The first trailer for the latest (and polarizing) animated series, Rise of the TMNT, is now available for your viewing pleasure. Check it out below!
Donatello is on a roided-up rampage, and only Batman and his brothers can stop him. And they’ll need to, if they have any hope of stopping Bane from becoming the true king of New York!
Comic Review: Batman/TMNT II #5
(w) James Tynion IV (a) Freddie E. Williams II
Intercompany crossovers are great because they force the creative team to provide a pure, continuity-light version of characters. Not only does it make certain characters accessible to uninitiated or lapsed readers, it also reminds us why we fell in love with these characters in the first place. In the case of James Tynion and Freddie Williams’ Batman/TMNT books, readers are granted the opportunity to see both sets of characters at their absolute purest.
Of course, not everything in this issue is the Turtles at their purest. That’s because, as mentioned previously, Donatello is on a rampage. Feeling inadequate and guilty for the current situation, Donnie has injected himself with venom with unfortunate side-effects. Now, the venom has taken over, and he cannot control the rage coursing through his veins. This presents an opportunity for Tynion, who uses it to showcase the best traits of Leonardo and Batman. With Leonardo, Tynion demonstrates why he is unquestionably the leader of the team as he tries to get through to his brother with unrelenting persistence. Meanwhile, Tynion’s Batman draws clear inspiration from Batman: The Animated Series, as he has a warmer personality as evidenced by his empathizing with Donnie.
While this conflict is the main, driving force behind this issue’s narrative, the other core characters do have their moments – however fleeting – to shine. Whether it is Michelangelo, Robin, April, or Nightwing, Tynion does enough with each character to make readers feel comfortable in knowing who they are and what makes them tick. With that said, this issue does ultimately come across as a filler issue meant to pad the miniseries out to 6 issues. While decompressed storytelling is not inherently a bad thing, it can result in the narrative moving at a sluggish pace. Such is the case here. It is unfortunate, because there is actually a very interesting story to tell – specifically Splinter going through the Lazarus Pit – which is just glossed over.
At this point, readers should know what to expect from Freddie Williams’ art. For a more complete analysis, check out one of the other reviews for this series. I just don’t want to keep repeating myself, so here’s the main points: It’s dynamic. The layouts are creative. Overall, it’s very good.
Batman/TMNT II #5 is a very strong issue in terms of character development and examination. However, it is lacking when it comes to actually progressing the plot in a meaningful manner. Hopefully, the kinks are ironed out in the next issue to bring this miniseries to a satisfying conclusion.
Get ready for a cool but rude (or is it crude?) issue featuring everyone’s hotheaded reptile. The featured story concludes the “Service Animals” story, while the backup sees a Raphael-style insomnia remedy.
Comic Review: TMNT Universe #20
(w) Ian Flynn & Matthew K. Manning (a) Dave Wachter & Adam Gorham (c) Ronda Pattison & Brittany Peer
As a comics fan, I often find myself asking what benefits are there for multiple books that take place in the same universe? While it makes sense when dealing with different characters or concepts, the idea of having multiple Superman or Spider-Man comics seemed confounding to me, especially when they make following the character’s story that much more convoluted. Yet every so often, a story comes around that is really good and reminds us why multiple books can not just be a good idea, but a great one.
To flip the script, let’s discuss the back-up feature first. Penned by Matthew K. Manning (TMNT Adventures) and illustrated by Adam Gorham and Brittany Peer, their story is a simple but entertaining slice-of-life tale. After a hard night out on patrol, all Raphael wants to do is get some shut-eye. Unfortunately, Mikey is hard at work getting the high score in a video game. Loudly. It turns out Mikey is having trouble sleeping, so Raph takes it upon himself to provide his own remedy: a sparing match intended to tire him out. It’s an entertaining, yet touching tale which showcases that even hotheaded Raphael can be nurturing… in his own unique way.
As for the main event, the side-quest of Raphael and Alopex taking on Zodi is a quality action story with a healthy injection of heartfelt moments. While Raph has the unenviable task of trying to subdue Zodi, Alopex is left to take on an anthropomorphic snake named Krisa. Much like the Turtles were able to free her from the Foot’s control, Alopex attempts a similar tactic with her serpentine combatant – and she’s able to get through. While Krisa’s vulnerability to persuasion borders on the absurd, her quick of captured pet turned mutant weapon appears to play a major role in her malleable moral compass.
Zodi is arguably the best new addition to the TMNT canon since Old Hob. It’s not due to her character design, which is surprisingly not gross for a mutated scorpion, but rather her personality. Her fighting style comes straight out of the Peter Parker playbook, that is, hurl a constant barrage of insults at your opponent to knock them off their game. Given that her combatant for the majority of the issue is Raphael, the tactic is more than effective. It certainly makes for one of the most entertaining fight sequences in recent memory.
Dave Wachter, in my opinion, is never bad. Even his subpar work is better than a number of more well regarded artists on their best day. I’ve gushed about his work in all my past reviews, and all of those hold true here. Ditto for Ronda Pattison’s colors.
TMNT Universe #20 finishes the current, two-issue arc on a high note thanks to a solid main feature and an absolutely delightful backup. This series has become a garden for which the seeds of stories featured in the main TMNT series are planted and harvested. If “Service Animals” is anything to go by, what this story eventually blossoms into should be special.
As “Invasion of the Triceratons” marches on, the invading forces take a back seat to the family squabbles of Clan Hamato and the Foot Clan.
Comic Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #79
(w) Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman, and Bobby Curnow (a) Brahm Revel (c) Ronda Pattison
With each issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the series rebuilds its cache since its well-known slump post-Vengeance. From a storytelling perspective, TMNT #79 is arguably one of the strongest issues in recent memory thanks mostly to its focus on the long-running strife between the Turtles and Splinter. The issue also takes its time to place emphasis on the the fallibility of heroes and the redemptive qualities of villains, both of which have been trending in higher-profile comics.
Throughout “Invasion of the Triceratons,” the TMNT’s interactions with the actual Triceratons has been limited. As a result, their perception of events is skewed by past interactions, as well as their black-or-white worldview. Tom Waltz and his writing collaborators have done a great job in setting this up over the course of previous story arcs, and the benefits are paying off now. Throughout the issue, the Turtles are insistent that the Triceratons are innocent victims of circumstance that don’t really want to fight. However, readers are aware that is categorically untrue, as the Triceratons reveal (to the reader) that their desire is to become the dominant species on Earth as they set up multiple colonies in space. Seeing how this will play out in the arc’s finale will be interesting, but the work put into the setup by Waltz has been impressive.
Readers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are keenly aware of Baxter Stockman’s status as uneasy ally of the titular heroes. Seeing Stockman work side by side with the TMNT may be awkward for those aware of his more mainstream portrayal as strict adversary, but this is a fitting evolution for a character who should have always occupied that grey area between heroes and villains. Perhaps seeing this approach work wonderfully at DC Comics with Lex Luthor made the folks at IDW go all-in on good guy Stockman, but whatever the reason for it, it works. Yes, Baxter can still be a sleazy, selfish businessman, and his “good” acts are done out of self-preservation than benevolence, but he now gets to more frequently interact with the good guys, which makes for a more rewarding reading experience.
If this issue has as serious flaw, it’s the artwork. While TMNT Universe and other spin-offs may have had questionable art choices, the core title has always delivered a good-to-great showcase. Unfortunately, that streak comes to an end under the pen of Brahm Revel, who has previously worked in back-up features for TMNT Universe. To be fair, his art is not bad. It suffers from inconsistencies that speak to a larger issue – it is very unrefined, so much so that even Ronda Pattison’s normally great colors cannot make a noticeable improvement. It’s a shame, because it is really the only element of this book that is holding it back from being among the best of the series.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #79 has one of the strongest scripts the series has seen in recent memory, setting the Turtles and their father on a collision course from which they may never recover. Despite its less than stellar artwork, the series appears to be hitting its stride, making the wait between issues almost unbearable. This issue sets the standard of quality going forward as the series marches towards issue #100.
The Turtles, Batman, and Robin have their hands full as they take on Bane’s army of venom-fueled warriors. Meanwhile, Casey and April discover a two-way radio is more difficult to use than an inter-dimensional portal device.
Comic Review: Batman/TMNT II #4
(w) James Tynion IV (a) Freddie E. Williams II
In my review of this crossover’s previous issue, I levied a criticism at the hilarious proportions of Bane’s body as rendered by artist Freddie E. Williams II. Apparently, the creative team was just as aware of how ridiculous the character looked, as in the midst of battle Raphael takes the time do deliver a long-winded insult to the venom-fueled villain. That alone makes Batman/TMNT II #4 worth the price of admission.
For the most part, this issue is one big action sequence. The line in the sand is clearly drawn, with our heroes on one side and the baddies on the other. After a few rounds of posturing, they converge on one another. The result is some of the most creative and beautiful looking action sequences in a TMNT comic. Freddie Williams’s inventive layouts don’t make Batman/TMNT II #4 something to just read, but rather something to experience. The opening sequence with Casey and April is solid, but once the battle takes over, he pulls out all the stops. Double-page spreads are just the tip of the iceberg. On multiple occasions he uses character faces to frame the action, or utilize an angle that is slightly off from comic norms. Once the battle ends, Williams continues his artistic tour de force, delivering memorable imagery such as Bane’s defacing of the Statue of Liberty.
This great artwork by Williams is bringing to life a solid script by James Tynion IV. If you’ve read his previous works, either from the TMNT or Batman, you know that Tynion knows these characters inside and out. More importantly, he knows what makes them great characters and what has made them endure over many years. He is able to bring these sensibilities to the book and strike a very balanced tone. There are instances with high stakes and grave situations, but there are also moments of levity and winking at the audience that do not feel out of place.
After the previous issue’s dip in quality, Batman/TMNT II #4 is a great bounce-back installment. Tynion and Williams’ collaboration is something truly special that has a wide appeal. Bring on number five!
