TMNT | Comic Reviews by Walt

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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.

Script: 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: Comic Reviews, Dan Berger, Eric Talbot, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Ninja Turtles, Paul Harmon, Peter Laird, Steve Lavigne, Tales of the TMNT, TMNT, Tristan Jones | 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.

Script: 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: Comic Reviews, Dan Berger, Eric Talbot, Jim Lawson, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Ninja Turtles, Steve Lavigne, Tales of the TMNT, TMNT | Leave a comment »

Tales of the TMNT #54 [Review]

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Walt

Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Mere Appendix

Raphael accidentally damages the Fugitoid during a bar scuffle, which leads Professor Honeycutt to some questions about his past.

Script: Andrew Bonia
Pencils: Bob LeFevre
Inks: Mostafa Moussa
Tones: L. Jamal Walton
Letters: Eric Talbot
Cover: Bob LeFevre, Mostafa Moussa, Steve Lavigne
Frontispiece: Michael Dooney
Publisher: Mirage

Beginning the issue, we find ourselves with the Ninja Turtles in a brawl at a local pub on the planet Queexox V. (This is apparently the homeworld of Professor Honeycutt, known to most as “the Fugitoid.”) During the brawl, Raphael accidentally puts a sai through Honeycutt’s eye, badly damaging him. With damaged Fugitoid in tow, the Turtles escape to the Utroms. After determining that the utroms don’t know enough to truly fix the robot body, the Turtles take him to his old lab for him to attempt self-repair. make a break for it, seeking Honeycutt’s old lab so he can attempt to fix himself.

The art for this issue is very blocky, with thick lines and rather cartooney proportions, even for something like the TMNT. The art in itself isn’t bad, but the style isn’t to my own liking–it puts me in mind of manga-style art, while coming across a bit generically and without striking me as being manga-styled. If manga-ish art is your thing, you should have no problem with this.

The story itself is pretty good, drawing very nicely on TMNT backstory, with flashbacks to Professor Honeycutt/Fugitoid’s first appearance (the one-shot Fugitoid). This story is set at some point in the TMNT story, though no definitive time is referenced. The Turtles themselves are virtually background players in this issue–something to initiate the conflict of the story and then follow events along. The heart of the story is about Fugitoid exploring his past and determining the nature of the accident that long ago transferred his mind into a robot body, and raising the all-too-human question about “who am I?”

As a whole, this is a solid issue focusing on the Fugitoid and injecting some humanity–and question–into it. Longtime fans ought to find their knowledge of the character refreshed and fleshed out a bit (at least in terms of the character’s motivation), while newer fans will discover more about a character that hasn’t had much of a spotlight in a lotta years.

Recommended.

Ratings:

Story: 4/5
Art: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: Andrew Bonia, Bob LeFevre, Eric Talbot, Fugitoid, L. Jamal Walton, Mere Appendix, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Mostafa Moussa, Ninja Turtles, Raphael, Steve Lavigne, Tales of the TMNT, TMNT | 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…

Plot: 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: C.O.W.Boys of Moo Mesa, Crystal at the Heart of the World, Dan Berger, Dario Brizuela, Eric Talbot, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Ninja Turtles, Peter Laird, Ryan Brown, Steve Lavigne, Steve Murphy, Tales of the TMNT, TMNT | 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.

Alien 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: Adam Staffaroni, Alien Invaders, Andrew Arnold, Chad Hurd, Colleen Frakes, Dan Berger, Eric Talbot, Ghosts of Christmas Past, Jim Lawson, Jon-Mikel Gates, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Ninja Turtles, Sam Ellis, Steve Lavigne, This Mortal Shell, TMNT | Leave a 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.

Script/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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: Dan Berger, L. Jamal Walton, Michael Dooney, Mirage, Night of the Living Gingerbread, Ninja Turtles, Peter Laird, Steve Lavigne, Tales of the TMNT, TMNT | Leave a comment »

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…

Plot: 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

Filed under: Classic Reviews | Tagged: Bonaia Rosado, Eric Talbot, Mike Manley, Mirage, Ninja Turtles, Peter Laird, Ross May, Scott Cohn, Sean Parsons, Tales of the TMNT, TMNT | Leave a comment »

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: Bobby Curnow, Dan Duncan, IDW, IDW Publishing, Kevin Eastman, Ninja Turtles, Ronda Pattison, Scott Dunbier, Shawn Lee, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TMNT, Tom Waltz | 1 Comment »

The Rest of the Stack: Week of September 21, 2011

Posted on September 25, 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.

FEAR ITSELF: UNCANNY X-FORCE #3

I’m of quite mixed feelings on this issue. On the one hand…it’s Uncanny X-Force, and it’s only $2.99. But then, this is a Fear Itself tie-in, that in some ways feels like it has zero bearing on the main story. Of course, it has a bit MORE meaning to me than the first two issues did, as I have now read God Loves, Man Kills…so have some basis for the Purifiers stuff. This issue primarily suffers from being the closing issue of an only-three-issues mini outside the main title’s continuity flow, and thus this story has nowhere to “go” at its end. Nothing to really explore coming out of this, no real ramifications. Its timeframe is also questionable given the ongoing Dark Angel Saga in the main title–does this take place before or after that story? Still…it’s this cast of characters, we see them doing exactly what the team’s supposedly been formed around, and so the story is fitting. I’m undecided on the art for the issue–it’s good in and of itself, I like it that way. But something about it seems a little bit “off” somehow. All in all, though…a good issue, even if it means YET ANOTHER issue of Uncanny X-Force in such a short period of time. I think I would’ve preferred this as some triple-sized $5-$6 single issue, though. Worthwhile if you’re a fan of UXF in general and want to see how the characters would deal with Fear Itself, or just to have an extra dose of them and their way of doing things. (7.5/10)

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #508

I’ve meant to drop this book since #500, but never quite got around to it. Then I found myself figuring that I’m mid-arc, and didn’t want to get caught with a cliffhanger and having to separately track down an extra chapter of something. I’ve generally enjoyed the title…just not for the jacked-up $3.99 price point after being THRILLED to “discover” it was only $2.99 as of the dawn of the Heroic Age. I’ve been having a bit of trouble “following” all this Fear Itself stuff with Tony, and wondering where things are actually going and what it’s going to mean, long-term. The story’s ok in and of itself, though, I suppose…but between the price point and this being something that seems far better suited for collected volumes, I’m not thrilled with it. The art’s good in the way I’ve enjoyed on this title, so can’t really complain about that. I am thinking that I’ll probably get the next issue–what I hope is the conclusion of the title’s tie-in to Fear Itself–and then probably part ways with the title in favor of collected volumes, if at all. (5/10)

THE GUILD: CLARA #1

The first thing I noticed about this issue is the HORRENDOUS cover. I don’t really remember the last time I so disliked a cover. If I wasn’t already interested in the issue for the content, I would avoid this entirely just based on the cover! I also didn’t much care for the art on the interior as well. It certainly captures the essence of the character, sure…but it’s a bit too stylized for my taste, particularly given that I’m buying this because of enjoying the live-action web series, and not for this to look like something so different. The story was very good, though, offering plenty of insight into the character and filling in where she’s come from and her relationship with her husband–and kids. I missed the original Guild mini-series, though I’ve been picking up these one-shots and enjoying them. As such, I do plan to pick up what I believe will be the final one-shot of this run in a couple months. I’d recommend this for Guild fans, though I don’t see there being much here for non-Guild fans. (7/10)

STAR TREK #1

The 2009 Star Trek film is easily my favorite film of the last couple years–and certainly my favorite of 2009. It’s the ONLY film I’ve ever seen 5 times in its first run in the theatre. I think what really hooked me was that with a couple of quick scenes this was established not as a replacement but as an alternate timeline, thus keeping all original continuity intact, and setting this continuity as TECHNICALLY taking place after Nemesis. All that said: I didn’t know what this comic series was going to do, except it features the “new” versions of the characters as established in the 2009 film. That it looks like this series is going to adapt episodes of The Original Series fitting it to this version of the characters was what sold me on this. I hate the $3.99 price point, but I am sufficiently hooked as to at least give this a shot for a few issues. The art’s good–I like how it treads a fine line: the characters look like the actors/actress while also looking like the characters regardless of the live-action actor behind ’em. The story’s good, and a solid read overall. I’ll definitely be getting the next issue. (8.5/10)

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #2

This issue goes a long way to explaining some questions I had from the first issue, both overt and back of the mind. Seeing the background of the animosity between the Turtles, Splinter, and Hob, as well as the way Raph was taken from them leaves me with a significantly different impression of how the story’s gonna shape up. Additionally, it seems that a significant piece of the puzzle that was missing from the first issue’s hints at the characters’ origin has been introduced, and on the whole I think I’m quite fine with this. The story itself has me totally interested and chomping at the bit for the next issue. That’s also a drawback, though–this feels much more drawn-out as a singular story than I can think of for any TMNT story I’ve read in more than a decade. Laird‘s series seemed to just be one ongoing story without clear-cut arcs, and the Tales title was full of one and two-issue arcs. This feels like it’s going to be a 6-issue arc that’ll make for an awesome read in collected format, but any given issue is going to be lacking structurally. The art is sort of sketchy and at points seems minimalistic…and yet, it works for this title, and so long as Duncan is maintained as a consistent artist, I think the style will grow on me and be as definitive for me as Lawson or Eastman. I do have to comment on the variant covers–I hate variants. The TMNT are my exception to the purchase rule, at least with the first issue. This issue, I actually (thankfully) mostly preferred the “standard”/most-common cover. My comic shop first offered me the Simonson 1:4 variant, but I already thought it was atrocious before seeing it in person, and opted to pass instead for the Duncan cover. I would love to see Eastman’s covers as the “main” cover, despite the drastic difference with the interior art. But I refuse–even with TMNT–to pay the far higher price for the Eastman variants for every single issue. This is by far my favorite issue of the week, and even if it meant different stories and different writers and artists, I’d absolutely love a weekly TMNT book. (9.5/10)

X-MEN #18

I keep saying it, but it keeps coming to mind: For only buying a couple X-titles, they sure seem to be out every week lately. And for $3.99 it’s getting a bit annoying in its way. Still, though part of me has meant to drop this title since the end of the first arc, due to the $3.99 price point primarily…I still find myself just simply enjoying the title with each issue I read. Gischler‘s stile works well for me, and I enjoy his take on these characters. I’m not as thrilled with the art–there’s something to this issue that felt visually “off,” though that may primarily have been Magneto’s depiction. Overall, though…another solid issue. That this is part 3 of a 4-part story (with a “to be concluded” rather than “to be continued” blurb at its end) is all the better, to me–it fits the story, and it’s great that it’s not simply yet another 6-issue arc for a standard collected volume. I will be dropping this title eventually, given the price point…but I’m in for at least one more issue. (8/10)