Originally published in: TMNT New Animated Adventures #10
Publication date: April 23, 2014
Story: Landry Q. Walker
Art: Chad Thomas
Colors: Heather Breckel
Letters: Shawn Lee
Edits: Bobby Curnow
“Mikey’s Map”
Summary:
In the Shellraiser, Mikey is acting as navigator, telling
Leo to make all sorts of hairpin turns.
Leo wants to know what the emergency is, but Mikey insists there’s no
time.
As they careen through the city, the Turtles
inadvertently foil a Purple Dragon robbery, bust up a Kraang research operation
and spoil Rahzar’s ice cream cone.
Eventually, they arrive at their emergency destination:
Gino’s Pizza. Mikey insists that they
needed to make it there before they close, as they’re The Best Pizza in the
World (according to the restaurant’s website, anyway). Sadly, they arrived too late and the joint
closes. The Turtles promptly leaves
Mikey behind with only his shredded map and navigation skills to guide him
home.
Turtle Tips:
*This story is continued from “Love Bytez”. The story continues in TMNT New Animated Adventures #11.
*Dogpund was double-mutated into Rahzar in the season 2
episode “Mikey Gets Shellacne”.
Review:
Landry Walker, better known for writing the shorter form
comedy relief strips over in Panini’s Nickelodeon TMNT magazine for UK markets,
makes his debut on IDW’s TMNT New Animated Adventures. “Mikey’s Map” is very much in the same mold
as the UK comedy strips, forgoing logic and dignity in the name of humor. And as a back-up strip to the main
action-adventure story, that’s perfectly fine.
Walker seems to get a kick out of writing for Mikey, as
he’s the Turtle most often spotlighted in Walker’s stories. He has a good handle on Mikey’s
characterization, even if it’s the “brainless fuckup” take on the character
(but again, these are comedy relief shorts, so that’s to be expected). Rahzar makes his first appearance in IDW’s
comic and it’s not exactly his most ferocious outing. It makes for a cute visual, though.
There’s no sense in over-thinking or over-critiquing these
humor strips; they’re fun for what they are and I’m glad to have them.
Grade: N/A (as in, “Now was that a mint chocolate chip or
pistachio cone? Because if it was the
former, I can completely understand Rahzar’s rage. If it was the latter, then I think the Turtles
did him a favor”.)
