• December 2025
    S M T W T F S
     123456
    78910111213
    14151617181920
    21222324252627
    28293031  

  • On Facebook

    On Facebook

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Comic Blog Elite

    Comic Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory

Tales of the TMNT #67 [Review]

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Schooled

Shadow starts at a new school, and must resist the urge to tell everybody about her mutant “uncles.”

talesofthetmnt067Script: Dan Berger
Pencils and Tones: Dario Brizuela
Inks: Andres Ponce
Letters: Eric Talbot
Cover: Dario Brizuela and Steve Lavigne
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Published by: Mirage Publishing

Unfortunately, this series has what I can only describe as a “lame duck” feeling about it. There are just a couple more issues due out before the series goes away completely. And being the sole presence of the TMNT in comics for the last few years, there are no other books for these characters to show up in, or co-feature in, and so on. With the property having been sold off, and zero word on any new comic series and whether any of the existing/ongoing continuity would be maintained or if the entire property would be restarted if comics are done…it makes the long-term effect of this issue seem pretty low-key and like it has little point to it. Of course, taken by itself, this is quite an enjoyable story.

This issue sees Shadow–the adopted daughter of Casey Jones and April–getting into a new school, and everyone dealing with that. At the same time, Mikey and Don are out and about on the streets, keeping each other focused as to what’s right and wrong. When Shadow’s first day at school arrives, her family is excited and proud, though they warn her of the danger that would come by her talking about her “uncles” and whatnot…which of course leads to trouble. Still, the resolution is mostly satisfying…at least in keeping with the nature of Casey in particular.

I’ve realized throughout this series that despite the differences in the various visual styles of the artists involved, each largely has something to really like. For example, this issue reminds me of the recent TMNT animated series–particularly Casey’s appearance. The turtles themselves look quite different in detail but still seem like they’d fit in rather well with the animated series’ visual style. My only real gripe is that I don’t think I’ve ever pictured Shadow as a blonde–and I don’t know if that’s me simply never noticing, or what the deal is–but other than that, the art’s good stuff.

As with many issues of this series, this is a done-in-one tale, so you don’t really need earlier issues to follow the story (though they’ll add plenty of context). You can pick this up by itself and enjoy it as a one-shot thing, or as another untold tale from this period in the Turtles’ lives.

It’s just unfortunate that this doesn’t seem like just the latest untold tale to add context to a present-day story…nothing’s really going to come of this or refer back to this.

Recommended for TMNT fans in particular…and whether this issue or most of the prior issues, this series in itself is well worth reading, and its lengthy run these past 6 years is second only to the TMNT Adventures series from Archie back in the 1990s.

Ratings:

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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Tales of the TMNT #64 [Review]

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: The Burning Man

The turtles race all over the city to deal with a number of threats, and ultimately, a demon-from-a-bottle released in a botched attempt to stop the Foot from stealing its container.

talesofthetmnt064Script: Tristan Jones
Pencils: Jim Lawson
Inks: Steve Lavigne
Letters: Dan Berger
Cover: Jim Lawson & Steve Lavigne
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Editor in Chief: Peter Laird
Managing Editor: Dan Berger
Design: Eric Talbot
Published by: Mirage Publishing

Michelangelo narrates this issue, as we find out that he and his brothers wound up fighting some sort of demon. This demon was released after Leonardo accidentally broke an urn the Foot was trying to steal. We go from the turtles’ lair as Leo chews Mikey out for stuff going wrong; then see Mikey’s side to things. With the urn broken and the demon having disappeared, there wasn’t much for the turtles to do, so they went about usual business; these distractions led to Mikey being the one to come across the demon again first, and thus Mikey confronts it alone. The others are brought into things in their own way, as the motivation of the demon is determined and attended to. While Mikey won’t take the blame for everything that went down, we do find out at the end of the issue the one thing that he WILL take responsibility for.

Visually, this is the version of the turtles I tend to enjoy most, and the visual style that I’ve come to primarily associate with them over the past 7-8 years or so. It is a bit stylistic, and detail seems to vary a bit, as dictated by the story and what we’re to focus on as the story progresses.

The story itself is quite good, and I really enjoyed a lot of the verbal and visual cues provided by having the story from Mikey’s point of view. I could almost hear the voice of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series Mikey recounting these events, and that just made it all the more fun.

Jones has written some of my favorite issues of Tales, and I find it a real shame that this will be his last issue, given the change of ownership of the TMNT property and uncertainty of where things go from here.

This is not a dense book…the story is a nice little done-in-one, mainly focused on Mikey but still involving the other turtles such that it is by no means a solo issue. If you can get the issue, it’s very much worthwhile.

Ratings:

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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Tales of the TMNT #61 [Review]

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Very Good
Story Title: Sometimes They Come Back

While helping to investigate the destruction of several buildings in the city and rising violence of an ongoing gang war, the turtles find more of their past back to haunt them.

talesofthetmnt061Script: Tristan Jones
Art: Andres Ponce
Letters: Eric Talbot
Cover: Andres Ponce & Steve Lavigne
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Editor in Chief: Peter Laird
Managing Editor: Dan Berger
Design: Eric Talbot
Publisher: Mirage Publishing

This issue picks up on a story thread that’s been touched on at a few points in recent years. The introduction on the inside front cover provides a quick recap to give context, and then we launch into the story. One of the turtles makes contact with a police detective investigating a collapsed building. As we continue on, the turtles all find pieces of the “puzzle” that comes together in a fairly fast-paced piece of action before quickly winding down as the turtles find themselves facing the small–but terrifyingly plentiful–mousers they’d faced years ago.

It might just be the immediacy of having just read the issue, with its enjoyment fresh in my mind…but this is one of the most enjoyable TMNT reads I’ve had in awhile. Jones builds a story that is both fresh and yet drawn from existing continuity. The result is that the reader is provided not just a peek into a random moment in the turtles’ lives, but a growing story, and (dare I say it) continuity within the “gap” presented when TMNT vol. 4 launched nearly 8 years ago.

The story moves at a pretty quick pace…in some ways, I’d certainly like to see more build, as we do largely just get snippets of stuff as the scenes move along from one turtle to another with the occasional moment from the police throughout. At the same time, the story in this one issue could probably be stretched to at least 2 and maybe 3 issues without feeling padded…but rather than have to buy 3 issues, we get the entirety of the given story right here. Reading through the issue, I get a distinct feel of the turtles being older and rather independent (no Splinter found nor referenced), and the way they’re shown interacting throughout the issue shows where they’ve grown up from the earliest TMNT issues.

Ponce‘s art gives me the impression much of this book takes place at night–there’s a certain feel to the imagery with shadows and overall tone giving that feeling. Unlike a lot of other black-and-white books, where the art looks like it’s ready for color, here it almost appears to have been done in color and printed in greytones. The overall style puts me in mind of the animated series–this certainly does not duplicate that series’ style, but is somewhat similar, and that works very well for me here, as I can easily see the action of this issue being animated.

Probably because this issue is the latest of a several-part ongoing “arc,” newer readers may not get much from this. I think this issue is more for longer-time readers (whether just of this volume of Tales of the TMNT, or going back to the 1990s or even the mid-80s when the turtles first appeared). As one of those longtime readers, this issue was a blast, and very much worth its price.

Ratings:

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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Tales of the TMNT #60 [Review]

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Not Bad
Story Title: Nobody Does it Better

As Raph and Casey spend some time together, a figure out of their past returns…changed.

talesofthetmnt060Script: Dan Berger
Art: Jim Lawson
Letters: Eric Talbot
Cover: Jim Lawson & Steve Lavigne
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Publisher: Mirage Publishing

This issue gives us a tale of an apparently “new” version of the character known as “Nobody.” This character has a history with the TMNT, going back quite a number of years–more than half their existence, really. Yet, he’s made very few appearances (one should note that there’s a handy recap/intro on the inside front cover: enough to remind you of the past appearances/stories if you’ve read them, or just enough to give you a bit of context like the opening text of A New Hope gave before launching you into the story).

We come upon Raph and Casey in the wee hours of the morning–Casey having had a few too many drinks, Raph playing the part of the good friend…as they meet Nobody, who has been ejected from an alien the US government had allied with years ago. While Nobody explains how he came to be present, another alien attacks our group, and ultimately, Nobody has a new status quo while Raph and Casey wind down their night.

This issue’s art is provided by Jim Lawson, the regular artist on the core TMNT book. This story itself is set between-issues of that series, but has a great visual consistency by Lawson‘s work. Berger‘s story actually feels like it goes alongside the Laird-penned pages of TMNT…and given the rarity of new stories from Laird himself, this chapter set within that continuity is extremely welcome.

The visuals, unfortunately, do seem to suffer a little bit from lack of color–there are points that things blend together, and a splash page that I felt like I had to study to make much sense of what was happening (I gave up and trusted to context on that point). Other than that, Lawson‘s version of the characters–especially Raphael’s mutated appearance–is one I associate very much with my enjoyment of a number of TMNT stories.

The recap page did a lot for me in establishing context–I’m almost entirely unfamiliar with Nobody as anything other than some throw-away character that–in retrospect–I actually have read before, though didn’t recall by name.

If you’re a fan of the TMNT–or specifically Casey and Raph–or just this series, this is another par-for-the-course issue. If you’re not familiar with the characters or primarily enjoy the turtles-as-a-team in-action…or are otherwise new to the TMNT-verse, this doesn’t make a good jump-on point.

Ratings:

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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Tales of the TMNT #58 [Review]

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: All Tomorrow’s Yesterdays

The TMNT and the C.O.W.Boys of Moo Mesa team up again, this time to face the ultimate threat to the C.O.W.Boys’ Earth.

talesofthetmnt058Plot: Murphy & Ryan Brown
Script: Murphy
Art: Dario Brizuela
Lettering: Eric Talbot
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Editor in Chief: Peter Laird
Managing Editor: Dan Berger
Design: Eric Talbot
Front Cover: Dario Brizuela and Steve Lavigne
Back Cover: Fernando Leon Gonzalez

This issue is the latest installment in a series of teamups between the TMNT and the C.O.W.Boys of Moo Mesa.

Picking up from the most recent installment a few months ago, Utromi Preservi (an elite/secret society of Utroms) has gathered what they need to awaken a cosmic vampire, Galactose (think “Milky Way galaxy” for the joke). While the Turtles and their allies rush to try to save the C.O.W.Boys’ Earth, Donatello may have the secret that will save everyone. We also have a brief appearance by Cudley the Cowlick, who longtime TMNT fans will recognize from the TMNT Adventures series…nothing too significant about the appearance, but a great nod to said fans. There’s also a moment where the Turtles are shown other incarnations of themselves, which was VERY cool to see.

The art by Brizuela is very good. The style is enjoyable, though different from other TMNT artists (while keeping the characters recognizable and other expected things with a comic). The comic’s interior is black-and-white, but as the front cover is done by the same artist as the interior pages, one can see what everyone looks like in color and almost forget the interior is not in color.

One of the thing that’s been great about this title shows through with this issue’s story. For the most part, each issue is its own standalone story. However, creative teams will re-visit and expand upon earlier stories, building larger stories, even if they’re not consecutive issues in this title (which is almost an anthology, except that each story/creative team gets a full issue rather than having multiple stories/creative teams in a single issue).

The story is fun, though one has to really suspend disbelief on a few points. The cosmic vampire as a nod to Galactus is–while derivative–also kinda cool if one recognizes the association–on a metatextual level it adds plenty that there’s not time for otherwise in a single-issue story.

This isn’t the best single issue for one jumping aboard clueless about the characters; but so long as one isn’t looking for lengthy, drawn-out continuity and depth, it’s a fun issue with plenty of action and some jokes thrown in.

Additionally, as I noted when I reviewed the prior chapter of this story, another thing Mirage gets right is not only including a pin up page in the back of the issue with an image related to the story but a color alternate image also related to the story is presented in color on the back cover…no need to seek out extra copies of this comic for these bonus images.

All in all, this continues to be a strong title, telling TMNT stories from throughout their continuity by different creative teams, keeping the book always fresh and with some real heart behind the individual tales.

Ratings:

Story: 3/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 3/5

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Tales of the TMNT #57 [Review]

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Decent
Story Title: Gangs All Here

The Turtles all have different ideas when it comes to what they should do about their housing situation.

talesofthetmnt057Script: Dan Berger
Art: Jim Lawson
Lettering: Eric Talbot
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Editor in Chief: Peter Laird
Managing Editor: Dan Berger
Design: Eric Talbot
Cover: Jim Lawson and Steve Lavigne

This issue gives us a glimpse into a time after the color TMNT series from the mid-1990s and the series from the early 2000s, where the turtles were trying to figure out where to live. The argument involved safety–of April, Casey, and Shadow; of the turtles keeping themselves secret from society around them, and so on. Of course, the turtles also find themselves involved in goings-on they’d rather not be a part of, as they encounter a new gang–the Madhattan Maulitia, battling it out with the Purple Dragons for turf.

The art for this issue is classic Lawson–very much “the” visual style that I associate as the “standard” version of these characters…it’s a bit stylistic, and won’t be for everyone, but with these characters, it works quite well.

The story is fairly standard, and felt a bit short. It’s really very enjoyable getting to see the turtles interact this way, seeing some of what happened between series. But the major hangup I have on this issue is that there’s an eight-page “silent” fight sequence–I understand there’s an atmosphere or even “cinematic” effect probably being conveyed….but I just felt like I was turning page after page of action panels trying to find where the story itself with dialogue and such would pick up again. Multiple-page silent action/fight sequences would be fine in a single volume of a manga series, but as something that takes up a quarter or so of an entire issue, not so thrilled.

All in all, an issue that has a lot of potential, but isn’t all that dense or deep. “Worthwhile” for the more hardcore readers. For newer readers not all that steeped in TMNT history, this issue’s probably one to pass on.

Ratings:

Story: 3/5
Art: 3.5/5
Overall: 3/5

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Tales of the TMNT #56 [Review]

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Hun

As the turtles and April help Casey clean, they come across some old newspapers that reveal another glimpse into Casey’s past–and the man who helped make him who he is today.

talesofthetmnt056Script: Tristan Jones
Art: Paul Harmon
Letters: Eric Talbot
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Editor in Chief: Peter Laird
Managing Editor: Dan Berger
Design: Eric Talbot
Cover: Paul Harmon and Steve Lavigne
Publisher: Mirage

In brief, this issue shows us Casey’s past run-in with Hun, then moves into the “present” (in that time somewhere after TMNT Vol. 2). Having his past brought into discussion with April, Casey takes off to blow off some steam, and finds himself face-to-face with the man who hurt him so many years ago…but with the fight just a little more “fair” this time around.

Normally I’m not a huge fan of bringing a character from “other media” into the “source material,” but the way that Hun (created for the TMNT animated series that debuted back in ’03) has been handled here makes perfect sense, and works REALLY well in tying into Casey Jones’ life–getting to the core of the character.

The writing here works quite well for me. There aren’t a lot of pages–just this issue–for delving into stuff, so it’s not like we have a multi-issue arc to introduce stuff; we just kinda jump into stuff and see both flashback and “current” events. But everyone seems in-character; at the least, I have no problems with how the characters are depicted in this book.

Visually I feel that for the most part, the art orks quite ell with the story; but other times something about it seems almost unfinished and sketchy, like we’re seeing pencilwork minus any inks.

All in all, though, especially for fans of Casey Jones, this is a very worthwhile issue. While this issue does bring Hun into TMNT comic continuity, it’s not forced, and is done in such a way that he can be picked up by others as they choose–or not, and it’s not like he’s gonna be force-fed to readers month after month.

Not sure non-TMNT fans would find this issue all that wonderful; but at least for the story and learning more about Casey, this issue ought to be a good read for TMNT fans new and old.

Recommended.

Ratings:

Story: 3.5/5
Art: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Tales of the TMNT #55 [Review]

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Very Good
Story Title: Day in the Life

The Turtles wake to another day of training and family rivalry.

talesofthetmnt055Script: Dan Berger
Art: Jim Lawson
Letters: Eric Talbot
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Cover: Jim Lawson and Steve Lavigne
Publisher: Mirage

This issue begins with a fantastic, poster-worthy cover. It’s a bit “iconic,” but I have no problem with that. The story opens as usual with a bit of dialogue from one of the characters in the issue as a voiceover on a singular image, as the narrator leads into the issue’s story. The Turtles’ day begins–Donatello up late working on a machine, Michelangelo up late working on a comic, Raphael reluctant to get started so early, and Leonardo checking in on the three, while attending to his own training by Splinter. Once the Turtles are all up and in motion, their day’s training begins, with some undertones present from a sibling prank. Eventually the day ends and the Turtles go to bed, not one having any idea what is to come.

The art for this issue is spot-on for me; this is the visual version of the Turtles that I most associate with the characters. No complaints from me.

The story itself may seem rather boring to some, but as a fan of the “quieter” stories with characters often associated with “loud” action-filled stories, this is a story that I particularly enjoyed. This is a tale of the characters found in the classic issues–and yet, it manages to also capture the feel of the 2003 animated series–a great blend of classic with contemporary, somewhat brighter tones. Each turtle’s personality shows through here as we see their interaction on–essentially–any given day, at least as their life was before Shredder, the Foot, and everything else that they’ve faced since being introduced to the world.

As with most issues of this series, you need not have read any of the other issues–you can come to this cold, knowing only the phrase “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” The ending sequence of this issue was a thrill–whether just a random visual or something deeper, I’m not sure–but long time fans will likely be able to draw parallels that’ll give a lot more depth to the scene.

Highly recommended.

Ratings:

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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

« Previous Page — Next Page »