City at War

“CITY AT WAR” Part Eleven

“CITY AT WAR” Part Ten

“CITY AT WAR” Part Twelve

February 28, 2017 5 comments

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THE ANNOTATED CITY AT WAR PART 12: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #61

by Dan Gehen February 13, 2017

written by Dan Gehen

We’ve reached the penultimate issue – Part 11 – of the Turtles’ most epic story.

Cover

From issue #58-60, the covers by A.C. Farley’s covers have been a sequence setting the stage for the Turtles’ final battle against the Shredder Elite. But this cover does not do that. Instead, it shows the aftermath of the battle, with the Turtles standing triumphantly, though battle-worn, over their foes. I don’t want to say that this cover spoils the comic… but it totally spoils the comic.

Once again, Farley himself provided a bit of commentary on this cover (from AlteredEarth.com):

The fourth and final cover in the sequence. Wow. The turtles kicked butt here. These Mirage turtles are the original creation. They are actually quite alot darker and infinitely more interesting ( in my opinion ) than the turtles you see on TV.

Page 2

Picking up where the last issue left off, we see Karai held at sword-point by a Shredder Elite, but the perspective of this image has changed. Now, we see that an injured Donatello is nearby.

Pages 3-4

Jim Lawson gives us an overhead image of Donnie, complete with the unfortunately positioned turtle tail. We see that he is within reach to one of the fallen Foot Soldiers. But more importantly, we see that he is within reach of their gun as the Shredder Elite prepares to deliver a killing stroke to Karai. He leans over, grabs the gun, and unloads a clip into the Shredder Elite’s chest. Donnie fully embodies the trope of “invincible incompetent” by showing great skill with a gun.

Page 5

April stands outside an apartment building, commenting “This looks like the place.” There are little details thrown into this panel by Lawson that heighten it, like the tree poking through an iron grate and a few stray scraps of paper – details which are recognizable to anyone that’s taken a stroll through NYC (outside of Midtown). Anyways, she rings the bell, and the door is answered by an older woman that goes by “Mrs. Jones.” Yup, it’s Casey’s mom, who we met in the previous issue. Furthermore, Mrs. Jones refers to April as “the young lady who wants to get into real estate.” That means April isn’t looking to lease a new apartment, it means she looking to take her inheritance and buy an apartment building.

Pages 6-8

Mrs. Jones leads April on a tour of the building, starting with the basement. While down there, she mentions that she has a son, Arnold, that she hopes April will keep on staff to perform building maintenance. While we as readers know that Arnold is really Casey, April is in the dark. As a reader, this is satisfying storytelling by Laird*, as readers eagerly await the moment when these two are reunited.

*It’s been a while, so just a refresher that Eastman and Laird are credited with developing the story, but Laird is the one who actually scripted the issue – with an assist from artist Jim Lawson.

Pages 9-14

Leonardo does battle with the Shredder Elite in an evenly matched fight. In fact, the Shredder Elite must resort to playing dirty to gain an upper hand – an action which Leo returns with pleasure. In a mostly silent sequence, it is Jim Lawson who does most of the heavy lifting – a common theme throughout “City at War.” As is the case throughout the story, Lawson’s art captures the raw, gritty emotion of the fight.

Page 15

The battle ends not with a grace swing of a blade, but in a knock-down, drag-out fashion. With a positional advantage, Leo gets the Shredder Elite into a headlock, breaking his neck. Exhausted, he looks up to see Raphael and Mikey looking down through the broken ceiling, announcing to him (and the reader) that it’s finally over.

Page 16

We get a quick check-in with Nate, who is actually checking out of the hospital. What should be a happy occasion is shrouded with melancholy; the implication being that Nate has nothing to go home to.

Pages 17-18

With the battle over, the Turtles and Karai gather themselves and tend to the wounded, i.e. Donatello. The Turtles are determined to hold Karai to her word, which she eventually gives. Relieved, the brothers take a moment in the realization that they are finally out of the Shredder’s shadow.

Page 19

Karai looks to the direction she’s going to be taking the Foot, hopefully making it a force for good one day. For those that have read TMNT Volume 4 and Tales of the TMNT Volume 2, you know that it takes a very long time for that change to take place. Her parting words to the Turtles are simple: use this opportunity well.

Page 20

In a closing splash page featuring a wonderfully epic image of Leonardo, he reassures her that they will make the most of this opportunity.

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“CITY AT WAR” Part Eleven

“CITY AT WAR” Part Ten

February 13, 2017 0 comment

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THE ANNOTATED CITY AT WAR PART 11: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #60

by Dan Gehen January 27, 2017

written by Dan Gehen

With the final battle ready to begin, it’s time for Part 11 of the Turtles’ most epic story.

Cover

Since issue #58, A.C. Farley’s covers have acted as more than just pretty picture to entice readers to pick up the book, but rather as their own piece of storytelling. What began as a close-up image of a Turtle’s face has now zoomed out to a battle-ready image against imposing foes. No commentary from Farley himself this time, other than noting this is the third in the sequence.

Page 1

The issue opens with a bang – continuing from where TMNT #59 left off. Inside the burnt husk that was the Second Time Around shop, the Shredder Elite drop in on the Turtles and Karai. It’s an impressive, full-page splash from Jim Lawson which, like A.C. Farley’s cover, sets the tone for the issue. And that tone involves a lot of great action and visuals.

Page 2

The battle lines are drawn. On one side, the Shredder Elite. On the other, the Turtles. As they stare each other down, Karai, dressed as Shredder, surprises the Turtles by stepping past them to face the Shredder Elite alone.

Page 3

Lawson’s composition of this page is very cinematic, which is only matched by Laird’s dialogue. Staring them down, Karai (posing as Shredder) tells them they have brought dishonor to the Foot, and they should commit seppuku. One member stares right back as they oblige. That’s right, Karai just Jedi-mind-tricked a Shredder Elite into seppuku.

To be honest, this is one of the sillier moments of this entire story arc, if for no other reason than Karai has a very different body type from the Shredder.

Pages 4-6

Apparently, the other members of the Shredder Elite feel the same way, commenting that their fallen colleague (named Tomei, for those keeping score) was a weak minded fool. Claiming she is not the real Shredder (even though the one that appeared in TMNT #10 and “Return to New York” was a clone…) they demand that she show her true face.

She obliges, hurling the Shredder helmet at them. Seeing the Shredder Elite are stunned by this move, the Turtles take this moment to spring into action. The splash page that ends this sequence is fantastic. From an art standpoint, Lawson continues to deliver great work, although is knack for emphasizing character’s crotches (and those unfortunately placed Turtle tails) is on display here.

Page 7

With the battle about to begin, the creative team turns the reader’s attention to Casey, who has arrived back in New York with baby in tow. To the surprise of everyone, he turns to an unexpected and never-seen-before ally – his mom. Even more surprising is that she doesn’t call him Casey, but Arnold. Turns out that “Arnold” is his real name, but he goes by “Casey,” kind of like how Henry Jones Jr. prefers “Indiana Jones.” While there is no evidence that the family named the dog “Casey,” readers should note that Arnold Jones in the IDW series is both Casey’s father and the villainous leader of the Purple Dragons, Hun.

Page 8

It turns out that Mama Jones (for the record, Casey just calls her “Ma”) owns an apartment building, and is going to let Casey stay in one of the vacant apartments. After giving him a ribbing about knocking up some girl (he didn’t), she asks if the baby has a name. With his response, no longer is this baby just a plot device but a character – Shadow Jones. Mama Jones, taken aback by the name, can’t help but ask if the name was Casey’s idea (it was).

Though she remains a baby for the remaining issues of Volume One and through Volume Two, Shadow Jones plays a prominent role in the as-of-now unfinished Volume Four.

Pages 9-13

This next set of pages is textless and all action as the Turtles and Foot take on the remaining Shredder Elite. Despite the numbers, the Shredder Elite hold their own and quickly thin out the numbers to a more level playing field.

Page 14

We check in on April, who is looking over the classifieds section of the newspaper. Specifically, rental properties. Looks like she’s going to be getting a new place soon, which is a good call since her last place is now a hollowed-out husk of a building that is currently the sight of the Turtles-Foot battle going on right now.

More interesting, at least to me, is the guy who asks her if she wants a refill on her coffee. Why is he interesting? Because he doesn’t say coffee, but rather “cawfee,” as if he’s from Boston or Rhode Island. This seems like an attempt by the writers to throw people off the scent as to where they’re located. If she’s in New York, why not just have him say “coffee.” The same could be said for Northampton. Or perhaps it’s commentary on how many people that live in New York aren’t actually from New York. Whatever the reason, it’s a fun little detail to speculate about.

Page 15

It’s a Nate appearance! You remember Nate, right? He’s the guy who’s apartment was blown up as collateral damage back in this story’s first chapter. Looks like his recovery is coming along, as he’s able to move around his hospital room unassisted. Good for you, Nate.

Pages 16-17

The battle is on, with Michaelangelo getting his ass handed to him by a Shredder Elite, who moves in for a killing blow. Leonardo jumps in, parrying the attack with his swords before delivering a fatal blow to the Elite’s head. Meanwhile, Karai and another of the Elite size each other up before engaging in combat.

Pages 18-22

The action continues on the rooftop with Raphael. Both he and Karai end up giving their foes similarly gruesome deaths. Donatello is not as lucky, as a surprise attack leads to a damaged knee and being incapacitated. These pages are characterized by Jim Lawson’s big, cinematic panel layouts that give the action room to breathe.

Page 23

As one member of the Shredder Elite watches Donnie fall into one of those cliche bottomless pits, another gains the upper hand on Karai in battle. During their fight, he goes on and on about how she has profaned the image of their master. That is a bit hypocritical, considering the many imperfect clones of Shredder that the Foot produced (as seen in the “Return to New York” story arc).

Page 24

Lawson ends the issue with a splash page that has clear influences from comic greats Jack Kirby and Will Eisner. It’s a hell of a cliffhanger with Karai in peril and a couple of the Turtles helplessly standing by, unable to do anything.

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“CITY AT WAR” Part Ten

January 27, 2017 2 comments

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The Annotated CITY AT WAR Part 10: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #59

by Dan Gehen January 5, 2017

written by Dan Gehen

With the TMNT establishing an uneasy alliance with Karai in the previous issue, it’s time for Part 10 of the Turtles’ most epic story.

Cover

The latest chapter of “City at War” begins with a colorful group-shot of the team, ready for a fight. Once again, A.C. Farley provided his own commentary on the cover design. From the mouth (or fingertips – it is typed after all) of the man himself:

The second in the sequence. It was taking time but my approach to drawing comics was changing. The line got stronger as time passed and I was agonizing over details a little less. All in all, my comics art was looking better.

(source: Alteredearth.com)

Page 1

The issue begins with the Turtles engaged in a little arts-and-crafts session. Based on the tools he’s using, it appears that Donatello is hard at work shaping some sort of metal. Meanwhile, one of his brothers is implementing the unusual method of cutting paper or fabric while using a wall – not a table – as leverage. It should be noted that the calendar on the wall indicates that at this point of the story, we’re in the month of May.

Page 2

The arts-and-crafts continue, but Jim Lawson’s layout alternates between the Turtles hard at work and the stationary visual of a New York City rooftop. There are subtle hints as to what the Turtles are constructing, but Lawson is skillful enough to hide it from the reader. It doesn’t hurt that the black & white nature of the book makes it difficult to make out certain objects. One thing that is clear is the emergence of the Foot, who make their way across the rooftop in the page’s final panel.

Pages 3-5

These three pages follow the Foot, first of which opens with a brilliant image of the ninjas moving as a single unit. As revealed in Lawson’s art, they are being observed by a member of the Shredder Elite. His observation reveals a sight that shocks not only himself but the reader too: The Shredder is back. However, being at a closer vantage point than the Elite soldier allows the reader to see that this Shredder might not be the same as what came before.

Page 6

We return to Colorado to see Casey is busy drinking away his sorrows. Presumably, his daughter is still at the hospital for observation because she is nowhere to be seen. What is seen, however, is a sight that brings this narrative full-circle: Casey’s car, which was stolen from him way back in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #51. In the space of two small panels, we see Casey’s demeanor change from an understandably broken man to one with fire. It’s clear that if nothing else, he will get his car back.

Pages 7-10

What we get here is a multi-page sequence of Casey Jones at his most unhinged since the Raphael micro-series – his first appearance in which he was used to caution Raph in not letting anger consume him. With the length of this fight and the setting, I can’t help but think of the movie They Live. Specifically, that famous scene between the characters played by Roddy Piper and Keith David.

Page 11

Just when this seems to reach its apex for lunacy, Casey kicks a dog so that it lands on top of a billboard. Yes, it is ridiculous, but it is also befitting the title under Eastman and Laird. The series began as one that not only paid homage to the duo’s favorite comic creators, but also lampooned the self-serious tropes that had begun to take root in the industry. As of this point, in the early-to-mid 1990s, mainstream comics were full of musclebound macho-men performing ridiculously impossible feats at will. To see this creative team continue to poke fun at the industry’s popular tropes is a fitting development.

Page 12

Splinter is finally well enough to stand and thus begins hobbling around the silo he has been trapped in for several months. He is not searching for a way out. Instead, he is searching for the Rat King, intent on thanking him for the assistance he provided throughout this ordeal.

Pages 13-14

To Splinter’s shock, it is revealed that the Rat King was never really there. Well, he was, but he was nothing more than a decomposing corpse. The strength that Splinter found truly came from within. With no reason to remain in the silo, Splinter begins his ascent towards the top to freedom. Visually, Splinter’s climb is comparable to the one seen in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises, though this is purely coincidental.

This entire subplot – including the macabre revelation – was adapted in the 2012 animated series episode “Darkest Plight”.

Page 15

Casey – with a baby in tow – begins his long drive back east. While there is a lot of stuff packed inside the car, the things that stand out the most are the books Casey has on the front seat, which is a nod to the character’s future development.

Pages 16-18

It appears that previous issue’s goodbye between April and Robyn was short lived, as the two are shown to be checking out a family landmark one last time. The Second Time Around shop – last seen going up in a fiery blaze in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10 – is now a condemned property. According to April, some legal hassles have held up the building’s demolition. With one final glimpse at the building the sisters say their final goodbye (for real this time). However, those that have continued to read Turtles comics beyond Mirage Volume 1 are aware that Robyn eventually makes her return.

Page 19

April continues to stand outside of the old shop, lost in thought, when she is startled by what she thinks is a noise coming from the inside. She eventually dismisses it as either wind or a rat before hailing a cab. However, her initial suspicion was correct, as Michaelangelo peeks out through one of the cracks in the building.

Pages 20-1

Inside the burnt-out husk of the Second Time Around store, we see the Turtles and the Foot assembled. Karai is revealed to be the one behind the Shredder’s helmet. Always to the point, Raphael asks the Foot’s leader “what kind of crap is this?”

Karai offers an explanation. It is through Karai that Eastman, Laird, and Lawson are able to explain the shop’s significance in the context of current events. It is where the Turtles first lived among humans. It is where Oroku Saki reappeared following his presumed death. It is where the Turtles suffered their first major defeat, leading to their exile in Northampton, and eventually setting in motion the events that lead to this current story.

Pages 22-23

Mikey and Don discuss the odd twist of fate that they are currently aligned with the Foot, yet they in the place that the Foot burned down when the two were enemies. Meanwhile, Leonardo is sifting through the shop’s wreckage to find a picture of Casey and April which he tucks away in his belt for safe keeping.

Page 24

The proverbial calm-before-the-storm comes to an end as the Shredder Elite rain down upon the Turtles and the Foot, bringing the issue to a close.

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