Daydream

Originally published in: TMNT Magazine (Panini) #4

Publication date: July 25 - August 21, 2013

Script: Landry Walker

Script Editor: Ed Caruana

Art: Cosmo White

Colours: Jason Cardy

Colour assist: James Stayte

Letters: Alex Foot

“Daydream”

Summary:

Having just enjoyed a wonderful dream, Michelangelo relates the story to his brothers.  He tells them that in his dream, a pelican martial arts master taught him a powerful new special move (before being taken away by the King of Dinosaurs on his flying saucer).  The other Turtles tell Mikey now is not the time to be talking about dreams… as they’re currently on a rooftop battling Dogpound and a horde of Foot Soldiers.

Mikey is undeterred and insists that the special move the pelican taught him in his dream could save the day.  Dogpound promptly hammers Mikey into the concrete.  Leo tells everyone to focus and charge Dogpound all at once.  Dogpound easily trounces the other three Turtles.

That’s when Mikey strikes with The Kick of the Pelican… the move he learned in his dream.  The powerful kick sends Dogpound flying backward, knocking over the entire unit of Foot Soldiers.

The fight over, the Turtles ask Mikey where he learned that sweet kick.  He reminds them for the millionth time that it was in a dream.  In fact, he begins lecturing them that they should pay more attention to their dreams; they might learn something.  Raph tells Mikey he actually learned a sweet move in one of his own dreams, recently: The Fist of the Turtle.  Mikey is impressed and asks him to demonstrate.  Raph does so by cramming Mikey headfirst into an airduct.

Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT Magazine (Panini) #3.  The next story in publication sequence is “Taken”.

*Michelangelo's next silly dream will occur in "Meet the Dream King".

Review:

Dogpound finally shows up in a Nick TMNT comic (as of right now, he STILL hasn’t appeared in the IDW TMNT New Animated Adventures series).  Unfortunately, he’s kind of reduced to a poor man’s Bebop and/or Rocksteady, getting humorously clobbered by Michelangelo of all characters.  Of course, this was just a 6-page comedy strip, so it’s to be expected.

“Daydream” is probably the lesser of the two short strips published in Nickelodeon TMNT #4, at least so far as the story and punchline are concerned.  In terms of art, though, it’s the clear winner.  All the Panini artists thus far have been good and have a consistency between them I appreciate, but looking at them more thoroughly, some really do prove to be better than others. 

Cosmo White does a great job on this strip, particularly when it comes to character expressions.  While I don’t much care for the “Mikey with his tongue hanging out” thing that for some reason won’t fucking go away, the characters are all heavily emotive.  Their faces might prove a bit too malleable for some, but I really like heavily expressive art so long as it doesn’t make its strokes too broad.  Nice layouts, too; the splash page covering the Pelican Kick was nicely done.

Grade: C (as in, “Could the Turtles actually call the police after defeating the mutants and Foot Soldiers for a change instead of just walking away and getting a pizza?  It might help them out in the long run”)