When it comes to artwork in comic books, James Jean has made a name for himself as one of the greatest cover artists of our time. Since he began work with DC Comics in 2001, he has earned six Esiner Awards for his work in the industry. Let’s just say that if you’re writing a comic or graphic novel and you know that Jean is going to do the cover, you are going to feel a mix of both excitement and terror. Why terror? Well, nobody wants to be the writer who screwed up the story behind the work of this creative genius.
Needless to say, Jean’s work is both highly regarded and sought after, which is probably why the company Good Smile commissioned an art project from him recently. As a matter of fact, they liked his work so much that they decided to make a series of TMNT statues based on the print. These aren’t the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles we all know and love, but they are pretty awesome. Jean gives us a much more stylized version of our heroes in a half shell that most fans will truly appreciate.
Typically, collectors items like this are very expensive and cater to wealthier fans, but Good Smile has actually priced each of their TMNT figures fairly. At about $130 per collectible, one can actually imagine saving up their pennies to get one of these awesome James Jean TMNT statues. Of course, they want you to buy all four, so they’ve actually provided an incentive for you to purchase each individual statue: Owners of all four turtles will get a code to receive a free print of the artwork that inspired these beautiful pieces.
Originally shown off at NYCC, all four TMNT statues are now available for purchase at many retailers. While many fans still won’t be able to afford these collectibles, it’s important to note that the price is actually pretty decent considering that there is a relatively high level of detail on each figure, and all four are over ten inches in height. $130 is still a lot of money for most fans, but if you’ve got some extra money saved up, you might want to consider these awesome Ninja Turtles statues for your collection.
What do you think? Will you be picking these up immediately, or is this going to go on your wishlist? Let us know in the comments below and tell us what you think of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles design from James Jean!