The following represents our full archive of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deep-Dive Reviews…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Issues #1-12
Issues #13-20
Issues #21-28
Issues #29–37
Turtles in Time
Issues #38-44
TMNT/Ghostbusters
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
***This year marks the 10-year anniversary of IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. In celebration, we here at Primary Ignition will be looking back at the book as a whole. For some, this has emerged as the definitive version of the TMNT. Here is why…***
TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #29-37
AUTHORS: Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow
ARTISTS: Sophie Campbell, Mateus Santolouco, Cory Smith
GUEST ARTIST: Mark Torres
COLORIST: Ronda Pattison
LETTERER: Shawn Lee
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
COLLECTED IN: TMNT: The IDW Collection, Vol. 4 (shown right)
RELEASED: December 2013 – August 2014
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
I don’t usually go for what I call, “Cutesy Turtles,” i.e. the boys in green drawn in a cute and cuddly style. That’s not to say the Turtles shouldn’t have softer, gentler moments. But remember, the Turtles are martial artists. They’re ninja. They’re warriors. They should look ready and able to fight at any given time
Sophie Campbell provides a unique and rare exception to that rule. I’d classify her take on the Turtles as cute. But there’s also a sensitive quality to her take that made it perfect for the four-issue “Northampton” story arc in IDW’s TMNT series.
The whole “retreat to a farm” plot point dates back to the original Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird comic book and has been adapted into various TMNT media over the years. It always involves the Turtles recovering after getting beaten down by the Foot, and eventually making a triumphant return to the city. The IDW series presented it with a new twist: Leonardo recovering after being brainwashed by the Foot. It wasn’t just a matter of recovering from a beat down. It was about coming together and healing as a family.
I think one would be hard-pressed to debate that Campbell’s art in these issues has a cute quality to it. But there’s more to it than that. This is as emotionally transparent and as vulnerable as the Turtles have ever looked. Part of that is because of the “softer” look Campbell gives them. Another part involves her decision to draw them with eyeballs, as opposed to the white slits many artists use, eyes being a “window to the soul” and what not. The general autumn aesthetic of “Northamption” plays a role too. Campbell and colorist Ronda Pattison’s greater emphasis on fall colors is a subtle message that we’ve got a front row seat to a time of change and transformation in these characters’ lives.
From a writing perspective, it’s interesting to pay attention to each individual Turtle during these issues. TMNT #30 in particular. Each brother deals with the blows they’ve been dealt in his own way. Michelangelo narrates the issue via a letter to Woody. Thus, he reaches out to others while expressing himself creatively. Leonardo desperately seeks guidance from a mentor, in this case his mother (more on her in a moment). Raphael, perhaps predictably, seeks out confrontation with Alopex, who is on her own journey of self discovery. Understated but no less important is Donatello’s emergence as a healer. We see him tend to Splinter’s wounded leg and act as a friendly ear for Leo. This emphasizes that his contributions to the Turtle clan go far beyond that of a simple Mr. Fix-It.
On the subject of healing, not to be lost in the shuffle is April O’Neil, and her role in the saga of the Turtles. We learn in “Northampton” that her father, now disabled after suffering a stroke, was once a scientist who had a hand in testing and developing the mutagen that transformed the Turtles and Splinter into their present state. The O’Neil family will later learn that the “ooze” in question has miraculous healing properties. That’s a new spin on the green goo that’s become synonymous with the TMNT over nearly three decades. More than anything else, it opens up some interesting storytelling doors…
The Turtles have always had a father figure in Master Splinter. But rarely if ever had there been a maternal figure in the story. Historically, the closest thing to one came in the form of Tang Shen, who we’d see via flashbacks as a love interest for the future Splinter, Hamato Yoshi. She would always meet a bloody end thanks to the Shredder.
In the IDWverse, Shen is cast not only as Yoshi’s beloved wife in feudal Japan, but the mother of their four sons. Centuries later, Yoshi is reincarnated as Splinter, and his sons return as four turtles. Shen, on the other hand, becomes a spectral presence, and for the first time has a role in the ongoing story of the TMNT. We saw her briefly during “City Fall,” and we see her once again during “Northampton.” Campbell and Pattison’s presentation becomes downright tender, and also brighter during Shen scenes (shown left). Fittingly, it also has a bit more of an Asian influence. It’s a unique visual, seeing this woman behave in a motherly way with these anthropomorphic animals. And needless to say, her relationship to the Turtles and Splinter is unlike any we’ve seen in the series.
Family continues to be one of the central themes for the book heading out of “Northampton,” into issue #33. The relationship, or lack thereof, between Casey Jones and his father, now the massive brute called Hun, takes centerstage. Present since the very first issue, this plotline is one of the more prevalent byproducts of presenting a younger Casey Jones. In other media, the character has almost always been a grown adult. Making him college-aged allows us to see not only a young man whose identity is still forming, but a character that’s often much more vulnerable than our traditional hockey-mask wearing ass kicker. And thus, more interesting. The downside? A jacked up dude in a hockey mask is a lot more intimidating and formidable than some teenager walking around with golf clubs and a hockey stick.
The truly tragic element of the Jones family story is that by this point in the series, Hun does actually want to help Casey. He wants to do what, in his mind, is best for his son by giving him a bunch of cash and sending him off to start a new life for himself. All the while, Hun would be staying in New York working for Shredder, the man who stabbed Casey and put him in the hospital. Hun may want what’s best for his son, but it’s clear where his loyalties are. And when Casey refuses his offer, we get an all too grim look at just who Arnold Jones has become.
Issue #33 also sees Mateus Santolouco return on pencils and inks. My complaints from last time about Santolouco’s Turtles looking too inflatable and puffy still stand. But oddly enough, his renderings of Slash, another mutant turtle, are perfectly fine. Granted, Slash is a different species of turtle, and is larger than our four boys in green. He also has an entirely different texture to his skin, which Santolouco draws beautifully. All Santolouco’s mutant characters (the four Turtles notwithstanding) are very charismatic and expressive. Not just Slash, but Old Hob, Pidgeon Pete, the Rat King, among many others. So it becomes that much easier to get invested in these characters and their world.
And yes, I did say the Rat King (shown below). Another TMNT “legacy” character that’s appeared in various media over the years, his trademark is his ability to control rats. Naturally, that becomes a problem for Splinter. The Rat King of the IDWverse has a more supernatural, and frankly demonic quality to him. As one might expect, he’s hardly a one-off baddie, and has his place in the larger tapestry of this series. But for now, he simply puts Splinter and Leo through the ringer, content to play again another day…
This portion of the book also lays a good amount of foundation for things to come. We spend more time with tech genius Harold Lilja, who we met in Donatello’s Micro-Series issue. There’s also Nobody, a vigilante/superhero who’s loosely the TMNT equivalent to Iron Man. She emerges when Angel, a friend of Casey’s and member of the Purple Dragons, dons a tech suit created by Harold.
Harold’s latest creation is Metalhead, a turtle-shaped cyborg and TMNT legacy character who’ll serve a purpose the likes of which readers will never see coming. I was impressed with what the IDW team did with Metalhead, specifically his “four-legged” battle mode.
Issue #37 and a portion of #36 see Cory Smith take a turn on artistic duties. Smith’s style is somewhat akin to what Ben Bates turned in during his time on the series, with a touch of Dan Duncan thrown in as well. It feels very familiar. As always, Pattison’s work brings a wonderful consistency to it all.
Smith gets the tall task of drawing the series’ first meeting between Shredder and Krang. Or at least the first meeting we’ve seen, as it turns out they’ve met before. I don’t love that approach, as I think it would have been much more interesting to see these two would-be dictators and forces for evil meet for the first time and size each other up. But what we get nonetheless has intrigue to it. They meet for what’s almost a business negotiation. As one might expect, things break down.
The four “Northampton” issues are the real selling point for this cluster of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It puts our characters in a new environment and studies them during a period of vulnerability. It’s not a matter of the book dipping in quality. Rather, it’s about setting the table for things to come. And rest assured, big things are coming…
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
***This year marks the 10-year anniversary of IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. In celebration, we here at Primary Ignition will be looking back at the book as a whole. For some, this has emerged as the definitive version of the TMNT. Here is why…***
TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #21–28
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz
ARTISTS: Mateus Santolouco, Eastman
GUEST ARTISTS: Dan Duncan, Andy Kuhn, Ben Bates, Sophie Campbell
COLORIST: Ronda Pattison
LETTERER: Shawn Lee
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
COLLECTED IN: TMNT: The IDW Collection, Vol. 3 (shown right)
RELEASED: April 2013 – November 2013
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
One of the really amazing things to me about this stretch of TMNT issues is that the series is still relatively young at this point. . When issue #21 came out, the book was only in its second year. And yet, Tom Waltz, editor Bobby Curnow, and the rest of the TMNT crew had such a solid handle on these characters and their world that even at that early juncture they were able to tell one of the more ambitious and impactful stories the property has ever seen. This, my friends, is “City Fall.”
Kevin Eastman, one of the co-creators of the Ninja Turtles and their world happens to pencil and ink issue #21. Eastman can be credited with the creative spark that launched a global juggernaut, having famously doodled a “ninja turtle” for friend and eventual TMNT co-creator Peter Laird in the early ’80s. Fast-forward to the early 2010s, and Eastman has top-billing on this new, ever-expansive TMNT comic book. My understanding is that to this day Eastman acts more as a consultant for the series than anything else, pitching in on story, character design, and drawing variant covers for each issue. Despite all he’s given us over the years, in my estimation he shouldn’t be the first name mentioned when talking about all the success this series has had. I’d absolutely rather have him aboard than not, as he’s obviously very creative with years of expertise to offer. He also gives the series a certain credibility for die-hards like me who are forever in his debt. But let’s keep Eastman’s role in the proper perspective as we move forward…
For those familiar with Eastman’s art, TMNT #21 is more or less exactly what you’d expect, and perhaps even hope for: Something in the vein of a classic Eastman and Laird TMNT issue. It’s dark (though not grim), though as expected Ronda Pattison’s colors accent things beautifully. It’s got the trademark scratchy texture, and the figures are a little bit blocky in that Eastman sort of way. It’s a nice artistic interlude in an issue that ultimately serves as the calm before the proverbial storm of “City Fall.”
Issue #22 marks the beginning of what wound up being a pretty extensive run for Mateus Santolouco as the artist for TMNT. Santolouco is very talented, and as we’ll soon see brings us no shortage of memorable moments. But for yours truly, the success or failure of a TMNT artist largely hinges on the way they draw the Turtles themselves, and I’ve never been a huge fan of how Santolouco draws the boys in green. They’re very expressive and emotional, which is a great thing. (For evidence, look no further than Raphael’s “acting” in issue #22.) But the way Santolouco proportions the bandanas on the Turtles’ heads has always bothered me. That, and the certain puffy “inflatable” quality he sometimes brings to their frames. Indeed, Santolouco turns in a career performance on “City Fall.” But that’s not to say it’s a flawless one.
The first chapter of “City Fall” sees Casey Jones abducted by the Foot. Fast-forward several pages, and Shredder does something genuinely shocking: He stabs Casey in the stomach in front of the Turtles and Splinter (shown below). It’s drawn and colored for maximum impact, and is one of the images that immediately come to mind when I think of “City Fall.” The red background packs a hell of a punch when you turn the page. Even the sound effect they use is enough to make you shudder.
By this point in the series, Shredder was already well established as a villain. But in “City Fall” he ups his game and truly earns his status as the Turtles’ arch rival. Not just because of what he does to Leo (more on that in a moment), but because of the sheer cunning and viciousness he displays in these pages. Here is a man who’s trying to conquer an entire city, and destroy the Turtles’ family in the process. More over, he’s flat out stabbing people to get what he wants. He makes damn effective use of those gauntlets. We see what he does to Casey, and later on we see him straight-up murder someone with them. This guy is playing for keeps.
The stabbing of Casey turns out to be part of a ploy to capture Leonardo. Kitsune brainwashes Leo, turning him against his family and into the waiting arms of his new master, the Shredder. The subsequent hallucination sequence, which is given several pages in issue #23, sees a number of familiar faces tag in for portions of the artwork: Dan Duncan, Andy Kuhn, Ben Bates, and Eastman. There’s also Sophie Campbell, who we’ll see more from in future issues. Story-wise, it’s not the most logical thing in the world. But it does manage to be powerful, as everything Leo values come crashing down around him.
Thus, we’re introduced to who the IDW crew would dub behind the scenes as, “Dark Leo.” Years later, Santolouco would say in an interview (see the back of issue #94) that Dark Leo ultimately isn’t that different from the Leo we know. He makes some interesting points…
“Leo is disciplined. A real soldier if you will. Once you change who he is responding to, you change his relation to the world around him. In essence he is still the same person, loyal and faithful to his duty as second-in-command of a ninja clan or army.”
We get what may very well be the book’s dramatic highlight in issue #24. Splinter attempts to bargain with Old Hob for Leo’s location. Of course, it’s a trap. Splinter and his remaining three sons wind up confined in a shipping container with Shredder and a small army of his Foot minions. It’s here that we get the big reveal (shown left): Leonardo has turned against his family. It’s an edge-of-your seat sequence, and your stomach drops when you see all that awaits our heroes.
In the grand scheme of things, Leo isn’t under Shredder and Kitsune’s control for that long: About five issues. But his brief conversion to the dark side and the events surrounding it create a ripple effect that touches virtually every area of the book. Not only does Splinter make a faustian deal with Old Hob, but Raph goes on a violent rampage looking for answers, a jealous Karai creates her own mutant henchmen, Casey Jones’ father becomes the villainous brute Hun. The sheer scope of “City Fall” is massive. So massive in fact, one can argue it starts to become a problem.
Almost from its inception, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was accompanied by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series, a set of character-based one-shots published periodically to supplement the main book. Naturally, new characters and developments started popping up in those books that began to impact the main series. Whenever something like this would happen, the IDW team would simply include a caption box referencing whichever issue was being alluded to. No harm, no foul. The trouble is, there are so many characters and plot threads converging in “City Fall,” it starts to feel like we aren’t getting the full story without reading the supplemental material in Micro-Series.
The character of Hun is the most egregious example. In issue #25, Casey’s father Arnold Jones is devastated after learning that his son has been stabbed. Then in issue #27 he shows back up as Hun, the massive and muscled leader of the Purple Dragons street gang, just in time to have a showdown with Casey in issue #28. Arnold Jones’ transformation into Hun and all the circumstances surrounding it? That was all in the Hun-dedicated issue of TMNT Villains Micro-Series.
Mind you, the main series continues to cite the Micro-Series issues, and if you’re reading the IDW Collection books, said Micro-Series issues are included. But not everyone has the fortune of reading this series via those collections. The simple truth is, for better or worse, you need the Micro-Series issues to see the full tapestry of “City Fall.”
Bebop and Rocksteady, two staples of the ’80s cartoon, also make their IDW debut here, and like Hun are greatly supplemented by their own Micro-Series issue. By and large they’re exactly as we remember them, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My only complaint about their big entrance? The head of Rocksteady’s sledgehammer is too small. It barely looks bigger than his fist. He’s a big dude. Let him have a big hammer.
I maintain that not all, but many of the best TMNT stories are, at their core, about family. Such is the case with “City Fall.” Yes, it is about a super villain making a massive power grab, brainwashing a mutant turtle in the process. But I think it’s also a story about what happens to people when a family becomes broken. Some, like Donatello and Michelangelo, remain steadfast in the face of heartbreak. Others, like Splinter and Raphael, give into their darker and uglier impulses. Some families, like the Turtles, are fortunate enough to heal and come back stronger. Others, like Casey and Arnold Jones, remain fractured and in fact grow further apart.
When you look at it that way, “City Fall” could just as easily have been called “Family Fall.”
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Nothing too in-depth here. Just straight, concise, and to the point.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Word recently broke about Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird working together again after all these years for a Ninja Turtles story called “The Last Ronin.” How fitting then, that not only does IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 comes out this week, but we’ve also got a new Frank Miller book. It’s no secret that Eastman and Laird drew inspiration from Miller’s work in the early to mid ’80s.
Imagine what would have happened if it had the modern Frank Miller back then. Back then you had his work on characters like Daredevil and Wolverine. Now? We’ve got the Dark Knight sequels and Holy Terror. *shudders*
TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz (Script)
ARTISTS: Dave Watcher, Michael Dialynas. Variant cover by Eastman.
SUPPLEMENTAL ARTISTS: Mateus Santolouco, Adam Gorham, Dan Duncan, Cory Smith
COLORISTS: Ronda Pattison, Bill Crabtree
LETTERER: Shawn Lee
RELEASED: December 11, 2019
TMNT #100 is more or less exactly what you want it to be. All recent plot threads converge, and as expected, we see the return of a major villain. Can’t say I expected that death, though. And make sure you don’t miss that epilogue…
The only real complaint I have is that I felt half a step behind because I couldn’t keep up on the Shredder in Hell mini. I suppose that’s the problem when you’ve created a world so rich and dense. You can’t always pack everything into one series. But that’s not necessarily a terrible problem to have.
TITLE: Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child
AUTHOR: Frank Miller
ARTIST: Rafael Grampa. Cover by Grampa and Pedro Cobiaco.
COLORIST: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERERS: John Workman, Deron Bennett
RELEASED: December 11, 2019
My impression when I closed this book was that Miller must either have a ghostwriter working with him, or the editors are heavily involved here. Because this is a surprisingly competent issue to have his name on it in 2019. But if it was mostly Miller? Good on him.
No Bruce Wayne here. Which is kind of odd, but fine with me. Carrie Kelley, Lara, and this Dark Knight universe Jon Kent are more interesting anyway. They’re taking on Darkseid here, and Raphael Grampa’s art looks amazing.
A really good start. But keep your expectations tempered.
TITLE: Superman #18
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTIST: Ivan Reis
INKER: Joe Prado
COLORIST: Alex Sinclair
LETTERER: Dave Sharpe
RELEASED: December 11, 2019
Ugh. Why?
Yes, it’s exactly what it looks like. The same thing they did in 2015, in a storyline that, fittingly, was also called Truth.
It’s not that I don’t think Bendis and this team can do a good job with it. But we were just here. And inevitably, when you do this kind of thing you have to come up with some convoluted way to get the genie back in the bottle. So why even bother?
I will say, though, there’s a single silent page depicting the big moment between Clark Kent and Perry White that’s absolutely beautiful.
TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #4
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTIST: Werther Dell-Edera
COLORIST: Miquel Muerto
LETTERED BY: Andworld Design
RELEASED: December 11, 2019
In this issue, we get a major revelation about the nature of the monsters devouring children in Archer’s Peak. Tynion takes what I’ll refer to as the “Do you believe in magic?” approach. It’s an interesting twist that I didn’t see coming, and for my money, helps separate this book from the pack. Hopefully he’s given the time to expand on it.
As cool as Erica Slaughter is, part of me actually wants to see her killed off so James can take her place and learn about all this monster stuff. Probably won’t happen. But could be cool.
TITLE: Detective Comics #1017
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTIST: Fernando Blanco. Cover by Tony Daniel.
COLORIST: John Kalisz
LETTERER: Travis Lanham
RELEASED: December 11, 2019
A nice little one-and-done. I like when they do these. In the context of Detective Comics, it reminds me of Paul Dini’s run all those years ago.
Our story deals with missing children at the Martha Wayne Orphanage in Gotham. Taylor shows us a more sensitive and empathetic side of Batman and Robin. Also, the art in this issue really stands out, as Kalisz uses a more saturated color palette, while our inks are darker. He even gives us a sort of saturated sepia tone for the opening flashback that sets the scene really well.
TITLE: Go Go Power Rangers #26
AUTHORS: Ryan Parrott, Sina Grace
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino
COLORIST: Raul Angulo
LETTERER: Ed Dukeshire
RELEASED: December 11, 2019
One of the big selling points of this book early on was it was set in the pre-Green Ranger days. Tommy, one way or another, inevitably pulls focus from the other characters. It’s a little sad that the emphasis has shifted that way.
But Parrott is still the best PR writer we’ve seen from this BOOM! Studios run with the license. Oddly enough, what I enjoyed most about this issue was a flashback to Tommy eating a meal with Rita at the palace. As a kid, I always wanted to see him in there interacting with the other villains.
TITLE: Dying is Easy #1 (of 5)
AUTHOR: Joe Hill
ARTIST: Martin Simmonds. Cover by J. Lou.
COLOR ASSISTANT: Dee Cunniffe
LETTERER: Shawn Lee
RELEASED: December 11, 2019
Cop turned stand-up comic. Now there’s something you don’t see every day.
If grim-and-gritty is your thing, this book is right up your alley. If there’s a seedy underbelly to the world of stand-up, this book is smack in the middle of it. Simmonds and Cunniffe do a tremendous job using the colors to create an ominous, foreboding vibe. Ultimately, that pays off on the last page…
Fittingly, the book also manages to be funny in a black comedy sort of way. I’m not totally sold yet, but I may indeed be back for more.
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*”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Nothing too in-depth here. Just straight, concise, and to the point.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #99
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz
ARTISTS: Dave Wachter, Ronda Pattison (Colorist),
RELEASED: October 30, 2019
This damn thing cost $7.99. I’ve been following this main TMNT series since the beginning. But damn. That hurts.
But devil’s advocate: They jam a lot in here. Dozens of heroes and villains battle, with the fate of New York City at stake. Not to mention the lives of various mutants, and even children.
It all culminates in…well, I can’t say I knew for sure they were going in this direction. But after issue #50, I had a pretty good feeling a certain character would be on his way back by now.
TITLE: Star Wars: Allegiance #4
AUTHOR: Ethan Sacks
ARTISTS: Luke Ross, Lee Loughrige (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Marco Checchetto.
RELEASED: October 30, 2019
Again, no Kylo Ren in this issue. Not even a closing shot of him in the last few pages. Lame. Sauce.
On the way to The Rise of Skywalker, Allegiance basically tells us two things: What the Resistance has been doing since the Battle of Crait, and how they obtained some of the resources they’ll undoubtedly have in the movie. It’s not the most fun Star Wars book you’ll ever read, and I doubt it’ll hold up to repeat readings. But as a little appetizer for the release of Episode IX, it works fine.
TITLE: Batman Annual #4
AUTHOR: Tom King
ARTISTS: Jorge Fornes, Mike Norton, Dave Stewart (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
RELEASED: October 30, 2019
This issue quick-fires a bunch of mini-stories at us, narrated via Alfred’s journal. “Everyday” moves day by day from April 7 to April 24.
I’d like to think these are a bunch of cooky ideas Tom King had while brainstorming for his Batman run, but couldn’t squeeze in. Based on what we’ve seen, some of these ideas really feel like his. Batman fights a dragon, takes on an MMA fighter for charity, solves a whodunnit, etc.
Mike Norton tags in for Jorge Fornes for several pages. So we got from a David Mazzuchelli, Year One-ish look to something more akin to Michael Lark.
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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
ARTIST: Dave Watcher
THE ISSUE: In their quest to defeat the Rat King, the Turtles find themselves in Siberia. Once there, they face his brother, the gigantic Manmoth.
WHY IT’S EPIC: Dave Watcher has had the cover duties on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the last few months, and he’s been absolutely killing it. His depictions of the TMNT-style human/animal hybrid characters are striking. The texture that Watcher gives to these creatures makes them feel very familiar, despite their otherworldly nature. For another such instance, check out the cover to TMNT #82, where he gets to draw the Toad Baron.
But TMNT #83 is definitely a highlight of Watcher’s work on the series. What’s interesting about this one is that despite Manmoth leering over our heroes, much of his body is still shrouded in shadow. He’s not in the shadows, per se. We can clearly see the snow on top of him. But the lighting has that effect because he’s almost in a hunched position. I also love that you have to look closely at the cover to see those menacing eyes. The Turtles look great too, of course.
On my first read-through, Manmoth felt very familiar. Not in that I’d seen him before, but because a mutant mammoth seemed like such an obvious course for the TMNT universe, I was convinced Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird had created him at some point.
As it turned out, the character originated over at Archie Comics. First in 1991’s TMNT Meet Archie #1, and later in the pages of TMNT Adventures. To their credit, the crew at IDW really is drawing inspiration from all corners of TMNT history. They made a silly one-off character from the ’90s into something pretty damn cool.
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TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65
AUTHOR: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz
PENCILLER: Mateus Santolouco
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: December 14, 2016
***Need to catch up? Check out last issue!***
By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder
I didn’t expect to like this issue as much as I did, primarily because of what happened in issue #61. I’ve called that “the meeting issue,” because it contains one of the oddest scenes I’ve ever seen in a TMNT book. It’s essentially a big war council scene with all the good guys talking strategy. The promise of all these characters being together for a Christmas party, along with my general distaste for “Christmas episodes” (bah humbug), made me nervous. Thankfully, this story about a Christmas party stays fairly upbeat, and weaves in some nice character work.
The boys in green are more in need of holiday cheer than ever. They now find themselves estranged from their Master Splinter after the events of issue #64. Mikey throws a Christmas party in an attempt to boost morale. But one question remains unanswered: Who invited the Mutanimals?
Mateus Santolouco is back on the pencil for this issue. I’ve been a little critical of him in recent months. But given how long he’s worked on this series, his art does feel like a homecoming of sorts. Santolouco is also tremendous at injecting excitement and enthusiasm into his characters. Look at Mikey on the cover. Look at the way he draws Pigeon Pete. Cartoony? Yes. But also a lot of fun.
This issue was also my first exposure to Pepperoni, Raphael’s pet baby dinosaur. Having skipped Turtles in Time and Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything, I was woefully unprepared for this little pink creature running around. On the upside, Santolouco makes him an adorable addition.
While I’ll keep things spoiler free, Splinter makes a brief appearance in this issue. Tonally, it’s odd. We left things in a very somber, painful place with Splinter last month. This month he’s feeling rather…Christmasy. It’s a cool idea. But Splinter is the one character I would have kept immune to all this holiday cheer.
This issue also introduced Angel/Nobody to Woody the pizza guy. This had sort of a Steve-Urkel-meets-Laura-Winslow vibe to it. (Look it up, kids.) This could very well have been a one-off. But it was charming enough to merit a revisit down the road.
TMNT #65 was a nice bit of levity, and a break from the intensity we’ve had in the last few months. Though I suspect next month we’ll crank that intensity right back up. So we may want to enjoy this respite while we can.
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TITLE: Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #2
AUTHOR: Matthew K. Manning
PENCILLER: Jon Sommariva
PUBLISHERS: DC Comics/IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: December 14, 2016
***Miss issue #1? Catch up here!***
By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder
There’s a school of thought that says the comics based on Batman: The Animated Series, created by the Paul Dini, Kelley Puckett, Rick Burchett, Ty Templeton, etc, were some of the best Batman stories to come out of the ’90s and early ’00s. Looking at something like Mad Love, it’s tough to dispute that. I’m certainly not comparing Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Mad Love, but the charming simplicity of it reminds me of those older books.
This sophomore issue sees the Batman and TMNT of two different generations meet, as they investigate strange dimensional portals. Little do they know that other cross-dimensional meetings have also occurred. The Joker and Harley Quinn have lured Shredder and the Foot Clan into a trap. But as our heroes will soon learn, yet another Arkham escapee is in New York, and they’re looking for a fight.
As one might expect, with two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures regulars on this title, it leans more in the TMNT direction in terms of look and tone. It’s still the Animated Series Batman. But the word “animated” has rarely been more emphasized. He, and the characters from his world, all essentially look like they’re appearing on the TMNT cartoon. As one might expect, the Joker and Harley feel this transition the least.
And yes, we are allowed to see the reverse effect, if only on a variant cover by Rick Burchett (shown left).
I was pleasantly surprised at how funny this issue was. Not laugh out loud funny. But I was tickled. There’s a bit where Joker is “struggling” to remember Shredder’s name, calling him things like Slicer, Grater, and the Juicer. Mikey later calls Robin a pirate, because of the “R” on his chest. It’s objectively stupid. But it’s fun. Perhaps I’m a little more receptive to the humor this time around, given how much more I’m enjoying it than the Tynion/Williams story (no offense, gents).
That scene with Joker, Harley, and the Foot was a bit of a head-scratcher, as Mr. J simply outwits them. The TMNT buff in me wanted a more even exchange between them. But it’s early, of course. And from a story perspective, I imagine you have to find some way to justify Shredder wanting to team with this crazy clown. He’s obviously smarter than he seems. And as we find out in our cliffhanger, the team-up thing seems to be going around.
Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures has been a pleasant surprise. A fun ride for fans young and old. I’m most certainly coming back for a third slice!
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TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64
AUTHOR: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz
PENCILLER: Dave Watcher
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: November 23, 2016
***WARNING: Spoilers lay ahead, and they’re coming up quickly!***
By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder
This one was a head-scratcher, and not the first one TMNT has turned in since this whole “Splinter leads the Foot Clan” thing started. What we have is an issue that starts out very strong, builds to fitting climax, and then veers off in an unexpected direction. It’s not necessarily a good direction, either. It’s almost like taking a swig of orange juice after brushing your teeth.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #64, our heroes storm the base of Darius Dun and the Street Phantoms, hoping to rescue their ally Harold. But in the process, things go south. Allegiances change, and more importantly, families are split apart.
Let’s jump right into spoiler territory, as that’s where my main point of contention with this issue is. During the climax, Splinter has Darius Dun killed. This leads Don, Raph, and Mike to immediately leave the Foot. Splinter tells Leo that the Turtles aren’t safe by his side now that he leads the Foot Clan, and he’s been resorting to drastic measures to break their loyalty and push them away. As you see below, the exchange ends with Leo saying he understands, and walking away.
I’m glad he understands, because I’m not sure I do.
Let’s unpack this: So Splinter’s end game, at least recently, has been to keep the Turtles safe. So why make this move now? Why not back when you were going against the Foot Clan? Why not when Donnie had his brush with death? Why not after they were reunited with Raph way back in issue #4? This entire ninja crusade was Splinter’s idea to begin with. But now that he’s in a position to control the enemy forces from within, he’s suddenly got cold feet about the whole thing? So much so that he’s willing to alienate himself from his sons? It all feels very forced. I can only assume there’s something else going on that we don’t know about. Otherwise, you’d think Splinter would know what the readers already know: This will only lead to the Turtles coming back to try and save Splinter from himself.
As it’s still so fresh, I’m hesitant to judge this development too harshly. But this feels like a case where an extra line or two would have done wonders. We can’t tell just how much Splinter is second-guessing himself at this point. But something like “I’ve gone too far” seems appropriate.
Adding to the awkward nature of this scene is the build-up to it, which is really actually really good. In the opening scene, Casey Jones explains Splinter’s plan to make him the leader of the Purple Dragons, “to help you guys run the city after we trash the phantoms.” The letterer emphasizes that word run, and for good reason. It’s rare that a single word literally makes a scene. But there you have it.
We also have some nice stuff between Harold and his estranged ex-wife Libby. Harold’s been around for awhile, and has been a nice supporting techie character. But I never expected they’d give him this sort of depth. It all comes about quite organically. It’s a pleasant surprise.
While I’m still picking on him over the whole bandana/beak thing, Dave Watcher has become one of my favorite TMNT pencillers in recent memory. His stuff has a sketchy quality to it, which for me evokes memories of the original Kevin Eastman/Peter Laird stuff. His renderings of Harold and Libby make the scene very accessible. He’s also very good at drawing TMNT tech. Look at what Libby’s wearing in the above panel. It somehow looks believable, doesn’t it?
I’m not much of a variant cover guy. But I almost always make an exception for the ones Kevin Eastman does for this book, such as the one shown above. I love the concept, and I love how shadowy and moody it is. The one thing I don’t love? Splinter’s tail. It’s curvature is too sharp, and it pulls you right out of the scene.
After all this time, I still maintain that this TMNT crew missed a huge opportunity by not taking advantage of what they established early on with Raph. Unfortunately, what we’re presented with in this issue could be just as big a misstep. We need more information on why Splinter is doing what he’s doing, or this story might lose a lot of punch. But I’ll give them this much: They’ve got me coming back for next issue.
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TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #1
AUTHORS: Paul Allor, Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz
PENCILLERS: Damian Couceiro, Bill Sienkiewicz, Eastman. Cover by Freddie E. Williams II.
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $4.99
RELEASED: August 31, 2016
By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder
Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz, and the crew at IDW have been creating good to great TMNT comics for several years now. This new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe series opens the door for even more. If this freshman issue is an indicator of things to come, we’ve got mostly good things ahead of us.
The Turtles and April O’Neil are hoping they can make an ally of Baxter Stockman. But Agent Bishop and the Earth Protection Force are in hot pursuit of the boys in green. Our heroes will soon find themselves in a fight to survive. Then in our back-up story, Leo faces off against the Foot Clan by himself. Despite his skills, he may be hopelessly outnumbered.
Paul Allor is no stranger to the Turtles, having written a number of their adventures for IDW. His experience is evident here, as he writes a damn good opening page. We get a glimpse into Bishop’s psyche, and why he opposes mutants the way he does. It’s a misguided, though relatable sentiment.
Allor uses this first issue to remind us that the Turtles, and mutants in general, are isolated and at times hated. Though Bishop’s motivation, while villainous, is relatable in its own way. As one might expect, the most emotional reaction we get comes from Raphael, and it’s used effectively to close the issue.
Allor also isn’t bad with the repartee between the Turtles. Panels like the one above aren’t exactly dripping with wit. But they’ve got a nice charm to them that we don’t always have time for in the main TMNT series.
Couceiro, who’s on both the pen and inks for this issue, is a solid fit for the Turtles. He’s got a really nice command of light and shadow, which obviously bodes well for our shadow-bound heroes. He also doesn’t draw their bandanas too large, which I tend to chide Mateus Santolouco, and more recently Dave Watcher for. I do, however, have one thing to nitpick: His Turtles are very toothy. He draws toothy Turtles. Panels like the ones below actually take me out of the story, as I can’t help but stare at their teeth. On the plus side, they’re very white. Splinter must have gotten the boys good dental insurance.
Our back-up story is about Leo trailing a Foot ninja, who as it turns out, has some friends. A lot of friends. When I initially read this story, I thought it was scripted by Kevin Eastman. Leo’s inner monologue reads like one of the original Mirage books. He seems more like an easy going teenager, and less like the disciplined leader we usually see. But the issue credits Tom Waltz for the script. I’m not sure why Leo is so casual here. It almost strikes me as out of character.
This is also a premise that’s been done to perfection in both the original Eastman and Laird series, and the IDW series. It’s Leo against a bunch of foot ninjas. This story is set to continue next issue, so hopefully they do something with this concept we haven’t seen before. Eastman handles the page layouts, slowing the pace a bit to take us into the action. Bill Sienkiewicz and colorist Tomi Varga are a good fit for the Turtles, providing the gritty, street-level feel the story needs.
Like many things in life, this issue reminds me of a line from Star Wars. In the original 1977 film, Obi-Wan says to Luke: “You’ve taken your first step into a larger world.” In a sense, that’s what Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #1 is. Chances are good that this series will really enrich what IDW has created for the Turtles. Dare I say, cowabunga?
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