Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Comic Book "Reboot."

[Trekker4747]

Issue 4 was good.

I'm still not liking the art too much in these books. It's okay but I would've liked to see something more dynamic, interesting and "realistic looking." The art in these books is somewhat angular, blocky and lines look hairy as if they're from a rough draft or something. Coloring isn't great either. But whatever, the book has still be good.

I guess they're doing a mini-series of one-shots, one book for each turtle over the course of the next four months. Pre-release stuff claimed the Raphael book was coming out in November (yesterday) but has been delayed to next week. The second book (December's book, but not sure if it's being pushed back to January) will center around Michelangelo. From the preview of the Raphael cover the book looks to have bit better art to it. More like I would hope to see.

LINK

 

[Captain Craig]

I also really liked issue 4. As far as total reimaginings go this is one I'm enjoying. It's not perfect but there are more positives than negatives thus far. I'm pleasantly pleased that it's only a 4 issue intro arc instead of the more common place 6 issue opener that the industry obsesses over. Looking forward to seeing how Raph integrates into the fold. Being away for 18 months will only help in his characterization as the loner/badass I think.

Glad to have the one shot "micro series" next week!! That buffers the wait between issues.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah the take on the turtles and Splinter has been pretty cool and interesting. Now to see what they do with April, Baxter Stockman, Krang and, of course, Shredder.

 

[Trekker4747]

I got Volume 1 today of the original comic book series hard cover.

This is an awesome book. Thick, heavy, almost 300 pages long, filled with the first 7-issues of the comic (plus a Raphael-centric one-shot) and commentary from Eastman and Laird (TMNT's creators) in between the issues. And for $25 from Amazon a bargain from the $50 cover price.

I'll have to give it a read later (I never really read the TMNT comics from either the original Mirage comics nor the Archie comic series. I was more of a fan of the turtles through the cartoon. As a kid when I paged through the Mirage comics I wasn't impressed with the art or the black-and-white format so I passed them by, and the Archie comic series I wasn't a big fan of either, although I liked the Archie comics themselves.

Anyway, can't wait to give this volume a look through and look forward to the future volume(s). This is an impressive book and for $25 a steal!

 

[O'Dib]

So issue 4 hints that the new series is still somehow in the old continuity?

Spoiler: origin

splinter seems to suggest that they all regressed to their original forms, and had already been TMNTs at some point.

Having never had contact with comic book TMNTs before this, distinguishing them by skin color instead of mask color is taking some getting used to. Anyone remembers and knows where to find that piece of amazing fan art that had the turtles portrayed as having widely divergent body types?

 

[Trekker4747]

I read the Raphael stand-alone and it's pretty damn good. Introduces a new character and sets up the introduction of two familiar characters as well as the villain I think we all knew was out there.

I liked the art in this book a lot better too than I've liked the arts in the main series of books.

 

[Captain Craig]

I flipped through the Raph one shot and yes it seems the one shots are going to be the set up for their primo villain!!!

Regarding O'Dib's comment about a circular path that says the old continuity may exist.
Having reread Splinters comments it does seem odd where he uses the word 'again' regarding themselves.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, but I doubt it's meant to imply the Turtles were de-mutated and are now re-mutated. Too much stuff would had to have happened and it doesn't quite fit with everything else. (April and Casey both being unaware of the turtles to begin with.)

Re-reading it I can see how it might be interpreted that way but I think Splinter was talking about something else.

 

[Captain Craig]

^^^
I agree.
It would also need an explanation of Aprils sudden skill set with science. That's quite a career change in so little a time (18mo +). Not enough time to be proficient to land a job working on a military super soldier formula that's for sure.

 

[Trekker4747]

Well, in the original Mirage comics April worked with Baxter Stockman in the tech/science industry.

Anyway, I re-read the section again and now I do find it a bit suspect.

I still doubt it is meant to imply any previous continuity still exists but maybe as part of the experiments the turtles and Splinter have been mutated to humanoid form before, though never out in the open....? I've no idea. This is odd.

Splinter calls the turtles all by their names but in the first issue it seemed implied that April gave them those names.

 

[Captain Craig]

Well, in the original Mirage comics April worked with Baxter Stockman in the tech/science industry.

True.
Isn't the super soldier experiments biological engineering though? A totally different science field, right?

 

[Admiral_Young]

Also issue one referenced Krang was some kind of General. One of the characters was on the phone with him reporting. I need to catch up. I'm behind.

 

[Trekker4747]

Well, in the original Mirage comics April worked with Baxter Stockman in the tech/science industry.

True.
Isn't the super soldier experiments biological engineering though? A totally different science field, right?

Hmmm. True. I would say this might suggest still being in the same universe but April also knows Baxter is nuts.

Also issue one referenced Krang was some kind of General. One of the characters was on the phone with him reporting. I need to catch up. I'm behind.

Yeah it was Baxter Stockman on the phone with "General Krang."

 

[Admiral_Young]

That's right. I forgot it was Stockman. The next issue comes out on Wed. I think I'm going to wait until this comes out on trade.

 

[Trekker4747]

Got and read book #5 as well as the Michelangelo stand-alone.

Number 5 was good and reveals some more about the turtles' backstory as well as some more clues about what is happening here along the lines of what was speculated on up-thread.

Spoiler: TMNT #5

It seems Splinter and the turtles were not de-mutated and now re-mutated as speculated up-thread, but rather seem to be something of spiritual reincarnations of Hamoto Yoshi and his four sons.

The book ends with Michelangelo, Donatello and Leonardo getting their separately colored bandannas (making the whole identification issue I had easier) and Raphael getting his sais.

The Michelangelo one-shot/stand-alone..... Eh.

The story in it was decent, Michelangelo is out alone on New Year's Eve and he wants to be a "party dude" and enjoy the night rather than being at home with his brothers doing more boring stuff. It's a good story but the art in this book is atrocious and inconsistent. Michelangelo's size changes constantly, the coloring is poor and it's just really a very, very, ugly book. It looks like it was drawn by a grade-schooler. They should have had Eastman draw this, the guy who does the regular books or even the guy who did the Raphael stand-alone last month. It's an okay book, one to have if you're collecting the trutles' stand-alone books. But the art is just horrible.

 

[Captain Craig]

I read issue #5 also and it would seem to debunk the earlier idea that the old continuity still exists. They couldn't have implied that it's a type of

Spoiler: Turtle origins

reincarnation

any more other than spelling it out.

It also seems this series intends to have the best of both worlds by having the personalized bandannas colored. I'm cool with that but belts with their first initial is where I draw the line.

I didn't read Michelangelo last night so I'll get back with opinions on that later.

Also, due to holiday savings on Amazon I now have $12 in Amazon cash. I may apply that soon and pre-order vol.2 of the Ultimate Mirage Collection. If I do it now my cost would be $17 for the book. My final cost on the first was $12.

 

[Trekker4747]

The personalized bandannas is good enough, even the movies got away with just that. Name/Letter plates on their belts would have been too far, I agree. But I'm glad they have the colored bandannas as it makes the turtles much, much, easier to identify.

And I agree that the Splinter side-story (very well draw, by the way) certainly telegraphs what the nature of this version of the characters is and it seems very interesting. Can't wait to get April introduced to our heroes.

 

[Captain Craig]

Finally read the Mikey one shot and Trekker I totally agree on the art, it was crummy.
I did like the story itself though and wouldn't mind seeing undercover "Cat Lady" cop make a return appearance. I think the series needs a "Gordon" for the Turtles to have as a liaison.

So two weeks till issue #6.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, the story was good and the cat-lady character was good.

But, man the art was just terrible.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I thought you guys would be interested in this interview with the writer...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36547