Originally published in: Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #35
Publication date: June, 2007
Script: Will Tupper
Art: Diego Jourdan
Letters: Erik Swanson
“Secret Spirit”
Summary:
Down in the sewer lair, Leo is practicing weapons
sparring with his brothers. As his
brothers begrudgingly go through their exercises at his behest, Leo reflects on
just why he’s such a dedicated hardass.
He remembers back when he was younger and how Splinter
tried to teach him a lesson in art; a lesson he didn’t understand at the
time. However, many years later, he
finally gets what Splinter was trying to teach him. Leo throws himself into training and the single-minded
pursuit of perfection not because he’s the older brother and “protector” of the
family (though that IS a factor). He
dedicates himself to training and discipline because he considers it “fun”.
Just as an artist loses themselves in their craft, Leo
likewise loses himself in his training.
He gets a thrill whenever his hard work and sacrifice pays off and he
can experience the fruits of his labors.
Leo keeps this fact a secret from his family, as he feels it might
undermine his perceived image as the tight-laced leader who takes the world on
his shoulders.
Finishing the exercise, Leo tells his brothers that they’re
going to do it again. The other Turtles
whine, but Leo isn’t having it. In
reality, he just wants to share his “art” with his brothers and maybe get them
to experience the same thrill that he does.
Of course, he can never *tell* them that, so for now, his motivation
shall remain a secret.
Turtle Tips:
*Chronologically, this one is difficult to place. As the Turtles are shown living in the
sewers, there are a few points in the timeline where it can go. However, since Leo illustrates a sense of wisdom and no longer considers himself “young”, I would personally place it in
the Mirage “Vol. 3” era.
*This is part of a series of character-themed back-ups by
Tupper, the others being “The Mother of All Anger”, “Fathers and Daughters”,
“Practical Jokes”, “Credo” and "Conflict Resolution".
Review:
Leonardo is a tough nut to crack, being the “Cyclops” of
the group and all. It’s a role that requires a
martyr personality, in a way, as it’s a job SOMEBODY has to do even though it
means everyone will find you boring and no kid will want to be your character on the
playground during recess. Leo is that
character; the buzzkill, milquetoast, no-nonsense leader archetype who spends
his free time going over battle strategies and whenever anybody else starts
to have fun or do something interesting, rest assured he’ll be there to tell
them to “Knock it off! This is serious
business, mister!”
It’s a vital role, but man, it’s got to suck.
Tupper fights that uphill battle with Leo’s installment
in his character-themed vignettes, trying to get to the root of Leo’s
dullsville syndrome. The answer Tupper
comes up with is one that, like Leonardo-himself, isn’t very interesting. The end epiphany isn’t that Leo trains like
he’s got a katana up his ass just because he feels a crushing sense of
responsibility, but also because he thinks it’s fun. Well, yippee.
The better revelation that Tupper made, at least from my perspective,
was also the one he glossed over haphazardly toward the beginning of the
vignette and spent little time cultivating; that Leo regards self-improvement
and the search for perfection as an art.
This is his passion, this is his hobby, this is what he WANTS to do with
his life. Like any artist, be they a
painter, an author or a sculptor, his passion consumes him and no matter what he
accomplishes, he’s perpetually motivated by the sensation that he “can do better
next time”. Of course, his brothers don’t
exactly share in that same burning obsession, which makes sharing in his art a bit
of a pain for them.
The writing style for this vignette is highly
stream-of-consciousness, as Leo leaps from one thought to another and dwells on
his contemplations for only the briefest of moments. It’s an interesting approach, but it makes
Leo’s thoughts seem scattered and disorganized.
It lends a quality of a genuine inner monologue to Leo, as we so rarely
think linearly when reflecting on something, but it also makes reading those
thoughts akin to navigating a confusing maze. And at 8 pages, it’s one of Tupper’s
longest vignettes. The conclusion about
Leo’s “secret” is fairly humdrum and not only does the story take a jumbled
approach to reaching that conclusion, but it takes nearly twice as long as it
needs to get there.
Artist Diego Jourdan uses a lot of exaggerated
expressions to try and wring some humor from the intentionally bland
script. As the contemplation is occurring
within the sanctity of Leo’s mind, the scenarios he concocts are strictly
imaginary; a quality Jourdan exploits for fun.
As Leo asks a series of insipid questions to himself, the other Turtles
and Splinter all shrug their shoulders and make uncertain faces. When he compares his “big brother” status as
to being like the head of a Mafia family, he envisions all the Turtles in
Italian suits. Jourdan has fun with
these visuals, so even though the script is a ponderous thing, the art strives
to lighten the mood.
While I wouldn't say I dislike “Secret Spirit”, I don’t
think it was as successful in getting into the head of its target as Tupper’s
other vignettes. We really don’t learn
anything fresh about Leo or his philosophy and the end result, whether intended
or otherwise, is that the Turtle is exactly as boring as we’ve always suspected
him to be.
Grade: C- (as in, “C’mon, Leo. Even your secrets are boring. Oh, so you like to have FUN!? Shhhh!
Don’t let anybody else find out!”)
