If you've been paying attention to the site you’ll notice that I’ve really enjoyed the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from IDW, simple facts is that I can’t keep gushing over it each month so Eric will be reviewing issue #4 when he can. With that in mind I went in thinking that this “micro series” was going to be a cheap tie-into the series and just a reason to sell more Turtles. I was wrong. This book is every bit as good as the ongoing and that’s very shocking for me to say. I will let you know that you need to read the fourth issue of TMNT proper before reading this book or you’ll spoil the issue for yourself. That being said, you should probably do that before reading this review as well. Raph and Casey are patrolling in Casey’s neighborhood basically looking for something to hit. Casey is very inquisitive about Raph’s new life and his brothers, but Raph being Raph doesn’t want to talk about it.It becomes transparent to the reader mid-way through that Casey is in awe of his family since his is non-existent. The two find some trouble when they find a cloaked person running for their life from two familiar looking thugs. Raph and Casey make quick work of the thugs and discover another mutant that is also familiar to long time Turtle readers… Alopex!
That’s all you get of the story since the actually dialog and story are pretty short and sweet. In a way this series is looking to be building the overall story arc that will play out in the ongoing and I really like that. The idea of a mini or micro-series covering an element of the ongoing so that the main series doesn’t suffer or get held back from naturally progressing is very smart. I really felt like this added to the fourth issue and acted like a companion issue rather than a cheap cash in on the series. I know that companies love to say that they’re responding to the success of the series, but the time and release schedule always proves opposite. It’s clear that there was thought and effort put in this series and that’s good to see.
The creative teams of writer Brian Lynch and artist Franco Urru do a great job of continue the success from the ongoing. Urru’s art style is very different from Duncan’s, but it works in a positive way and plays to Lynch’s story the way it needs to. I would have to say that as good as the story is there was a lot of art and very little story or dialog, when there was some it was quite good but there needed to be a better balance between the dialog and the captions. Otherwise Lynch and Urru have added a noteworthy chapter to the Turtles story. This week doesn’t have a lot of stuff coming out,but I recommend picking up both issues of Turtles and stop back for Eric’s review of the fourth issue with his fresh prospective.
Score: 4/5
Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99