TMNT Amazing Adventures

Saying goodbye can be a difficult thing to do. With this final issue of the Robotanimals miniseries, fans must say goodbye to the comics based on the 2012 animated series, which itself is winding down over the next few weeks.

Comic Review: TMNT Amazing Adventures Robotanimals #3 (of 3)

(W) Caleb Goellner, Chad Thomas (A&C)

I’ll admit, I haven’t been the biggest fan of the Amazing Adventures (as evidenced by the reviews on this site). However, I’ve always appreciated the role it played as a young-reader title. Despite its prevalence in pop culture, comic books themselves still face the stigma of being “just for kids” even though very few are actually appropriate for kids. That’s where TMNT Amazing Adventures comes in. It’s a gateway comic that can hook younger readers, which makes it going away an unfortunate moment. But with that said, Caleb Goellner and Chad Thomas give the series a solid send-off with this concluding issue.

Even though this issue marks a landmark conclusion, the creative team wisely chooses to focus on the story at hand, bringing the Robotanimals miniseries to a natural end. Even though the miniseries resorts to tired tropes (e.g. April needing to be rescued, Donnie as a Deus Ex Machina), the sight of the Turtles and Mutanimals teaming up to take on cyborg versions of their arch enemies is a wonderful sight. This issue’s solicitations promised a fun, popcorn-action romp, and that’s exactly what we get.

Bright and colorful with an underlying theme of cooperation, Robotanimals #3 delivers almost everything readers could want from an all-ages Turtles tale. However, that does not excuse it for being too light on actual story. I was able to read this within 5 minutes, and a kid could certainly read this in under 10 minutes. This speaks to a flaw pervasive not just in the Amazing Adventures series, but most all-ages comics: the stories are too simplified. Kids are capable of enjoying and understanding plots that are more advanced.

Inherent limitations aside, the end of the Robotanimals is a satisfying romp. The Amazing Adventures series filled a niche that sadly will be empty for the foreseeable future. On the plus side, there’s that Usagi Yojimbo series that you can always had your young reader.

A new evil plan has been concocted by that twisted fly-man scientist, Stinkman… no, Speckman… Stockman! Yeah, that’s it. An evil plan that involves mutagen, robots, and the TMNT’s misfit friends: The Mighty Mutanimals!

COMIC REVIEW: TMNT Amazing Adventures: Robotanimals! #1

(W) Caleb Goellner (A/C) Chad Thomas

My favorite part of the TMNT Amazing Adventures comics is its friendliness towards younger audiences. That may sound like a backhanded compliment, but it is truly difficult to find a comic series that can be enjoyed by kids without talking down to them. As much as I may love the stuff coming out of DC Rebirth, Image Comics, or even IDW’s main TMNT series, I can’t hand those books to a kid. But I can with TMNT Amazing Adventures. Even more importantly, this title can be enjoyed by adults as well, making Caleb Goellner and Chad Thomas’ Robotanimals #1 truly an all ages affair.

The premise of this miniseries is simple enough: a bored Baxter Stockman turns the Mutanimals into brainless cyborgs, and the TMNT are forced to battle their friends. Okay, maybe it isn’t simple, but it is entertaining. Capturing the spirit of the Nickelodeon series, Goellner and Thomas imbue each page with lighthearted fun. They also manage to tap into the chemistry that each team has. The Turtles gel together in battle as a cohesive unit, despite their banter and occasional need for improvisation.

The Mutanimals, conversely, are more erratic due mostly to their different makeup. This carries over as they are transformed into the Robotanimals. Each member, be it Slash or Muckman, has a unique set of skills, and that variety proves troublesome (at least in this issue) for the green quartet.

This issue does suffer the usual trappings of previous TMNT Amazing Adventures stories, mostly in that despite the best efforts of the creative team, it comes across as a watered down version of the cartoon. That is mostly due to the conversion of 3D computer animation to a 2D, hand-drawn rendering. This is not a fault of Thomas, who delivers a bright, colorful, and high-energy effort. It is just an inherent limitation, and the issue succeeds in spite of it.

In addition, the one element that did not ring true at all is the initiative Baxter takes to create the Robotanimals on his own. Once mutated into a fly, this version of the character is not the assertive, confident mad scientist he was before, but instead a pawn for the Turtles’ more serious threats. However, this is merely a minor quibble as without it, there is no story. And TMNT Amazing Adventures: Robotanimals! #1 is a satisfying, fun, and colorful story.