Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles : Micro-Series

Hello, fellow turtle fans!

You might have wondered why I never touched on the TMNT micro-series. Well, my comic book shop took a while to track down the issue that I was missing. So without further ado...

Issue #1: Raphael

First of all, allow me to say just how awesome and beautiful the artwork in this particular issue is. The smooth lines as well as the use of light and shadows truly make this issue a work of art. In certain panels, Raph (as well as the other characters) looks like he could almost walk right out of the pages. Simply put, it is very, VERY well done.

The story itself is also very well written and keeps you reading until the end.

In this issue, we see the budding camaraderie between Raph and Casey continuing to grow. The story starts off simple enough...

Raphael and Casey are out on a nightly patrol, just the two of them. But we start seeing a side of Casey that we normally don't get to see all that often (we saw a little bit of it in the CGI film, but it was cut short when Raph fell asleep), and that is a genuine vulnerability. This vulnerability stems from his desire to feel as though he belonged to part of a real family. If you've been reading the main issues, you'll understand the reason behind this. If you haven't read the main issues, it's because his mother is dead and he lives with his abusive father (again, if you haven't been reading the main comic book, Casey and April are in their late teens/early twenties, so this particular plot-point is more relevent than in the original comic books).

During the course of the comic, we are introduced to a new mutant--an arctic fox by the name of Alopex--but Raph determines early on that she is not what she seems. Also making an appearance (and you old-school fans will get a kick out of this...I know I did) are the human Bebop and Rocksteady, and they make reference to their upcoming mutations by the end of the issue.

A promise of things to come.

By the end of the issue we are presented with none other than Shredder's shadow, so we are left with a feeling of near impending doom and anticipation for what is to come in the story of the main comic book. All in all, I was very pleased with the overall presentation of the book.

Issue #2: Michelangelo

Okay, I'm not going to lie...

While I found the story itself to be enjoyable and entertaining, I just did not like the style in which this issue was drawn.

Now, I understand that with comic books in general, but mostly with a micro-series like this one (in which each issue focuses on a different team member) that artists are often switched around. It's simply the way things work, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

However, my dislike of the artistic style was not enough to deter me from reading the issue. As I said earlier, the story itself was enjoyable and entertaining so I was able to look beyond what irked me and simply shrug it off.

Unlike with the Raphael issue, the story behind this particular arc is more of a one-shot plot and does not contribute directly to the plot of the main comic book issues. Rather, this issue focuses on Mikey and his yearnings to have a night out like a regular guy. A costume party at a museum presents the opportunity for him, and he seizes it with the type of gusto and humor of which only Mikey is capable. However, it doesn't take long before Mikey's "costume" is mistaken for someone else, and he becomes swept up in a jewel heist.

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time!

Fortunately, Mikey manages to fall back on his outside-the-box thinking and improvise his way into solving the problem without any casualties.

My dislike of the artistic style aside, this issue is still a good addition not only to my ever-growing collection of Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtle comic books, but also to the comic book collection of any turtles fan.

What does all of this translate to in the grand scheme of things? What is the bedrock of my point?

Buy the issue and add it to your collection if you haven't already ;)

Issue #3: Donatello

I LOVED this issue from start to finish right across the board (and no, I'm not just saying that because Donnie is my favorite). If you might recall, I also loved Raphael's issue all across the board.

From the artwork to the actual story, this issue was a complete and total win for me.

Donnie (as well as his brothers when they graced the pages) was simply all kinds of adorable from his facial expressions, to his internal monologues, to his attempts to find ways of bonding with his brothers. Leo at the very least makes more of an effort unlike Mikey and Raph by trying to understand the concept of MMORPGs.

I could relate to this only too well, as I'm sure other MMO gamers can as well. MMOs are not easy to explain to "muggles", lol.

As with Mikey's issue, this 3rd installment in the micro-series revolves around Donnie wanting to have a moment of feeling normal. He does this by donning the disguise so often used by the turtles in their previous incarnations (a trench coat and fedora) and attending a science convention.

Like Mikey, Donnie finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Only in this instance, he comes up against none other than Baxter Stockman in his plot to steal DNA from whichever turtle he happens to find first.

A promise of things to come in the story of the main comic book?

Only time will tell!

Perhaps more will be revealed in the upcoming Leonardo issue.

Nerd up! ;)