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Comic Review: TMNT Universe #18

by Dan Gehen
written by Dan Gehen

With the Triceratons invading New York, everyone has run for cover – including the Ninja Turtles! Trapped with the huddled masses, the Turtles must escape by getting past their biggest challenge yet: children!

Comic Review: TMNT Universe #18

(W) Paul Allor & Caleb Goellner, (A) Tyler Boss & Michael Dialynas, (C) Ronda Pattison

After a great 6 years, the last few months have not been kind to IDW’s TMNT books. What was once fresh and exciting storytelling became stale. Reading TMNT had become a chore, thanks to the disappointments of Dimension X, “The Trial of Krang,” and even the current “Invasion of the Triceratons” story arc. However, TMNT Universe #18 sees the makings of a return to form, with Paul Allor, Tyler Boss, and Ronda Pattison delivering an engaging, tightly constructed, and fun issue.

Allor’s story takes place concurrent with “Invasion of the Triceratons,” with the TMNT taking refuge in one of the city’s buildings. However, they’ve unknowingly trapped themselves into a place with extremely limited exits. There’s no roof access. There’s no sewer access. It’s the Turtles, a bunch of clueless New Yorkers, and two kids determined to find them. It’s a simple premise, and is unlikely to have any significant impact on the greater TMNT lore, but it is executed so well. The stakes are relatively low, but the tension is high because it is reasonable that the Turtles might be discovered.

Much of this issue’s success lies in the physical comedy provided by artists Tyler Boss and Ronda Pattison. Both excel at their craft, and deliver their best efforts. We’ve been singing Pattison’s praises for a while here, and this issue once again proves her worth. A bright and varied palette captures the childhood fun of this narrative without sacrificing the story’s stakes. By the end of this era, Pattison may be looked at as the contributor that more than anyone else defined the look of the TMNT.

It is easy to make a funny comic when the source of the humor is the writing, but it is far more challenging when the humor must be conveyed through the artist. Tyler Boss’s artwork may not be as visually dynamic or detailed as other artists such as Mateus Santolouco or Corey Smith, but he may be the best pure storyteller on a TMNT book to date. The panel structure and artwork combine to produce effective comedic effects wherever the script calls for them. Many of the same demands that comedy calls for can also be found in creating suspense. Boss is therefore able to easily transition from providing readers laughs to making them bite their fingers, even if the stakes are relatively low in comparison.

There is a short, sweet backup story by Caleb Goellner and Michael Dialynas, starring the Mutanimals. With one of their compatriots recovering from injuries, the creative duo showcases in just a couple pages how united a family this bunch of misfits truly is. TMNT Universe might not be a canon-expanding, earth-shattering issue. However, it stands among the most accessible and well-constructed of the entire IDW era.

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Comic BooksReviews

Comic Review: TMNT Universe #17

by Dan Gehen
written by Dan Gehen

We continue exploring the Triceratons’ lives under the tyrannical tentacles of General Krang in this latest issue of TMNT Universe. Maybe they aren’t such bad guys after all, right?

Comic Review: TMNT Universe #17

(W) Chris Mowry and Erika Anderson, (A) Giannis Milonogiannis and Michael Dialynas, (C) Lovern Kindzierski and Michael Dialynas

Having put in over a dozen or so issues, it is clear that TMNT Universe works best when it is focused on side adventures or introducing story elements that will come into play down the line. Unfortunately, when it tries to complement the story in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, things go awry. That is the state in which we dive into TMNT Universe #17, a story meant to flesh out the history of the the currently invading Triceratons and make them a more sympathetic collective of antagonists. And while the story does make the reader at least understand their past, it does not reconcile with no-holds barred approach seen by the anthropomorphic dinos in TMNT #76-77.

Two things work against this issue’s success. First, the reader is only acquainted with two of the Triceratons, who’s similar names (Zog and Zom) are an often source of confusion early in the issue. While this is a callback to the original Triceratons that appeared in the Mirage comics (both Volume 1 and Volume 2), this is one instance of fan-service that could have been dropped in favor of a contemporary update. Yes, perhaps it is nitpicking to call out the names of the characters, but it speaks to the second problem: lack of diversification. Other than their vestments, there is no way to reasonably tell them apart. It is vaguely alluded to that there might be some cloning going on, which would explain this, but it is immediately disregarded. As a cherry on top, there is a lettering snafu that deflates one of the issue’s few emotional moments.

If it sounds like I’m being hard on this issue, it’s because there is potential for this to be a really strong, world-building story. The idea of the oppressed revolting against their oppressors is a crowdpleaser, especially when the “bad guys” are firmly established and reviled. Unfortunately, the Triceratons themselves are too physically imposing to come across as legitimately oppressed. It doesn’t help when they are shown to dispatch hordes of Ultoms with ease. And then there’s General Krang. In this incarnation, he has been portrayed as both cunning and perceptive, always one step ahead of his enemies. Yet here, he seems aloof to the treachery taking place right under his nose.

There’s no easy way to put this: TMNT Universe #17 squanders a potentially epic story. While the creative team deserves part of the blame, this falls mostly on the shoulders of IDW’s editorial group who forced this story to be condensed into two issues. If this is your first exposure to TMNT Universe, it might come across as a competent, if unspectacular story. However, anyone with an extended exposure to the TMNT will find this issue to be nothing but lost opportunities. But at least the cover by Freddie E. Williams II (Batman/TMNT) is awesome!

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Comic Review: TMNT Universe #16 – Triceratons Galore!

by Dan Gehen
written by Dan Gehen

With the main TMNT book in the midst of a Triceraton invasion, TMNT Universe builds upon that mythology with two tales starring the advanced dinos. One ties directly into the “Invasion of the Triceratons”, while the other is just too damn cute.

Comic Review: TMNT Universe #16

(W) Chris Mowry and Erika Anderson, (A) Giannis Milonogiannis, Lovern Kindzierski, and Michael Dialynas

Did I say this book ties directly into “Invasion of the Triceratons”? Well, it does insofar as it focuses on the dino-bipeds. However, the main story by Chris Mowry and Giannis Milonogiannis (as well as the backup by Erika Anderson and Michael Dialynas) actually takes place in the past. The big clue is that Krang is alive. That means that TMNT Universe is being afforded the opportunity to be what fans have wanted it to be: a successor to Tales of the TMNT. Unfortunately, that does mean that the cover (and the image used for this review) is a big fat lie!

The fact that this story does not tie directly into the present story in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles does not mean it should be skipped. The characters of General Zog and Commander Zom play a major role in “Invasion of the Triceratons,” and  Mowry has been tasked with filling in their backstory by taking readers back to the days of the Triceraton rebellion against the Ultoms. Throughout the issue, Mowry enables the reader to empathize with these characters, injecting them with motivations and personalities previously unseen.

If the goal of the issue was to humanize the Triceratons, consider this mission accomplished. Zog and Zom are fully fleshed out, with Zog in particular feeling the weight of his oppressed people on his shoulders, with Zom being the only one that he can rely on. But while Zog feels helpless against the overwhelming might of the Ultoms, Zom is not afraid to take action as she puts into motion the first acts of rebellion. While we already know the outcome – the Triceratons win their freedom – the journey that leads to there should be intriguing with these two as the primary focus.

The art by Giannis Milonogiannis and Lovern Kindzierski is serviceable. It neither elevates nor detracts from the story, allowing the content to be easily consumed. But where the art does stand out is in Milonogiannis’s ability to convey emotion in characters that, at first glance, appear incapable of any. Not just simple emotions, mind you, but complex ones like remorse, defeat, and concern. It is truly impressive.

The backup by Erika Anderson and Michael Dialynas is a cutesy little story that takes place around the same time as the main feature. It’s played mostly for laughs, and Dialynas makes the little Triceratons look absolutely adorable. However, there is a dark undertone based on what is revealed earlier in the book.

TMNT Universe #16 is an intense character study that also provides a fun experience. Mowry and Anderson’s stories successfully build up and flesh out the larger world of the… TMNT Universe. If you’re interested in Triceratons, or just a fan of good character work, then this an issue worth checking out.

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Comic Review: TMNT Dimension X #2

by Dan Gehen
written by Dan Gehen

Dimension X is definitely a weird place. The Turtles’ continue their trans-dimensional community service efforts as they track down another witness for “The Trial of Krang”.

Comic Review: TMNT Dimension X #2

(W) Ulises Farinas & Erick Freitas (A) Michael Dialynas

In case you missed it, I was not a fan of TMNT Dimension X #1. Truth be told, I was not looking forward to reading this issue after such a disappointing opening. However, it looks as though the creative team has righted the ship, as the second issue is a marked improvement over the first. The writing is crisper, and the art is much smoother.

With the series formula firmly established, readers know exactly what they are getting into here. Farinas and Freitas deliver a relatively self-contained story that fits within the larger “Trial of Krang” arc in the main ongoing title. Like issue #1, this comic sees the Turtles venture off to a new locale within Dimension X to track down a potential witness to testify against the disgraced Utrom general. However, unlike the previous issue, the writers take the time to flesh out and develop this new witness, enabling readers to have an emotional investment in both the character and the narrative as a whole. While this comes at the cost of under-utilizing the miniseries’ chief protagonist, the internal struggle that the witness endures (as well as the well executed narrative twist) makes up for it in spades.

As alluded to earlier, the artwork is much easier on the eyes. Michael Dialynas, who provides the art and colors, captures a side of Dimension X that is rarely discussed – if ever – across the spectrum of TMNT media: its potential for beauty. Much of this issue contains grand, sweeping landscapes and a figurative kaleidoscope of colors for the reader to feast upon. Albeit far from perfect, it provides the reader plenty of stimulation from start to finish. The character renders are also improved. The Turtles themselves do not look like they jumped out of the cinematic abortion known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, but instead they are more or less consistent with there depictions throughout the IDW-verse.

If you wrote off TMNT Dimension X after the first issue, you might want to give this a skim while you’re at your local comic shop this week. Much of the problems that the first issue had have been resolved. While the story itself is still rather light and formulaic, the execution and artwork are greatly improved. This series may still end up being a cash grab, but it’s starting to show signs that it might be worth the money.

 

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