Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road

After a solid fourth issue, Bebop & Rocksteady Hit The Road #5 looks to ride the momentum into its final issue. However, it looks like the series is simply out of gas as it struggles cross the finish line.

Comic Review: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #5

(W) Dustin Weaver (A) Ben Bates (C) Brittany Peer

For three issues, readers have experienced idiot characters acting like idiots with sloppy artwork, with a brief interlude in Issue #4 of effort and quality. However, as the series comes to a close, it looks like the creative team has reverted back to their old ways, making this miniseries a complete disappointment from start to finish. Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road #5 is a bad comic.

The writing is surprisingly dated, with every character yelling to each other in the midst of battle, trying to up the ante by trading one-liners and catch-phrases. There is one or two instances of well-timed comedy, but it’s clear that Weaver and Bates at this point are throwing whatever they can at the reader in the hopes that something sticks. It’s sloppy, tired, and predictable.

The writing leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s better than the art. Save for one panel, in which Bebop and Rocksteady are black silhouettes covered in blood (it really is cool looking), this is one of the uglier issues I’ve seen. Too chaotic and messy for its own good, even the colors from Brittany Peer seem phoned in.

August is the dog days of summer, so it’s appropriate that this dog-crap miniseries was released this month. I am lucky enough to have access to review copies of this series, but I feel bad for those that actually forked over the $20 (plus tax) that it cost to follow this miniseries from start to finish. Perhaps there is a certain type of reader that a series like Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road appeals to, but it isn’t me. Thankfully, the series has come to a merciful end.

Bebop and Rocksteady’s quest to be perennial jackasses takes an unexpected turn in the latest issue. Let’s! Get! Normal!

Comic Review: Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road #3

(w) Ben Bates (a) Dustin Weaver (c) Brittany Peer

If you’ve read my first two review for this series, you’ll know that there is no love lost between myself and this book. In my eyes, the first issue was a dud, and the second issue showed improvement by the narrowest of margins. To say that I have low expectations for this third issue is an understatement, though I remain hopeful for a surprise uptick in quality. At this point, I’ll be happy with a mediocre issue.

I’m happy to report that there is a lot to like in this issue if you’re a longtime Ninja Turtles fan. That is mostly because the creative team is trying to throw everything they can at the reader in hoping something sticks. Remember Savanti Romero, the pint-sized demonic foil to the Turtles and Renet? He’s back. Remember how no one cares about Bebop and Rocksteady in their human form? Good, because the creative team remembers too. Remember how the EPF would rather hunt down and destroy mutants rather than feel empathy for them? You’re in luck, because Ravenwood uses a bazooka on the titular duo. And despite all of this (plus some stuff not mentioned above) the book feels like a colossial waste of time.

I understand being a big into continuity and completionism – it comes with the territory of being a comics reader. However, I would steer clear of this title. Even if you’ve ignored my reviews for the first two issues and are holding out hope that it turns the corner with issue #3, it doesn’t. Use the $3.99 on the next issue of TMNT Urban Legends, or Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden, or find a great creator-owned book to put that money towards.  Don’t reward publishers for putting out bad comics, which is exactly what this is.

Bebop and Rocksteady’s quest to be perennial jackasses takes an unexpected turn in the latest issue. Let’s! Get! Normal!

Comic Review: Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road #2

(w) Ben Bates (a) Dustin Weaver (c) Brittany Peer

The premiere issue of Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road was a crazy, macho-infused dud, despite some excellent artwork. The second issue manages to exceed the low bar set by the first by adding in a couple of unexpected twists. However, despite their change in lifestyle, the duo cannot change their nature. The result is an issue which really should have ended the miniseries, but instead prolongs the title of another couple of painful-to-read weeks.

As can be expected, the titular duo are idiots. Only this time, they’re idiots who happen to lose their mutation and make an effort to go straight. It goes as well as can be expected. Surprisingly, Rocksteady is well adjusted, getting job at a construction site and making sure everyone adheres to hard-hat safety. Unfortunately, we don’t get much of this readjustment, as it is glossed over in a montage and quickly undone because, well, his buddy is a moron. But more importantly, this speaks to the issue’s erratic pacing. It makes the story very difficult for the reader to get a hold of.

The one storytelling element that can have the reader pulled in for issue #3 is the seemingly enigmatic nature of EPF Agent Ravenwood. Within the same breath of expressing empathy for mutants – including Bebop and Rocksteady – she calls them monsters. It should be interesting to see how this develops over the remainder of the miniseries. However, this is the one silver lining in an endless stormy cloud of storytelling. Also, Brittany Peer’s colors continue to be rock solid.

I could go on for a long time bashing this title, but it really isn’t worth the time and energy. Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road just isn’t my cup of tea. If you’re enjoying it, more power to you. Unfortunately, you’re likely going to have to endure a couple more scathing reviews from yours truly.