4 out of 5
Collects a first batch of strips from the 2013 Panini magazine which were based on the 2012 CG animated version of the TMNT.
The strips themselves are… y’know, okay. They’re wholly one-shot distractions that do an enemy-per-strip – which are either 6- or 12-page installment – and end with a pun, equating them to an Archie Comics vibe, meaning like actual Archie and not the TMNTA books Archie Comics printed, just in case y’all are getting confused over here.
I mean, I could equate it to the Welsh mag, but that style of Turtles was more in line with some of the early TMNTA stuff, which is a different vibe. Anyway, we’re not here to talk about all that: see the Panini review itself for that; we’re here to rate the quality of this trade. Which is… y’know, pretty good!
Some minor gripes would be that it’s an odd assortment – strips from issues 2-13 and 15 (i.e. why not just 1-12?) – but then again, there’s 0 continuity here so I guess who cares; and in my copy, at least a few pages the print feels a little blurry. On the flipside, the source magazine felt fairly cheap, whereas this collection gets pretty good paper stock – better than the mag! – a unique cover image, and even some legit extras in the form of sketches and pre-color inks. The binding is a little tight (cracking this open will probably equal loosened pages) but it gives the trade a substantial feel, like it could withstand kids toting it around. And some quality of life stuff I appreciate: page numbers, and full credits up front while still printing the individual credits per story as well.
One indirect addition: having the strips back to back allows me to really appreciate what the writers and artists individually brought to the table, as reading them one by one I shrugged at most of this as competent, but stuck with doing a house style and tone. Which isn’t untrue, but again, being able to directly compare the creatives shows the nuance: Jack Lawrence’s art is so lively and detailed throughout, while we get to witness Cosmo White reign in a loose but somewhat undirected style into some prime cartooning by the end. And on the scripting front, Landry Walker delivers some legitimately funny (and out there!) scripts, though respect to Ed Caruna for keeping things running on track for the majority of the included chapters.
