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Full Post at TMNT Revisited |
Filed under: The '90s Revisited, TMNT Adventures Revisited | Tagged: archie, Archie Publishing, Barry Grossman, Beth Mitchroney, Comic Reviews, Dave Garcia, Eye of Sarnath, Gary Fields, Incredible Shrinking Turtles, Ken Mitchroney, Kevin Eastman, Mirage, Ninja Turtles, Peter Laird, Revisited, Sarnath, Steve Lavigne, TMNT, Victor Gorelick | Leave a comment »
Story: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz
Script: Tom Waltz
Art: Mateus Santolouco
Colors: Ronda Pattison
Letters: Shawn Lee
Editor: Bobby Curnow
Published by: IDW
Cover Price: $3.99
This issue gives us a brawl between Bebop & Rocksteady and the Turtles & Mutanimals, as well as Casey bonding with April’s father. All but three pages are the brawl, and while I normally wouldn’t consider myself a fan of all-fight issues (or issues this CLOSE to being “all-fight”), there’s enough characterization within the context of the brawl that I enjoyed it.
I’m getting a definite (nostalgic, perhaps) sense of Alopex as a stand-in for Ninjara, though “stand-in” may not be quite the wording I’m seeking. At the very least, seeing the way this current IDW TMNT continuity draws from seemingly “everything” that’s come before, I can’t imagine there’s not some influence from the Raph/Ninjara stuff (from the Archie TMNT Adventures) being drawn from in the current Raph/Alopex stuff.
I definitely appreciate the threat posed by this version of Rocksteady and Bebop–while they maintain the “dumb grunts” status that seems to have kept them so popular through the years, here they’re shown as the danger they really ought to–and can–be. They’re actually scary, and not ones that can be tricked into a cage or into knocking themselves out running into each other, etc (pick a random episode of the classic cartoon and how the turtles got out of being killed by ’em).
Amidst the brawl, we still get “moments” between various characters–Nobody and Alopex, Alopex and Raph, Splinter and Mondo Gecko, Mikey and Slash, etc. We see that these characters have more going on than just the brawl itself. Instead of paper-thin plot points we see how the battle is affecting the characters, and the various alliances…I just see a lot more “complexity” on display here than, say, in the classic TMNT cartoon or the comics adapting episodes of said cartoon. I also continue to LIKE the story-team of Eastman, Curnow, and Waltz over a single writer: I’m thoroughly enjoying this series, and attribute that to the team aspect and presumably more ideas being worked in and “tempered by committee” than we’d get following a single vision.
I also continue to REALLY enjoy Santolouco‘s art on this title. This look for the characters works very well to me and (perhaps for its immediacy) is probably my favorite contemporary look–especially for the overall consistency of the past number of issues.
The cover is a bit misleading and doesn’t really seem to indicate the issue’s story, but I have to admit it looks good in and of itself. I did have to look closer in the shop to make sure it wasn’t a variant, as it struck me as the sort of image that might be on a variant rather than this particular issue.
As the 40th issue, this series is getting “up there” in numbers–it’s hard to believe I started out and have kept up month to month with this title for forty issues now…but I look forward to this (ideally) making it to at least twice this number and perhaps the highest-numbered ongoing TMNT book ever in the 30+ year history of the property.
Also as the 40th issue, it’s another “divisible-by-4” number, which means “technically” the end of another arc based on the standard 4-issue collected volumes IDW insists on. Which means you’re probably better off holding for the collected volumes and jump in on the NEXT issue, or simply jumping in on #41 for the “start” of a new arc. But, following the single issues, certainly nothing to this that turns me off or seems like an issue worth skipping.
Filed under: 2014, IDW Publishing, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW) | Tagged: Alopex, bebop, Bobby Curnow, IDW, Kevin Eastman, Mateus Santolouco, Ninja Turtles, Nobody, rocksteady, Ronda Pattison, Shawn Lee, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, Tom Waltz | Leave a comment »
Yet again, I notice how the three DC weeklies make every week a rather large week anymore…
I’m quite disappointed to learn that the Gold Key books from Dynamite—Turok and Magnus, at least, if I recall–have turned out to be ending at #12. As such, at this point I’ll finish out these runs but probably let the titles go from there (though time and mood will tell in the new year).
While I’d prefer the TMNT stuff be spaced out rather than clumped…it’s definitely cool to get two official TMNT books in one week!
I’ve liked the look of the Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years book, but wasn’t willing to pay $40 for it. At 70% off (~$12) it’s a steal. Invasion! and Millennium together cost about what 3 Marvel single issues would.
And these Superman Chronicles volumes (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8) worked out to $4.50 apiece or about the same as a single Marvel issue, or cheaper than a single Annual/”special” issue. (Of course, now I “have to” track down volumes 3 & 7 likely closer to full price).
A HUGE week overall, but some great additions to the library, at a mere 30% of cover price. A bit of buyer’s remorse at first, but the more I look at stuff, and contemplate what others will be blowing on Black Friday stuff this week…this kind of WAS Black Friday for me, comics-wise.
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: comics, DC Comics, Dynamite, Gold Key, Invasion, Millennium, Ninja Turtles, Superman, Superman Chronicles, TMNT, Weeklies | Leave a comment »
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Full Post at TMNT Revisited |
Filed under: The '90s Revisited | Tagged: archie, Archie Adventure Series, Comic Reviews, Ninja Turtles, Return of the Shredder, TMNT, TMNT Adventures | Leave a comment »
A slightly late week this week…
Three Valiants, three weeklies, and a TMNT. I also snagged the new Serenity hardcover, as–at $19.99–it is a very reasonable value even at “full price,” so I opted to “support” this sorta thing via the LCS…
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT, The Weekly Haul | Tagged: DC Weeklies, Firefly, Leaves on the Wind, Ninja Turtles, Serenity, Valiant | Leave a comment »
I’ve come to take it for granted having a number of great comic shops nearby, amazing bargain-bins, and when I can’t find stuff in-person, the ease of eBay, and several online retailers.
But…in classic Archie TMNT, I’ve found a major hole in everyone’s stock, where I’m having to actually branch beyond usual sources and/or prices…and the simple point-and-click of online purchasing.
I was able to order these TMNT Classics Digest issues from Mirage Licensing for a very reasonable price. Unfortunately, I’m left several issues shy of the 7-issue set, and “no one” stocks ’em.
And I more than DOUBLED the amount I have EVER paid for ANY single issue of a comic, bidding on the TMNT: Intergalactic Wrestling issue (and this without even the audiocassette it was originally packaged with).
But I’m relatively determined to finish my Archie collection of TMNT, and have just a handful of issues left to do so.
Definitely a bit of “fun” to the “hunt,” and a bit more satisfaction and sense of “reward” than with ordering something simply, common, that I can compare prices across multiple sources to save a couple dollars, etc.
And it’ll be cool to complete an “active subcollection,” a finite body of books, in the Archie TMNT stuff.
Just a little further to go…
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: archie, Archie Adventure Series, Classics Digest, Intergalactic Wrestling, Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, TMNT, TMNT Adventures | Leave a comment »
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Full Post at TMNT Revisited |
Filed under: The '90s Revisited | Tagged: archie, Eastman, Laird, Ninja Turtles, TMNT, TMNT Adventures | Leave a comment »
Several weeks ago, I posted about finding the Original Comic Book Leonardo and Original Comic Book Michelangelo figures. I was surprised at the lack of Raphael and Donatello, and figured I’d be “hunting” for those for awhile. Thankfully, the packaging is distinctive from the rest of the line, making it very easy to spot the Original Comic Book Turtles over any other figures in the set without having to poke through all the figures on the pegs.
Over the first weekend of November I came across the Raphael and Donatello figures at a Toys R Us and bought ’em immediately, rather than risk them disappearing for awhile…especially with the “holiday shopping season” fast intruding.
As of present, now having all four of these, I may track down the Michelangelo and Donatello “Battle Shell” turtles (aka “Storage Shell”), and then Tiger Claw. Otherwise, I’m pretty much set, outside of (someday) talking myself into buyig the Shellraiser (aka “Turtle Van”) for this line.
Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: Donatello, Ninja Turtles, Original Comic Book, Original Comic Book Donatello, Original Comic Book Raphael, playmates, Raphael, TMNT, TMNT 2012, TMNT 2014, toys, turtles | Leave a comment »
Full Post at TMNT Revisited
TMNT Adventures: The Reprints, part 1
Filed under: TMNT Adventures Revisited | Tagged: archie, Ninja Turtles, TMNT Adventures, TMNT Revisited | Leave a comment »
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Full Post at TMNT Revisited |
Filed under: TMNT Adventures Revisited | Tagged: ads, archie, Ninja Turtles, TMNT, TMNT Adventures, toys | Leave a comment »
Comic Reviews by Walt 