Catching up on the last couple weeks, the Turtles shenanigans in Dimension X continue. So buckle up for a double does of reviews as we look at issues #3 and #4 of the Dimension X miniseries!
Comic Review: TMNT Dimension X #3
(W) Aubrey Sitterson, (A) Khary Randolph, (C) John Rauch
Well, here it is. The miniseries’ connecting covers have been alluding to this installment of Dimension X, and it is an absolute blast! The creative team of Sitterson, Randolph, and Rauch deliver a wacky, action-packed installment that has an undercurrent of social commentary. The latest witness for the Turtles’ to round up is the proud owner of an asteriod-turned-wresting stadium. And in true TMNT fashion, things do not go smoothly.
Sitterson’s writing of this issue’s witness – the appropriately named Stump – is frustratingly entertaining. Written as corporate greed incarnate, Stump sold out his planet to Krang for a healthy payday, and refuses to leave with the Turtles because of the money he’ll miss out on. It’s only when he finds out Krang has sent an assassin after him that he decides to leave with the Turtles… if they jump in the ring first. The entire plot is bonkers, and the kind of weird that was expected from the rest of this miniseries.
The artwork by Randolph and Rauch is a great match for the ludicrous plot. Randolph’s artwork is full energy, heightening the chaotic tensions between Stump, Turtles, and the wrestlers. However, it is Rauch’s colors that really stand out. The variety of his palate can at times be overwhelming, but it only adds to the frenetic action. The miniseries as a whole may be hit-or-miss, but TMNT Dimension X #3 a wild ride from start to finish!
SCORE: 8.5
Comic Review: TMNT Dimension X #4
(W) Ryan Ferrier, (A) Chris Johnson, (C) Mark Englert
For the first six or so pages of TMNT Dimension X #4, it appears that this is going to be another “down” issue for the miniseries. And then the witness is revealed: Ace Duck. A character created as an action figure for the 1987 cartoon (despite a 5 second appearance), Ace Duck has developed a cult following over the years, and this issued gives readers their most extended look at him in the franchise’s history.
Ryan Ferrier, Chris Johnson, and Mark Englert overcome a slow start to deliver another solid issued in this miniseries, which has finally found a level of quality and consistency that readers expect from IDW’s TMNT books. Though no fault of his own, Ferrier’s script is largely predictable. Still, he manages to pack in a couple of pleasant surprises. Michelangelo developing a gambling addiction was itself an entertaining thread from start to finish.
While this issue’s location is a sadly generic albeit futuristic metropolis, it offers enough variety for Englert’s colors to make this issue stand out from the others in this miniseries. Ditto for Chris Johnson’s art, which bares a striking similarity to that of main series’ artist Corey Smith’s, so much so that this could be considered TMNT #73.5.