Comic Book Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW, Free Comic Book Day 2017)

Story: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow & Tom Waltz
Script: Tom Waltz
Art (Including Cover): Cory Smith
Colors: Ronda Pattison
Letters: Shawn Lee

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been kicking around since I was a kid. To see them as a still-relevant group warms my heart. My daughter is over three decades younger than me and loves the old movies as much as I did back in 1990. One of the best things about FCBD editions of titles is that they introduce new readers and new generations to classic characters. I have to say, this issue does a fine job of that.

As we start, our half-shelled heroes, sans Donatello, are involved in a training mission down in the sewers. As each turtle gets zapped by a laser, they make fun of each other with the senses of humor we're used to. When they get back to their lair, they're greeted by Don and a small golden robot named Professor Honeycutt. The group reminisces about the last time they met up, and they go through moments they've had facing a variety of villains, which nicely introduces new readers to their storied history. The last they discuss is an attack by General Krang, which ended with his arrest. Honeycutt is one of five key witnesses in the trial that could put him away for a long time.

In true Maskerpiece fashion, a set of tentacles drops from the ceiling and shuts down the power. They drop again to snatch Honeycutt, and the battle begins. The culprit in a bounty hunter named Hakk-R, and before his escape, he downloads the names of the other witnesses from Honeycutt's database. This sends the turtles on a quest to Dimension X.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Tentacles!

While this is just a teaser leading to TMNT #73 and TMNT: Dimension X, it's short, sweet, and fun. It does make you want to dig into more of the story on Krang's capture and the crimes that led to it as well as the upcoming hunt for Hakk-R.

The artwork by Cory Smith has a modern/classic hybrid feel to it, and his cover is beautiful. The colors by Ronda Pattison keep the sewer dark and the characters light, making an eye catching contrast. I enjoyed this fun little battle, and I think it'll be a great way to get younger kids into the pizza loving mutants.

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Comic Book Review: TMNT: Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything

Written by Dustin Weaver and Ben Bates
Art by Scott Campbell, Dustin Weaver, Ben Bates and Giannis Milogiannis
Colors by Bill Crabtree & Sophie Campbell

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are in a museum after hours because Donatello wanted to show the others two sets of fossilized bones that resemble two very familiar foes.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would.  There's tons of crazy action and the one liners go on throughout but there's a lot more going on in this story.  Time travel and plenty of foreshadowing to keep you wondering where the story is going to go next.  The title leads you to believe this is basically a Bebop and Rocksteady story but the turtles are heavily involved.

This book was a lot more violent than I thought it might be.  I was pretty impressed that it read as fun as it did but then you would see dead bodies and our two big villains riddled with bullet holes.

The art looked very good in this book.  It was a shared effort and you could see the differences when flipping the pages.  It made for an interesting look.

TMNT: Bebop and Rocksteady came to me in the Comic Block subscription box service.  Check out the awesome exclusive cover.  You can read my Comic Block reviews on HelloSubscription.com.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows - Box Office Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is certainly not like its predecessor “TMNT2 Secret of the Ooze” from 1991. It does have some of the same characters but that’s about where the similarities ended for me. I didn’t see the first film of this new franchise in theaters but I did enjoy it as a rental. It had some fun moments that were surprising and so I decided to make my way to a theater to see the sequel. So let’s dive in and take a look at my thoughts on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows”…

First, the characters in this film were paint by numbers. They even go so far as to state which character portrays which attribute (brain, heart, muscle, etc.) in blatant plain language towards the end of the film, and kinda in the second act as the tension builds. The two main villains were poorly written also. The fact certain events take place towards the end of the third act were no surprise. However, a younger viewer who is just getting into film or these characters might have felt some surprise and for them I hope it worked. People should be excited to see certain films and I feel this movie was targeted toward a younger audience and I hope they enjoyed it. Personally it felt very predictable, but again this film wasn’t made for someone like me. So with that in mind I hope it does work well for the targeted audience. I grew up on the Ninja Turtles and because of that I want these films to succeed because I love these characters.

Bebop and Rocksteady… I was as annoyed with these two as I was with the “Twins” in Transformers. These two were so obnoxious and annoying. They weren’t henchman. They were over talkative, ignorant blow hards. It was almost unbearable to hear them speak throughout the film. Complete trash and a waste of screen time. Now, Stephen Amell on the other hand was a breath of fresh air. Sure, he was definitely not the Casey Jones I grew up watching or reading in comics. All that aside, I enjoyed the new take on his character. A down on his luck cop who just wants to be a detective but (cliche city) his superiors didn’t believe him and suspended him. Again, this is not a well written film but it was entertaining. Also, Stephen Amells interactions with the turtles was fun and humorous. They goofed with his character in a similar way you’d see brothers teasing the youngest, more innocent and naive sibling. It was entertaining and comical. I did have a few laughs watching those scenes. 

Megan Fox and Will Arnett were exactly who they were in the first film with a slight twist because of what occurred in the first film. Will is as funny as you’d expect and Megan is as hot as we’ve come to enjoy. The only “sexy” scene she has is in the trailers and because of that, you don’t necessarily need to see this film if you’re looking for multiple sexy Fox scenes. She is who she is and her character isn’t distracting or insufferable. 

Krang was a fun villain. I was not sure what to expect being that we’ve never seen his character in live action before. I enjoyed the fact that his plan was to bring the Technodrome to earth because that was a fantastic toy to play with as a kid. However, that story was short lived and the film ends EXACTLY the same as the first story. Which was such a bummer! I was so disappointed. Honestly, the film wasn’t great but the fact the endings were the same really didn’t speak well for the franchise. 

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” is in theaters now! If you’re into the Turtles and special effect films this is a fun one to see on the big screen. If you want a good story with exciting dialogue and three dimensional characters avoid this film like the plague. The end battle scene is a visual treat so for that reason alone I’d recommend a big screen viewing but overall the movie isn’t that great. If you’ve got a home theater system that you really enjoy you’d probably enjoy this more on VOD or Redbox.

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Comic Book Review: Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 - DC Comics / IDW Publishing

Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Freddie E. Williams II

Expensive equipment is being stolen from laboratories all throughout Gotham.  Batman doesn't seem to know who is responsible but feels there may be someone new in town.  Conversely, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are in Gotham City making attempts at stopping the dreaded FOOT Clan from stealing equipment and hurting people in laboratories.  It seems Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a similar plan, but they don't know each other so what happens when they meet face to face?

I received this first issue of the six part mini-series in the Comic Block Subscription Box(click here to read my review of the entire box!).  I thought this sounded like a fun crossover but was initially not going to purchase the book.  This first issue was more about giving us a reason that these characters would meet each other and giving a bit of each seeing a piece of the other's world.  I have to admit, seeing TMNT vs one of Batman's villains is kind of cool.

I'm curious to find out where this mini series is heading.  Six issues is a fairly decent amount of time to develop a decent story line.  James Tynion IV has me confident that this could turn into something fun.

I like how Freddie E. Williams II draws the Ninja Turtles.  The action shots look great and I am looking forward to seeing more.  I'm not as sold on the Batmobile but then again, everyone has their own preferences about the coolest vehicle in comics.

What are your thoughts on Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?  What books do you think Maskerpiece Theatre should review next?  Please leave your comments below.

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Drawn Out - Post-It Note Sketching

Even if I'm not at my computer doing digital artwork or at my drawing table with comic book art boards I still find myself sketching.  I'll draw a couple lines, then draw some shapes and before you know it; Batman is on the page.

I have some Post-It notes at my desk and sometimes I get to work a little early or I may be on hold on the phone a long time so I just start sketching.  I decided to share some of those sketches of what I do with a Post-It note and a Uni-Ball Signa 0.7mm pen.  

I drew up my version of the Reverse Flash(or is it Professor Zoom?).  This one I also included coloring with a hi-liter pen from Office Max.  

Next up is Superman.  For some reason I find myself having more difficulty drawing the Man of Steel more than any other hero.  I am finding that less is more when it comes to details in the face.

I've always liked the look of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  They're all a ton of fun to draw and definitely a go to for me.

Blasto the Clown is from the warped minds here at Abnormal Entertainment.  Based on a character that was supposed to appear in a fart fetish video, Blasto has taken on a life of his own in the world of digital comics.  An unlikely hero, Blasto is great to draw, no matter what mood I'm in.

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Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  Is there anything you want to see?

Thanks for reading and looking.