Turtles in Time is like a “no duh” when it comes to the Turtles. It not only rolls off the tongues, but it instantly catches your attention. Since we like our Turtles around here each of the participating reviewers will be giving the issue a score followed by their opinion, but first here’s what the issue is about from IDW: A brand new mini-series from Paul Allor, Erik Burnham and some of the best IDW TMNT artists ever! The Turtles become unstuck in time and go spinning into the past! First stop: the prehistoric age, where they are far from the most dangerous reptiles around! Will the Turtles be able to find their way home without damaging history?
Samantha: 5/5
Well that was a hell of an issue. The Turtles universe has introduced a new mini-series where the Turtles travel through time. Ross Campbell is our first artist on this new mini-series and I loved it! The Turtles were cute yet badass at the same time. They really looked to be in their teens and the ridiculous action made it feel even more real. The first trip is to a dinosaur-like Utrom island. The landscape is awesome and what better place to start than dinosaurs. With so many time periods to choose from, it is important to go to the places where most readers want the Turtles to go. Not everyone is going to be happy, but I think of the Turtles as some sort of ancient dinosaur, so putting them up against a T-Rex makes sense. Plus I am sure Pepperoni will be all the rage after this issue. Don’t know who this dino is, then get the issue and fall in love immediately. I love how Campbell gives the little rhino a mask and makes him Raph’s buddy. Raph is so sweet to his pets.
As for the story, Paul Allor just throws you into this story. There really isn’t an introduction, and why would one be needed with TMNT. We get the characters and their personality, now make them shine. Allor does just that. We still get a progressive storyline, even with being thrown in, where each dude gets their moment. This all ages TMNT mini-series is wickedly fun, so be ready for some Turtle power.
Steve: 5/5
So, I think Turtles in Time may be the first “all-ages title” that I’ve really enjoyed. A big part of that has to do with Ross Campbell’s art. That’s right, when it comes to TMNT, I’m a Ross Campbell guy. With respect to others, whether it’s here or when he was on the main TMNT book, his Turtles have out-shined anything else. Bill Crabtree’s colors here make Campbell’s style a much lighter affair than in the “City Fall” event, which of course matches the overall tone, but hot damn I love how simple yet expressive, kinetic and crazy-dynamic Campbell’s art is. I can’t wait to see more of his stuff in this entertaining little yarn.
Now, I’m not as familiar with Paul Allor’s stuff, but his writing here was absolutely great! Hilarious, touching, exciting and just damn fun, I was almost immediately heartened to find out how fun this book was to read. In fact, I gotta say that I enjoyed this a whole lot more than I do the main book right now, which I think has become a bit too chatty and slow. If you’re looking for classic Turtles-meets-modern storytelling, then this is the one you want, Turtle-fans ... and not just cause I go where Campbell goes!
Adam: 4/5
This issue read like a breeze and although I’ve never been a huge TMNT fan, I couldn’t help but enjoy it. Our first look into this mini-series has action, time travel, and a lot of quirky charm. I wasn’t a huge fan of the art, although it is cartoony and realistically this is a kids’ book to be fair. I don’t think I’d buy this book myself, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it and actually thought a few of the jokes were pretty funny. Out of all the licensed stories that IDW and other companies pick up, I feel like TMNT has been the most enjoyable for me.
Dustin: 3/5
It pains me to give this issue a low score, but this issue didn’t impress me. I loved the art; I’m a huge Ross Campbell fan so it wasn’t the art though I do think it was colored much brighter than his work on the Northampton storyline. But Pepperoni! He was the cutest damn thing I’ve seen in the book.
What didn’t work for me was the story. It didn’t feel like a TMNT comic, but rather the TMNT cartoon show. I’m a fan of the cartoon show and all, but the comic has a very different vibe to it and I don’t think Paul Allor captured that. Sure Mikey is funny, but again… it felt like the cartoon rather than the comic. The two versions of the character have very different styles. It was entertaining and I loved Campbell’s art and Pepperoni, but it wasn’t enough to deliver what should have been an important tie-in to the regular series.
Writer: Paul Allor Artist: Ross Campbell Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 6/18/14 Format: Mini-Series, Print/Digital