing the breakdowns, which makes things fit the story moreso than if the writer and artist were working far more independently of one another. Paging through the issue again, I really can’t find anything that particularly bothers me about the visuals, that isn’t attributable to a generic creature/antagonist or keeping with a “newish” younger look to Clark Kent.

The story itself is good, with all the elements that I’ve tended to enjoy about a Superman comic. And for what seems like the first time in too many YEARS, Clark Kent is actually a part of the Superman story again. Maybe not a huge part, and it’s too soon for me to have much hope of any great emphasis being placed on the Clark Kent personality…but Clark is there, is a part of the story unfolding, and for now, that’s a marked improvement over things during the New Krypton era of the previous DC Universe. I really enjoy that we have Clark, Lois, Jimmy, and Superman all playing parts in the overall story. Cat Grant even appears here, and we at least have a mention of Perry. There’s even a sense of continuity here, that Superman’s got a past, even though in some ways this is like a new beginning of his career. He comes off as a bit unsure of things and yet confident enough to do what he’s gotta do.

As we open the issue, Superman’s awaiting information from Sam Lane, who remains distrustful of the man of steel from their prior encounter (in the “5 years ago” story going on in Action Comics right now). We then transition to Lois and Clark discussing their encounter at the end of the previous issue before returning briefly to General Lane, and then Superman encountering the “monster” of this issue–a creature that everyone but him seems to be able to see. After getting knocked around by the creature, Superman of course figures out a way to deal with this threat, in a fight that rages across 11 of the issue’s 20 pages. Finally, we cut to Superman recording an audio journal or log–his narration has not actually been internal this issue, as it originally appeared to be. This also allows for some more defining of the current relationship Clark has with Lois, and then we’re set up with a mild cliffhanger to lead into the next issue.

All in all…another great issue, which is quickly cementing this as a version of Superman I’d love to read long-term…and somehow, I’m even ok with Superman and Lois not (yet) being romantically involved here. It’s also great that rather than load the back of the issue with a preview I’m not even going to read (yet tend to be annoyed at having to page through to make sure there’s no other RELEVANT content to the issue in-hand), this issue has only a single page advertising Batman: Noel.

Though there’s obviously an over-arcing story building…this is the second issue, and we’ve already had two stories where amidst the other character interactions and details, we’ve had the beginning, middle, and end of a creature’s introduction and battle with Superman, rather than stretch either of these into 4+ issue arcs apiece.

Of the two main Superman books, this is by far my favorite for the story, art, and the feeling of actually getting my money’s worth in content. I expect Action Comics will read as a fast but engaging graphic novel, if you want an actual comic with serialized adventures of Superman, this is certainly the title to get. As an “old fan” I’m greatly enjoying this…but it seems there’s enough here that a new or lapsed reader would be able to figure stuff out fairly easily as well without missing out on anything.

Highly recommended.

Story: 7.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
Whole: 8.5/10

Filed under: DC, DC Universe, New 52, The, Superman, Superman | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

A Computer Reboot Analogy

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Walt

This morning, I read this piece on Geek’s Dream Girl and though talking about ongoing games in an RPG with a new rules set, it really put me in mind of DC Comics‘ recent reboot/relaunch.

I also read this piece at Grumpy Old Fan about DC still having a massive history which makes up its entire reprint library at present.

And then I realized I’d closed Windows Live Writer when I rebooted my computer last night, and the word “reboot” stuck in my head…there’s gotta be a lengthy analogy here somewhere.

I hate restarting my computer. The way I use it–constantly multitasking, with at least a half-dozen different things running at once, often a dozen or more tabs in each of often several Firefox/browser windows…it’s highly inconvenient to think of trying to shut the machine down entirely every night.

So, it’ll often be put into standby or whatever, so that the open things stay open, and it’s a matter of but a few seconds to get back to that writing project I started 2 days earlier, to continue reading the whole glob of threads from opening links off a core article, to continue editing that slideshow project, and to keep track of where I left off the ongoing “classic reviews” project that will allow this blog to have daily “new” content for the next 5 weeks minimum.

Whenever I do bring this computer up from a full shutdown, it loads the requisite minimum, the default stuff and background processes, etc. I’ll then bring other programs up specifically, and build from there. Sorta like a publisher setting up the default background stuff, then one by one (or small groups) bringing new titles out. Those build on each other, and eventually there may be a fairly large “universe” of stories (or glump of software running).

And invariably, that’s eventually gonna get outta hand–problems will come up, and it becomes necessary to exit some of those programs–naturally (hey, a series comes to an organic ending for the story) or to terminate some of those processes (cancellation of a series). But even with all that, eventually the computer gets to where it’s just got too much going, that even trying to trim back what’s running isn’t solving the problem.

And there comes a time when I just have to take the time to look at all the stuff that’s open, determine what I’m going to save for the next go-round, what I can dump…and reboot the machine.

The stuff that I saved will come back up (if not right away, then when I remember I was working on it), and the stuff that didn’t really matter…well, it’s not really a loss.

Maybe a dumb analogy, but I’m mildly entertained at it…and it’s just the way my mind works sometimes, seizing on stuff that may or may not generally fit together, but still making the analogy. Sorta like how working at a job with high turnover and realizing that you can’t even remember the name of someone who sat/worked next to you for months can be an analogy for immortality (as can the different “lives” one can live in different stages of a single lifetime).

Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

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