Awesome Turtle Picture #39

Here's something very rare that was only just recently shared publicly.

TMNT art collector "Metropoliskid41" acquired these pages from artist Gordon Purcell and was kind enough to post them on The Technodrome Forums and give me permission to repost them here.

These are pages 9 and 10 of Image's TMNT Volume 3 #12:

You might be wondering why there are pages of TMNT Vol. 3 #12 drawn by anybody other than Frank Fosco.

As Purcell explained, his work at Topps (on The X-Files) got him noticed by Erik Larsen at Image Comics.  Larsen asked him to do a sample submission based on 2-pages of a completed script by Gary Carlson for TMNT #12.  Evidently, the idea was that if Fosco ever fell behind on his work and a fill-in artist was needed, Purcell would be up for the job.  (And if you're wondering about the DC Comics logo, Purcell reused some paper he had with DC letterhead on them leftover from his work on Star Trek.)

As we all know, Fosco got his pages in on time and drew the entire 23-issue series.  As such, there never came a need for a fill-in artist and these pages promptly went into Purcell's files as he moved on to numerous other projects in the comics industry.

For comparison's sake, here are Fosco's pages 9 and 10 from TMNT #12:

Both wound up looking very good.  I do kind of wonder if there'd have been enough room on Purcell's pages for all the lettering, though.  In the end, you can see the similarities on how both artists interpreted the same script and where they deviated in their visuals.  I rather like how Purcell overlaid the panels on page 9 atop the outer space background rather than confining the establishing shot to its own panel as Fosco did.

Anyway, thanks once again go to Metropoliskid41 of The Technodrome Forums for sharing these with us, as we'd have never even known they existed, otherwise.

Christmas Past

Originally published in: Online exclusive, then in TMNT (Vol. 3) #25
Publication date: September 9, 2010 (online), February-March 2012 (TMNT #25)

Story: Andrew Modeen
Art: Dan Berger
Letters: Adam O. Pruett

“Christmas Past”

Summary:

In Earth’s post-apocalyptic future, it is Christmas and an adult Shadow Jones finishes slaying a trio of old mobsters. She thinks to herself how, for the longest time, she didn’t want to believe that her biological father was murdered mobster Albert Puzorelli. However, when she lost everything, old family debts were all she had left to keep going, and so she made it a priority to kill those who killed her father. Reflecting on the date, she thinks back to the Christmas after she was rescued by Michelangelo from her biological grandfather, Tony Puzorelli…



In a mausoleum in Westwood cemetery, Raph (wearing his Shredder helmet) paces around anxiously, wondering when Don would be back with their Christmas tree. Leo tells him to relax and take off that stupid helmet before the rest of the family arrives. Suddenly, cyborg Don comes running down the stairs with a less-than-stellar-looking tree in tow. April, Casey, Shadow, Mikey and Splinter come in to join the festivities, as Don transforms his hands into buzz saws and trims the tree (Leo says he’d lend a hand, but he’s currently missing one). As the young Shadow gives her uncle Don a big hug, everyone enjoys a Merry Christmas.

The memory over, Shadow vows to never forget what she has learned from her journey through life, no matter what said journey has taken from her.


Turtle Tips:

*According to the editor’s note, this story takes place shortly after TMNT (Vol. 3) #19, but the narrative between TMNT #19 through #21 is simply too tight to allow for this story to take place. Conceivably, it could take place between TMNT #21 and #22, assuming Raph returned to the Lair to celebrate Christmas, then returned to Foot HQ for his battle with Pimiko. It cannot take place before #19, as Leo loses his hand in #18 and that issue ends with the Mausoleum Lair being invaded by government spooks. It cannot take place after #22, as Raph had been deposed as Shredder by then.

*Shadow’s future will be explored more in-depth in Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #69.

*Mike rescued Shadow from Tony Puzorelli in TMNT (Vol. 3) #8.

*Raph offers to trim the tree with butterfly knives, as he did in Leonardo (microseries) #1.

*This story was originally published online at the Technodrome Forums by Andrew Modeen in September of 2010. It did not make its in-print publication until 2012.


Review:

Although author Andrew Modeen had made this story available online a few years ago, I wanted to wait until it finally saw print before reviewing it.

Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #69 was one of the best Turtle stories ever written (the only reason it didn’t make my list of “25 Greatest TMNT Moments” was because it was published after I wrote that article), so seeing artist Dan Berger draw a 2-page callback to that story was a pleasant surprise. The future pretty much sucks for Shadow and she’s left so directionless that she’s no purpose in life but to avenge the death of a scumbag father she never even knew. It can be hard to imagine her future being painted any bleaker than in “Dark Shadows”, but Andrew Modeen finds a way.

Still, there’s a faint glimmer of hope toward the end, as Shadow contemplates that despite everything she has lost throughout her life (and by “everything”, I mean everything), she still has her memories of better days and what she learned from those life lessons, and that can never be taken from her. Hey, silver linings: you seize them wherever you can find them.

As a callback to Image’s TMNT Volume 3 series, the story both does and doesn’t work. Much like how the Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #46 story, “Temps” was a good issue that attempted to wedge itself into a narrative with no room for it (“City at War”), “Christmas Past” is a good back-up that tries to wedge itself into a heavily serialized volume that offers nearly no narrative gaps where it can slot in. So like “Temps”, when you take the story completely on its own, it has a lot of heart (for 2 pages) and is a nice piece. But if you try to think about it any deeper, at least regarding chronology, you hit some speed bumps. Between #21 and #22 is the only place I could find where it can be squeezed, but it relies on Raph doing something counterintuitive to the narrative flow of the story (much like “Temps” requires April to return to New York for an afternoon, then go back to California, THEN make her triumphant return to New York a few issues later).

Still, as a follow-up to Berger’s “Dark Shadows”, it paints an even more dismal picture of Shadow’s future and I think that’s the half of this story that’s most important (really, the Volume 3 Turtles could have been swapped out with the Turtles from any other point in their timeline and as long as the theme of “a wonderful Christmas” was still present, it wouldn’t have mattered). I appreciate Modeen writing it and Berger taking the time to draw it (he’s one of my favorites). And thanks to Adam Pruett for lettering it, too!

Grade: C+ (as in, “Cyborg-Don looks almost not-terrible when Berger draws him!”)

TMNT (Vol. 3) #25

Published by: Independently published by Andrew Modeen (unofficial publication)
Publication date: February-March, 2012

Writer: Andrew Modeen
Pencils/inks: Arseniy Dubakov
Pencils (pg 6, 26, 46, cover): Frank Fosco
Pencils/inks (pg 48-49): A.C. Farley
Cover inks: Kevin Eastman
Notes: Gary Carlson
Lettering/production: Adam O. Pruett
Additional plot/edits: Ross May
Tones: David Seltzer with Red Herring Color (Nick Rodgers, Kenny Madrid, Jay Stiverson, Amanda Sims)
Cover colors: Courtland Brugger
Special thanks: Mark Pellegrini

Summary:

In his secret lab, Donatello wakes to the sight of Baxter Stockman hovering above him, inserting cables and tubes into his body. As it happens, Don’s natural immune system is rejecting the cybernetic parts and if they remain, he will die. Stockman is using his own cyborg body as “life support” for Don while he siphons off the nanite-infused liquid metal. As it happens, though, as the nanites recede, Don’s own mutagen-enhanced healing factor is now able to progress unimpeded. His shell has already grown back and he’s gradually returning to normal.



At the mausoleum, Leo, Raph, Mikey, Splinter, Dr. X and Pimiko have survived the explosion set by the Lady Shredder, Cheng and the Foot. As they escape through the streets and into the sewers, a Shredder Elite sees them and alerts Lady Shredder. In the tunnels below, Leo sends Splinter to hide and protect Dr. X while he, his brothers and Pimiko stand their ground against the final assault.

At the Jones apartment, Casey is icing his head from the beating he took at the bank when his check bounced and he pitched a fit. April soothes him, assuring him that they’ll make ends meet and he’ll find another job. They’ll just have to save up a little bit longer for their wedding. Shadow awakens from bed and comes to see her parents, having had a bad dream about Uncle Mikey.

In the sewers, the battle begins. Hordes of Foot Soldiers fill the tunnels and overwhelm the Turtles. Leo orders everyone to retreat back to their original Lair. Meanwhile, Cheng unloads his “surprise” from the back of a van at the behest of the Lady Shredder.

Don comes to once again in his lab and finds that he is rid of nearly all traces of the liquid metal, which Baxter has absorbed and used to repair himself. Don resigns himself to the fact that Baxter will now be able to escape, but such isn’t the case. Only being a brain, there wasn’t enough organic matter for the liquid metal to bond with and Baxter crumbles back to his previously dismantled state. Baxter thanks Don for the fun, anyway, and asks that after he puts him back up on his shelf… he give April his regards. Don leaves with a suspicious look on his face as Baxter laughs maniacally.



In the sewers, Cheng’s surprises reveal themselves: the two surviving mutant Shredder clones the Turtles thought they killed years ago. The clawed Shredder clone and the midget Shredder clone, fully healed, attack. Cheng is pleased with his work, certain that by perfecting Mashima’s mystic worms, he’ll be able to create whole armies of the creatures. There’s another surprise on the way, though, as King Komodo returns amidst the chaos to finish Leo off. King Komodo kills the clawed Shredder clone so that he can have an unobstructed match with his one-handed foe.

Cheng and the Lady Shredder finally enter the fray, with Cheng leading a pair of Foot Mystics in mystically enhancing their army’s strength. Lady Shredder prepares to take Raph off guard when Pimiko intervenes. Raph confronts Cheng as Leo continues his battle with King Komodo and Mikey takes on the midget Shredder clone. With all the extra Foot Soldiers around, things look bad until Don returns to lend a hand. Grabbing a staff from one of the Foot, he offers to give explanations later and proceeds to fight by his brothers’ side. In the battle, King Komodo bites off Leo’s prosthetic stub-blade, revealing a re-grown hand beneath. Komodo is perplexed and Leo uses the distraction to decapitate the monster. Taking a cue from his brother, Mikey wraps his nunchaku chain around the midget Shredder clone’s neck and squeezes until the creature’s head pops off. Meanwhile, Raph kills the two Foot Mystics with shuriken and stabs Cheng with his sai. Raph believes that by killing Cheng, his astral tether to Splinter is now severed. While that is true, Cheng assures the Turtle that he has already dealt their father a fatal spiritual blow. Angered, Raph kicks Cheng’s corpse.



Lady Shredder and Pimiko continue their duel and it becomes apparent to Lady Shredder that Pimiko is her daughter. Pimiko won’t believe it and, protecting Raph from the Lady Shredder’s gauntlet, impales her through the stomach with her katana. In the skirmish, the Lady Shredder delivers a decisive strike to Pimiko as well, piercing her stomach with her gauntlet. As they both lay dying, they remove their masks and the truth is revealed. Lady Shredder, Tang Amaya, tells Pimiko that she left her with Warlord Komodo in the hopes of sparing her the life of an assassin and is truly saddened to see that her daughter could not escape her fate. Even sadder, she regrets that she was unable to avenge her sister, Tang Shen, or her beloved, Oroku Saki. Hearing this, Splinter exits from the Lair and places his hand on Tang Amaya’s head. He shows her the death of Tang Shen as he saw it through his own eyes (as a normal rat) and Amaya finally knows what really happened. With her final breath, she curses Oroku Saki and tells Pimiko she loves her. Pimiko attempts to tell Raph something important, but her life gives out and she dies, too. Removing his bandana, Raph cries through both now-healed eyes.

Their leader dead, the surviving Foot Soldiers retreat into the darkness. Only the last surviving Shredder Elite remains. He approaches the Turtles and, cursing them, pulls out his katana and commits seppuku. With the circle of blood that has plagued them and the Oroku family finally complete, Splinter tells them that the feud that has lasted their whole lives is over.



The next day, Karai arrives in New York via helicopter. As it happens, her whole “disgrace” was nothing but a ruse to weed out the last remaining Shredder-loyalist dissenters amongst the New York branch of the Foot. She addresses the two shamed heads of the branch and the surviving Foot Soldiers: The need for a “Shredder” is over, the Council of Five from the Japanese branch has her back and she is now in complete control.

In New York harbor, Leo and Raph cremate Pimiko’s body on a funeral pyre as they did her father many years ago, though they wish her peace in the afterlife. Confidentially, Raph tells Leo that he sort of had a thing for Pimiko; a real thing, not like the “romance” Leo and the others chided him about having with his friend Lucindra. Leo understands and, also confidentially, tells Raph that he and Radical have been seeing each other, lately. On that romantic note, April and Casey deliver Mikey the good news: his novel “A Rose Amongst Thorns” has gone for a third printing and is a best seller. Mikey’s muse, Horridus, stops by to visit and Mikey can’t wait to share it with her. Horridus, though, reveals that she’s developed a thing for Dragon and that she’s staying with him, now. Heartbroken, Mikey throws his typewriter across the room in a fit of rage.

Later, the Turtles, Splinter and Dr. X reconvene at the Lair, where Don finishes picking the last of the liquid metal from his skin. Suddenly, Leatherhead arrives through the transmat to complete his task; sending Dr. X back to the Utrom Homeworld for a debriefing. Dr. X is surprised that her assessment of the transmat’s functionality was incorrect (while Leatherhead is surprised to learn that Dr. X is actually female) and bids her friends a fond farewell (Leatherhead opts to stay on Earth).

At Puzorelli’s apartment, the mob boss finds the severed head of his nephew, Joey, on his bed along with a terrible message on his answering machine: the Foot Clan has rallied and are aggressively taking the city back from the mob. Even worse, the assassin Razorback is rumored to be back in town. Puzorelli pours a drink and considers that, in the end, it is better off that Shadow is with a family that can keep her away from the mob violence that has consumed his life and murdered his family. Right on cue, several Foot Soldiers invade his apartment and assassinate him.

With all the insanity of the past year finally behind them, the Turtles and Splinter take a much-needed retreat to the farm in Northampton.

On the Utrom Homeworld, Ambassadors Korobon and Klag debrief Dr. X on her extended mission to Earth. Dr. X reveals that she believes the Earthlings to be ready for “first contact”, though a few more years are necessary before they can make their move.

At the Halls of Lost Legends, Merlin talks with his pet owl, Archimedes, who wonders if the Turtles are ready to join them in the Hall. Merlin discards the notion, as the Turtles won’t be ready for quite some time.


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from TMNT (Vol. 3) #24.

*Andrew Modeen has made a digital version of the issue available for download Here.

*Donatello will revisit Baxter in TMNT (Vol. 4) #9.

*The mutant Shredder clones last appeared in TMNT (Vol. 1) #21.

*King Komodo last appeared in TMNT (Vol. 3) #18.

*Pimiko’s history with Warlord Komodo was detailed in TMNT (Vol. 3) #5.

*Cheng’s cryptic words about Splinter’s fate will come to fruition in TMNT (Vol. 4) #10.

*Karai's dishonor and missing status was first referenced in TMNT (Vol. 3) #7 and was most recently referenced in TMNT (Vol. 3) #21. Chronologically, she last appeared in Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #43.  She'll appear next in TMNT (Vol. 4) #4.

*Karai brokered the truce with the Turtles in TMNT (Vol. 1) #61.

*Raphael and Lucindra were last seen together in TMNT (Vol. 1) #44.

*Leo’s romance with Radical will be seen in greater detail in Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #41.

*Horridus last appeared in TMNT (Vol. 3) #22. Her… “relationship” with Dragon was detailed in Savage Dragon #71.

*Razorback last appeared in Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #61.

*Further tests by the Utroms regarding “first contact” will proceed in Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #42. “First contact” itself will occur in TMNT (Vol. 4) #5.

*The Turtles visited the Halls of Lost Legends in TMNT (Vol. 1) #43.

*This issue received a print run of only 135 copies in the US. 15 additional copies were printed and distributed in Russia by Dubakov. The Russian version contains a few slight variations in art, particularly page 36, where the first panel of the Elite Guard unsheathing his sword had the hands redrawn.

*This issue also contained a bonus story, “Christmas Past” by Andrew Modeen and Dan Berger, and two bonus pin-ups; “Lady Shredder vs. Pimiko” by Jim Lawson and an untitled piece by Frank Fosco.


Review:

It’s been an agonizing wait, but we finally have it: the concluding chapter to Image’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 3, which was abruptly cancelled way back in October of 1999.

Once again, author Andrew Modeen coordinates all the talents necessary to see this publication through to the end, and the talents he collects here are staggering. Original series author Gary Carlson provides notes, pointers and approval for Modeen, as does Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) author Ross May (whose stories were utilized heavily in this issue). Art-wise, Russian penciler Arseniy Dubakov provides the bulk of the work and does so admirably, with some surprise guest appearances by Frank Fosco (artist on the original Image series), A. C. Farley (original Mirage staffer), a sweet pin-up by Jim Lawson (another Mirage staffer) and cover inks by none other than Kevin Eastman-himself!

And not to undersell the rest of the team: the toning by David Seltzer and the Red Herring gang create a suitably gritty atmosphere, Courtland Brugger’s cover colors accentuate a great piece of art, and Adam O. Pruett’s letters are unobtrusive and intuitive (to say nothing of the work he put into the actual publication side of this project).

So applause all-around for everyone involved. You’ve earned it.

Story-wise, the Volume 3 conclusion project has had a dual agenda since its conception: to provide closure on the Image series, but to also tie it back into Mirage continuity (Peter Laird struck it from the record when he started Vol. 4). What’s fascinating is that stitching Vol. 3 back into the overall tapestry of Mirage continuity proved far more intuitive than it may seem. There were very few direct contradictions amongst the post-Vol. 3 Mirage publications (and even a few sideways references, like the continued presence of Dr. X in Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 issues) and all that really needed be done was a “fill in the blanks” game of sorts; getting the Turtles back to where they needed to be before Vol. 4 began.

While some lingering plot threads from the Image series have no choice but to get the short end of the stick (Mikey’s break-up with Horridus, Puzorelli’s demise), Modeen finds a way to stitch them in that still leaves them open-ended enough to complement what comes later. For example, Mikey is never again seen pursuing his dreams of being an author in Vol. 4. The reality is that though his interest in writing dates back to TMNT (Vol. 1) #17, it was a character element Laird and Eastman discarded and never cultivated. By making Mikey’s dismissal of his dreams part of an ugly break-up (evident in the great visual of him throwing his typewriter), it adds an extra layer of tragedy to his Vol. 4 stories, particularly when he takes the less ambitious job of “tour guide” for visiting alien dignitaries.

Other plot threads are sewn-up but in a way that conveniently foreshadows future events. Cheng’s time spent leeching off of Splinter’s spiritual energy will ultimately lead to the Sensei’s abrupt death in Vol. 4. Likewise, Baxter seems to give up on escaping rather nonchalantly, but his ultimate satisfaction is in knowing that he will nearly be the death of April later in Vol. 4, as well. The Jones family's money problems even foreshadow the fact that they wait many, many years to get married (April is still Casey's "girlfriend" by the time Shadow begins attending elementary school). Like I said earlier, these plot threads are tied-up, but in a manner that segues into future plots to make the transition more seamless. If you're reading everything in order, it will appear as though the later stories are referencing this series of events, further cementing its place in continuity.

The real meat of the story, though, comes in completing the Foot narrative, left ominously lingering with the original Image series’ cancellation. Whereas issue #24 was all about Tang Amaya’s complicated background, this one was all about the action. The sewer fight is a massive ordeal that spreads for page after page. It’s got Foot Soldiers, Shredder Elites, Foot Mystics, mutant Shredder clones, the Lady Shredder, a giant Komodo dragon… everything! I’d rank it among the most chaotic and thrilling fights from any Mirage TMNT comic.

The death of Tang Amaya and Pimiko was beautifully done and a fitting send-off to the two characters. What pressed upon me more, however, was that they represented the last of the Shredder’s negative influence on the Turtles via the Foot Clan. While this story acts as a “bridge” to Vol. 4, it never the less functions as a genuine “ending” in its own right, as the feud between the Turtles and the Oroku clan finally ends. While I appreciated Splinter speaking that reality at the fight’s conclusion, and Karai hammering the point home during her triumphant return from self-inflicted exile, my favorite moment of the entire issue was when the last remaining Shredder Elite commits seppuku. That wasn’t just a totally bad ass scene, but one of the most meaningful in the entire Mirage series: the last remnant of the Shredder’s influence goes out with a whimper. Absolutely perfect.

Arseniy Dubakov’s art for the issue is far more polished than his pencils for the previous installment. I think what really makes the difference here is the inking; he uses a much lighter touch this time around. There’s a better sense of line-weight so the characters don’t look so flat against the background. The thinner strokes also allow you to appreciate his line-work much more so you can see the finesse and detail. And as I said before, the entire fight scene in the sewer is an amazing marathon of insanity and carnage.

As for the guest artists; Fosco and Farley, well… How awesome was that? Fosco provides multiple splash pages, and while the “strike a pose while facing no one in particular” moment on page 6 was kind of goofy, it was goofy in a very 90s sort of way that suits this story. King Komodo’s decapitation provided some great cinematic emphasis and the “return to Northampton” splash page was thoroughly gorgeous (gotta love Klunk in the foreground). Farley’s 2-page spread, though… that just about brought a tear to my eye. “Halls of Lost Legends” was one of Mirage’s best one-shot stories and is a beautiful-looking issue. So to see him revisit that with a positively stunning two-page epilogue was truly epic. As I understand it, Farley says that this will be the last TMNT-related art he ever draws, and while it’s sad to see him leaving the characters, I can’t say he didn’t go out with a bang.

If I had any particular criticisms, I suppose I’d have to lob them in the direction of some of the gratuitous swearing. “Shit” was used in the Image comics, which is fine, but it was more the use of “fuck” that felt a bit insincere to me. I’m not a prude when it comes to expletives, but it just didn’t seem like it fit the tone of the scene it was used in (Pimiko’s funeral) and isn’t something you’d find in a Mirage/Image TMNT comic outside of “Bodycount”.

And I suppose the use of so many continuity points to construct the issue, while awesome for those of us that eat, breath and drink Ninja Turtles, is probably distracting and confusing for less-inducted fans. Of course, this was a creator-sanctioned fan-project limited to 135 copies and not really intended to be seen by anybody other than the most hardcore members of the TMNT fanbase. So I feel inclined to concede the point.

Quite honestly, I think that this entire 2-issue project is a wonderful display of the dedication and enthusiasm within the TMNT fanbase and from the people involved in making the original comics. This was a non-profit production, yet everyone involved from Erik Larsen to Gary Carlson to Frank Fosco to Andrew Modeen to Ross May to Arseniy Dubakov to Kevin Freakin’ Eastman were perfectly thrilled to do their part and see that this thing made it to the fans; at either their own expense or for no reimbursement whatsoever. The term “labor of love” gets thrown around in excess these days, but that is genuinely what this was. The passion involved in making this happen is nothing short of an inspiration.

Grade: A (as in, “And if you’re wondering why I got a special thanks, I helped out with some timeline stuff and did some research here and there”.)

Bodycount #4

Publication date: July, 1996

Pencils/inks/covers: Simon Bisley
Story/layouts: Kevin Eastman
Letters/colors: Steve Lavigne
Computer colors: Altered Earth Arts
Publisher: Erik Larsen
Jay Walking Thrill-Seeker: Josh Eichorn

“Bodycount, Part Four”

Summary:

At the “sanctuary”, Raph and Casey are stuck in the middle of a three-way gunfight between Johnny’s men, Martin’s men and Dong’s men. The thrill of letting go with machinegun fire has completely overtaken Raph’s senses and he leaves himself open to a shot from Johnny. Casey nails Johnny in the arm with a golf club, sparing Raph, but in retaliation, Johnny shoots Casey through the heart. As the firefight moves away, Raph rushes to Casey’s unconscious body.



Outside, Agent Bode’ of the FBI threatens to take command of Detective Choy’s men if he doesn’t intervene soon. Choy has his hulking brute sidekick, Hector, lay Bode’ out with a punch (snapping Bode's neck). Choy plans to let all three sides wipe each other out so that all he need do is clean up the mess.

As Johnny makes his way to Martin’s throne room, he’s met by Midnight (wearing nothing but conveniently distributed straps of elastic for some reason). Midnight tries to reason with him and explain the situation. Dong had masterminded the entire scenario in an attempt to consolidate all underworld power under his and Martin’s rule. Dong was afraid Johnny was getting too good and teamed with Detective Choy to tip-off the raid at Shakkur’s. He then fingered Midnight as the snitch and hired Johnny to kill her, knowing that the chase would lead back to the “sanctuary” where an ambush would be waiting. Martin backs Midnight’s story up, though he reveals that his part in the plan didn’t go off as intended. He wanted the “sanctuary” to be a arena where only those involved in mob matters had to fight and die, thus eliminating the deaths of innocent bystanders in gang hits.



Johnny isn’t having any of it and, throwing down his guns, agrees to fight Midnight in a sword duel in the arena. The two go at it and Midnight proves victorious, stabbing Johnny through the stomach. Johnny tells his sister he loves her and dies in her arms. Midnight returns the sentiment to her departed brother.

In another room, Casey comes to. The bullet from Johnny apparently imbedded in his lucky Wayne Gretsky hockey puck! Martin orders his men to shoot them both, but Raph gives an impromptu speech about the beauty and the ugliness of guns, that he’s now seen them both, and some other stupid shit, and the speech moves Martin to call his men off. Suddenly, an alarm on Martin’s watch goes off, reminding him that the “sanctuary” is about to explode for some dumb reason. Everyone escapes as the church detonates right in Choy’s face. Johnny’s smoking cybernetic limb lands in Choy’s lap and the detective realizes he’s screwed the whole operation up.



Outside the smoking ruins of the “sanctuary”, Casey and Midnight smooch (as Raph gags) and then agree that they aren’t right for each other, parting ways.

Back in Hong Kong, Dong is sure his plan has gone off without a hitch; that is until he receives a package from Choy containing Johnny’s limb and an apology note. Dong is not pleased.

Two days later, Casey and Raph decide it’s time to head back to New York as they buy some hotdogs from two familiar guys (Choy and Hector, who are in hiding from Dong’s men and the FBI). Raph apologizes for getting all whacked-out on gun-lust, but Casey says it’s cool. They then begin the long hitchhike home.


Turtle Tips:

*This issue is continued from Bodycount #3.

*Casey’s star-spangled hockey mask will return in TMNT (Vol. 3) #6.

*The first run of the Heavy Metal edition of the trade paperback collection contained an error in this issue; the same page is repeated twice, omitting the correct page. This error was fixed in later printings, but be wary if you plan on buying the Heavy Metal edition and check first.


Review:

The best thing about reviewing this series is the comfort in knowing I’ll never ever have to read it again. Ahhhh, peace of mind.

I think the worst thing about this finale isn’t the eye-rolling fake-out with Casey’s “death” (which was resolved so sloppily; that puck was never even mentioned as existing in a previous issue) or Raph’s idiotic “losing his mind in gun-lust” moment (which fuels an equally idiotic speech at the end of the story), but just the absolute crapload of exposition at the end during the showdown between Midnight and Johnny.

It goes on and on and on and on for TEN PAGES. You see, none of the myriad of plotlines in this miniseries were properly developed in any capacity; taking a backseat to the merry-go-round of gun-fighting. So you can tell that Eastman suddenly realized, “Oh wait, none of these arcs coalesce in the slightest. Oh well, that’s what monologues are for!” Both Midnight and Martin explain at length every nook and crany of Dong’s master scheme, with only Johnny’s “Shut up! I don’t believe you”s to punctuate their rambling. And no matter how many times I read it, the scheme that apparently fueled this entire travesty of a miniseries still refuses to make sense.

But who cares? You can kinda sorta see the edges of Midnight’s nipples. That’s good comics!

By this point in the series, you can tell that Bisley has thrown any attempt at seriousness out the window and the art becomes as surreal and wacky as an issue of MAD Magazine. Outside of the primary cast, the entire universe appears to be populated by grotesquely deformed caricatures of human beings. It certainly makes the panels interesting and adds a jovial tone I don’t think Eastman had in his script (something tells me Eastman thought he was playing this straight while Bisley knew to do otherwise). There are some cartoonish effects near the end, as cherubs nail Casey and Midnight as they smooch, too. The lunacy of this entire series would make me want to write it off as an alternate universe “comedy” piece, ala the issues of TMNT (Vol. 1) by Mark Martin or Hedden & McWeeney, but the fact that this acts as the origin for Casey’s star-spangled hockey mask from the Image series means it actually has an impact on the overal narrative of the book. An incredibly, incredibly miniscule impact.

My dislike of Bodycount is no secret, especially if you’ve read the last three reviews. It’s a very shallow book that’s amusing at best and a complete waste of money at worst. It’s little more than another excuse out of a hundred for Eastman to get an artist to draw his wife in leather straps for him, and while it isn’t as obnoxious a vanity piece as “Heavy Metal 2000” (where the two main characters were caricatures of Julie Strain and Eastman-himself), it’s still pretty transparent in its egomania.

Inexplicably, this miniseries has been collected in trade paperback twice, first by Image in 1997 and then again by Heavy Metal in 2009 (in soft and hardcover formats). Be wary if you plan to buy the Heavy Metal printing, though, as it is missing a page, repeating the same one twice by mistake.

If you’re a completionist or you really truly care how Casey got his star-spangled hockey mask, or if you’re a sucker for Simon Bisley artwork, then I suppose you should give Bodycount a go. But I wouldn’t recommend it.

Grade: F (as in, “For what it’s worth, the ‘Jesus’ gag was kinda funny”.)

Bodycount #3

Publication date: May, 1996

Pencils/inks/covers: Simon Bisley
Story/layouts: Kevin Eastman
Letters/colors: Steve Lavigne
Computer colors: Altered Earth Arts
Publisher: Erik Larsen
Villainous stooge: Josh Eichorn

“Bodycount, Part Three”

Summary:

As Johnny works his way through Club Dead, Court leads Midnight, Casey and Raph to the roof for their escape. Raph offers to cover their rear, grabbing a machinegun and losing himself in the thrill of blowing enemies away with red hot lead. With Johnny Woo ducking for cover, Raph leaps down to the ground and escapes with Court and the rest. Johnny is pissed and, after shooting down a police chopper, decides to wait for his prey at the “sanctuary”.



Detective Choy then arrives at the burning ruins of Club Dead. Horrified at Johnny’s handiwork, Choy decides to set up a stakeout at the “sanctuary” for him.

In a diner at Pittsburgh’s Lower East Side, Court comes to the conclusion that none of his goons survived since no one else has shown up at the meeting place. Leaving, Court agrees to take Midnight to see the mysterious Martin at the “sanctuary”.

In Hong Kong, mob boss Dong has a plot to finally solidify his power over the global underworld and he need only double-cross Johnny Woo Woo to do it. Dong then dispatches a unit of his men to the “sanctuary”.



At Pittsburgh’s South Side, Court pulls into an abandoned church. Ushering Midnight, Casey and Raph in through a secret door, they’re met by a nutty spiritual leader named Martin who has foreseen Midnight’s coming and her great role in events that are about to unfold. He then encourages them to arm themselves with what provisions the sanctuary has to offer. Midnight and Raph load up with guns, while Casey finds himself some hockey sticks and a star-spangled hockey mask.



Johnny and his gang finally arrive and drive their van straight through the front door. Detective Choy decides to hold off on sending his men in, as he spots Dong’s Hong Kong crew storming the church. As Johnny shoots through Martin’s thugs, he’s suddenly surrounded by Dong’s troopers. Johnny’s confused, and even more so when Raph (guns a-blazing) comes dropping down through a skylight with Casey (in full-on vigilante mode) in tow.


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from Bodycount #2. The story concludes in Bodycount #4.

*Page 1 of this issue is the same as the last page of the previous issue.

*Jason Voorhees can be spotted in the background at the Lower East Side diner.


Review:

You ever see one of those old Looney Tunes shorts where a mad scientist or a mob boss has a neon sign over his cleverly secluded joint reading “secret hideout” in big, bright, blinking letters? Well, that’s just about the only thing the “sanctuary” was missing. What good is a super secret gangster base in South Pittsburgh when even some cop from the other side of the planet knows where it is? Sheesh.

I think one of the more offensive things about this storyline is Raph’s sudden, inexplicable gun-lust. Of all the Turtles, I can see Raph as being the least hesitant to use a firearm (aside from perhaps Donatello and laser pistols, I guess), but the way the whole thing is carried out in Bodycount is preposterous. One flipper on the trigger and Raph immediately becomes a cackling, drooling, blood-thirsty maniac. It’s hard to pick out any particular moment of stupidity from this miniseries as eclipsing all the others, since “Bodycount” is four consecutive issues of nonstop stupidity, but this element stands above the rest every time I suffer through the thing.

The formula of “Johnny attacks, they run away, Johnny attacks again” continues into this third issue, though it at least leads into the final showdown that will unfold in the next chapter, so we won’t have to endure any more of that merry-go-round nonsense from this point forward. In place of it, we’re now saddled with two shallow outside groups in Choy and Dong who have been plucked out of the blue just for the sake of making the finale’s gun battle even bigger. Choy’s motivations have the benefit of actually existing, though in a manner evident only through trite exposition, “We have fought many battles Johnny Woo! Woo! But today – I end the war!” Yes, Lavigne did indeed put those exclaimation points there. Woo! Woo!

Meanwhile, Dong’s plan to gain complete global underworld control by… having his men attack his best and most loyal hitman… makes positively no sense. I do not understand why such a half-baked plot point was necessary. Oh well, it leads to more bullets and explosions, so who cares? It’s like Kevin Eastman is the Michael Bay of comic books, I swear…

If it’s any comfort, there’s only one more issue of this crap to go.

Grade: F+ (as in, “Fuck, why did I put a plus there, anyway?”)

Bodycount #2

Publication date: April, 1996

Pencils/inks/covers: Simon Bisley
Story/layouts: Kevin Eastman
Letters/colors: Steve Lavigne
Computer colors: Altered Earth Arts
Publisher: Erik Larsen
Tempermental Dolt: Josh Eichorn

“Bodycount, Part Two”

Summary:

Hiding out on a pier, Midnight explains her situation to Casey and Raph and that they must help her reach “sanctuary”. Raph is reluctant, but Casey just can’t say no to a nice big pair of… eyes. After picking up some old Halloween costumes for disguise (Casey dressed as Slash from GnR, Raph as a hobo and Midnight in a sundress and hat), they head over to a locker in Grand Central Station where Midnight has stashed some “supplies”. Johnny and his gang arrive and begin shooting up the joint. Midnight returns fire with her “supplies”, though Casey refuses to take a gun. Raph, meanwhile, grabs a grenade, stuffs it in a hotdog cart and sends it rolling toward the mobsters. The explosion gives our gold-hearted protagonists time to steal a Jeep and make their getaway.



At JFK Airport, Detective Choy arrives and demands to speak to the Mayor about Johnny Woo Woo.

Over at a gas station, Raph continues to tell Casey he doesn’t trust Midnight, while Midnight (going to the bathroom; this book gets classier and classier) feels regret for dragging the two boys into her mess. Then, surprise surprise, Johnny attacks! Again. As they escape in their Jeep, Midnight blows up the gas pump, killing most of Johnny’s henchmen. Johnny pursues in his car, but a few shots from Raph (who finds he can use a gun by breaking off the finger guards) and some well-placed grenades sends Johnny’s car flying off an overpass and onto a truck. Casey, Midnight and Raph then head for Pittsburgh.



Back in New York, Detective Choy learns from the Police Chief about the gas station explosion. Reports had Johnny stealing a truck and heading towards Philadelphia after Midnight (wait, I thought she was going to Pittsburgh?). Choy hooks up with Agent Bode’ of the FBI and gives chase.

Driving, Johnny recalls his meeting with mob boss Dong after the botched hit on Shakkur. Apparently, Dong’s son was amongst the mobsters killed when Midnight abandoned the getaway car and the police attacked. Dong believes Midnight to have been in cahoots with the law. Johnny doesn’t want to believe that Midnight set him up, but takes the hit anyway.

In either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, Midnight leads Casey and Raph to “Club Dead” for a meeting with her old friend, Courtney. Court understands Midnight’s situation and wishes to help her reach “sanctuary”, but thinks that relocating his men before Johnny Woo Woo arrives would be a good call, first.

Then guess what happens?



Johnny Woo Woo arrives and shoots everybody. Again. Midnight, Casey and Raph hear the noise, though Court’s men are certain that Johnny won’t be able to survive their barrage of bullets. Johnny not only survives, but hurls a hand grenade while he’s at it.


Turtle Tips:

*This story is continued from Bodycount #1. The story continues in Bodycount #3.

*Midnight (and the road sign) says they’re headed to Pittsburgh. Detective Choy says they’re headed to Philadelphia. So, which is it?

*Agent Bode' is named after Vaughn Bode', a favorite artist of Kevin Eastman's.


Review:

Midnight, Casey and Raph run somewhere. Johnny Woo Woo attacks and shoots everybody. Midnight, Casey and Raph escape while everyone else is liquefied. Johnny Woo Woo grits his teeth and chases them. Repeat.

That is the entire formula for this four-issue miniseries, sometimes looping through the cycle three or four times per issue. It is one of the most monotonous comics I have ever read.

Though there’s no excusing such an obnoxious formula, part of the problem comes from condensing the series from five issues to four. The cliffhangers now appear six pages before the end of the issue and the actual end consists of a rather uneventful panel that was never intended to close a book. The extra six pages also means the formula, probably meant only to cycle through twice per issue, gets a third helping, making it really, really irritating.

Bisley’s art continues to be this book’s one saving grace, with the ultra violence in the big shootout scenes being hilariously overthetop (victims seem to straight up melt with the impact of each bullet). He also nails some great expressions early in the issue, particularly on Raph as he gags at Casey’s head-over-heels reaction to Midnight. Interestingly, Bisley draws Raph with the belt buckle initial of the Fred Wolf cartoon and Archie Comics TMNT; the Turtles never had those stupid things in the Mirage comics. A bizarre little detail.

Erik Larsen’s editorial blurb and answers in the issue’s letters column seem rather contradictory, as I read them. In the opening blurb, he sings the praises of Bodycount, “This is Kevin Eastman’s baby. He took his favorite Turtle, Raphael and teamed him up with Casey Jones and the legendary talent of Simon Bisley to bring you what may very well be the best work of both their careers. To say I’m knocked out by the results is the understatement of the decade! I can’t wait to get more pages and every time I think it can’t get any better, more pages come and I’m proven wrong yet again!”

Later, a Richard Rosenbaum of Toronto, Canada, makes clear his concern with the Turtles moving to Image Comics (where they’d have their third volume published). He says, “I’m just a little concerned that moving to a major comic company like Image will let the Turtles degenerate into one of those one-battle-per-issue, no character development, X-cup women superhero books that there are already thousands of on the shelves”.

Larsen then sarcastically replies, “Oh man, degenerating the Turtles into one of those one-battle-per-issue, no character development, X-cup women superhero books was my number one priority for the book – now I’ve got to think of something else. Thanks a lot”.

Just a heads up, Larsen, but that is exactly what Bodycount, “the best work of Eastman’s and Bisley’s careers” happens to be (albeit, it has five-battles-per-issue). Are we reading the same comics, here?

Anyway, the best part of this entire issue was the advertisement for TMNT (Vol. 3) #1 that I found positively hilarious:



So there’s that.

Grade: F (as in, “For what it’s worth, this probably is the best work of Eastman’s career…”.)

Casey Jones & Raphael #1 / Bodycount #1

Originally published by: Mirage (Casey Jones & Raphael #1), Image (Bodycount #1)
Publication date: October, 1994 (Casey Jones & Raphael #1), February-March, 1996 (Bodycount #1)

Pencils/inks/covers: Simon Bisley
Story/layouts: Kevin Eastman
Letters/colors: Steve Lavigne
Computer colors: Altered Earth Arts
Publisher (Image): Erik Larsen
Stooge (Image): Josh Eichorn

“Bodycount, Part One”

Summary:

At a bar in New York City, a massive brawl has broken out amongst all the patrons. Casey Jones is in the thick of it, pitted against a rather large and imposing fellow. Outside, a distraught woman is on the run when she passes the bar and is smacked by the flying carcass of Casey, whom the big gentleman has sent hurtling through the window. After taking a few licks from the irritated female, Casey gets back up and runs back into the bar for Round Two.



The woman, named Midnight, is cornered in an alley by her pursuer: cyborg hitman Johnny Woo Woo and his gang. Apparently, Midnight and Johnny were an item back in Hong Kong, but during a botched hit on a gangster named Shakkur, Midnight was forced to ditch the getaway car when the police arrived. Made the scapegoat for the hit’s failure, Midnight has become Johnny’s next assassination target.



Midnight escapes into the chaos of the bar brawl, accidentally bumping into Casey’s playmate. The big guy gives her a mighty smack, which she responds to by knocking him senseless (impressing Casey in the process). Johnny and his gang burst in, demanding Midnight give herself up. Casey steps to Midnight’s defense and Johnny’s goons proceed to open fire, killing everyone in the joint. Casey and Midnight escape out the back but are cornered in an alley.



Johnny prepares to execute them when a fire escape ladder falls off its hinges and flattens his goons. Raphael then leaps down from above and disarms Johnny. The two tussle for a bit until Midnight lays Johnny out with a block of wood. Midnight then encourages Casey and Raph to make a getaway with her before the cops show up. As they flee, Johnny digs his metal fingers into the concrete, furious.


Turtle Tips:

*The story continues in Bodycount #2.

*Due to Casey’s “swinging bachelor” status, this story must take place sometime before he met April in TMNT (Vol. 1) #10. Personally, I think it fits in well-enough with Eastman’s other Casey and Raphael “bonding” stories from early in the timeline, such as “Fun with Guns” and “Complete Carnage ‘N Radical”.

*"Bodycount" was initially released as “Casey Jones & Raphael” by Mirage. After the publication of the first issue, however, plans began for all TMNT comics to be published by Image. As a result, the completed miniseries was shelved for a year and then released under Image as “Bodycount”.

*Casey Jones & Raphael #1 contains 20 pages. Bodycount #1 contains 26 pages. Originally, Mirage planned to publish Casey Jones & Raphael as a five-part miniseries. When the release was moved to Image, the total page count was divided up differently so as to fit in four issues.

*Casey Jones & Raphael #1 contains a bonus story, “Guzzi LaMans, part one of five”. This back-up is exclusive to the Casey Jones & Raphael printing and was not carried over into the Bodycount version.

*The cover for Bodycount #1 says the issue was released in February of 1996 while the indicia cites March of 1996.

*The credits page for Casey Jones & Raphael #1 mistakenly attributes the pencils to Kevin Eastman and the inks to Bisley. The Bodycount #1 printing corrects this, attributing the pencils and inks to Bisley and the layouts to Eastman.


Review:

Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird are like Yin and Yang; their storytelling sensibilities and genre preferences go great when paired together, but when left to pursue their own projects individually, well, they suffer from an absolute lack of balance. For my in-depth thoughts on Laird’s side of the coin, see my inevitable review of TMNT (Vol. 4) #1. Here, I want to discuss Kevin Eastman.

Kevin Eastman is the current editor of Heavy Metal magazine and it shows in all his work. He comes from the school of comic book “shock” artists like Frank Miller, though even at his best, Eastman has always rubbed off closer to the contemporary nigh self-parody version of Frank Miller we’ve come to know rather than the classic, prime of his career Frank Miller we’d all like to remember. Kevin Eastman likes blood. Kevin Eastman likes boobs. And Kevin Eastman likes cursing. Perhaps to the detriment of all else. His concept of “mature” storytelling is mature in its content, I suppose, at least from a “Rated R” perspective, but it is a very juvenile interpretation of “maturity”.

So, again, in that regard, Kevin Eastman is the perfect person to run Heavy Metal magazine. “Blood, boobs and cursing” is pretty much all they do in that rag (which I admit I subscribed to and enjoyed for many years).

With that in mind, the Bodycount miniseries is pure, unfiltered and unhindered Kevin Eastman. When given carte blanche to do a Turtle story his way in any manner he wants, he delivers something I imagine only a middle schooler would react to as “cool”. It’s got blood. It’s got boobs. It’s got cursing. And absolutely nothing else.

Eastman has described Bodycount as his and Bisley’s ode to John Woo (made painfully evident in the character of “Johnny Woo Woo”), intended to be “the longest running gun battle in comics”. They certainly succeeded in that endeavor. There’s a lot of guns, there’s a lot of running and there’s a Chinese guy named Johnny Woo Woo. If that’s all they were going for then I suppose one can hardly hold the end result against them. When you make a comic paying homage to one of the shallowest filmmakers in all of Hollywood, you’re invariably going to end up with one of the shallowest comic books to ever hit the racks. For better or worse, Bodycount certainly is an accurate reflection of John Woo’s cinematic “masterpieces”.

While the story seems culled from every 13 year-old’s fanfiction and the dialogue is guaranteed to make you cringe (“Move legs, move!”), the major selling point of Bodycount is Simon Bisley’s brutal, busy, basically badass art. Looking through my comics collection, I have very few full issues drawn by Bisley, and even fewer multi-issue stories; to me, he’s always been little more than a cover and pin-up artist (his covers for Topps’ “Jason Vs. Leatherface” miniseries being especially awesome). Being able to finally see what the man is capable of in terms of storytelling is quite a treat and his highly detailed art does not disappoint. The layouts were done by Eastman, who in addition to being an excellent artist is an excellent layout man, too, so the action flows very smoothly from page to page. Which is a good thing, since this is all action all the time. I think Bisley shines most during the bar brawl pages, as everyone in the house is fighting and there hardly even seems to be any gravity in the joint, ramping up the drunken, belligerent atmosphere.

Bodycount is not one of my favorite TMNT stories, which is a shame since I almost always enjoy a good Casey and Raph adventure. Even worse; I’ve still got three more of these things to go. Bodycount is all flash and no substance, and if that’s the sort of thing you’re in the market for, then you could do worse than this mini, I suppose.

Grade: D- (as in, “Dammit, I just realized that Eastman modeled Midnight after his wife, Julie Strain. Not as gratuitous as ‘Heavy Metal 2000’, but still distractingly annoying”.)

TMNT vs. Spawn

Originally published by: Independently published by Andrew Modeen
Originally published in: TMNT (Vol. 3) #24
Publication date: May, 2011

Writer/Pencils/Inks: Frank Fosco
Tones: Courtland Brugger
Letters: Adam O. Pruett

“TMNT vs. Spawn”

Summary:

In the sewers beneath New York, the Turtles are running for their lives from something monstrous on their tails.

They escape through a manhole and into an alley. Mikey attempts to block the thing from following them by jamming the manhole with a trashcan. As the creature smashes into the trashcan, Donatello nails it with the manhole cover. Raph and Leo move in next, stabbing their weapons through the can in an attempt to perforate the beast.

Alas, all their efforts prove futile as the creature tears its way out of the trashcan, revealing itself to be…



Spawn!

Now angrier than ever, Spawn encourages the Turtles to try that again, ready to “break them out of their shells”.


Turtle Tips:

*Since the Turtles don’t feature any of their “mutilations”, this story likely takes place sometime before TMNT (Vol. 3) #1.

*This 5-page story was originally drawn by Frank Fosco in 1996 as his “try-out” for the artist job on Image’s TMNT Volume 3 series. It got him the job.

*The comic was never released to the public until 2011, when it was toned and lettered by Courtland Brugger and Adam O. Pruett, respectively, and independently published by Andrew Modeen as a back-up story in TMNT (Vol. 3) #24.


Review:

This was one of those moments that just felt like Christmas. In 2010, as a means of building up anticipation for the TMNT (Vol. 3) #24 project, Fosco released these pages in their original black and white form online and it was pretty fuckin’ sweet.

I’ll admit that Spawn has been a favorite character of mine since he debuted and I have every single issue up through #200 (I’m so ashamed!). I eventually stopped reading once they replaced Al Simmons with that amnesiac cracker, as he was really a boring character, but needless to say, Spawn holds a special place in my comic book nerd heart.

So seeing the Turtles fighting Spawn, and drawn by Frank Fosco no less, was a real treat for me.

I now have three versions of this story: the original black and white pencil/ink version by Fosco, the grey-toned version by Courtland Brugger and the fully colorized version (also by Brugger). The original pencil and ink version by Fosco is very much an incomplete “try-out” type of piece, with a lot of white space where backgrounds ought to be, focusing more on layout and character work. The colorized version by Brugger came next and it really is a sight to behold, as he adds all sorts of beautiful layers with his digital coloring prowess, particularly in regards to Spawn’s green glow growing ever brighter during the sewer chase.

The grey-toned version that eventually saw print in TMNT (Vol. 3) #24 appears to just be the colorized version in black and white, though it still looks gorgeous in any filter.

And kudos to letterer Adam Pruett for recreating Spawn’s distinctive speech bubbles. That’s a deal-breaker, right there, and I’m glad he remembered that particular detail.

How seriously this story is meant to be taken depends on you, considering it was just a 5-page “try-out” piece not originally intended for public consumption. But something this cool deserves to be shared and I’m grateful to Fosco for digging it out and grateful to Modeen for publishing it.

God, I miss the 90s.

Grade: A- (as in, “And this is why the Fred Wolf Turtles’ fighting strategy of ‘throw a trashcan at it’ just wouldn’t work”.)

Conflict Resolution

Originally published by: Independently published by Andrew Modeen
Originally published in: TMNT (Vol. 3) #24
Publication date: May, 2011

Story: Will Tupper
Pencils/Inks/Tones: Dennis Kennedy
Letters: Adam O. Pruett

“Conflict Resolution”

Summary:

Frontispiece: Through sparring narration, Casey and Raph struggle to tell the story of what happened after they first met each other...



Racing through Central Park after a pair of purse-snatchers, the two make it more of a “friendly competition” at first. Brandishing an umbrella, Casey takes out the first purse-snatcher. The second one draws a knife, but Raph dissuades his confidence with a glimpse of his sai. Casey then takes the distraction as an opportunity to lay the thug out with a lacrosse net (while screaming “SPOON!”).

Raph and Casey then return the purse to the apartment of its owner, anonymously, and leave feeling pretty good about their night’s work. Bumping fists, they figure they’ll eventually see more of each other… little realizing just how much more of each other they’d end up seeing.



At April’s apartment, Raph (with an eye-patch, fiddling with his Shredder helmet) and Casey argue over just who is telling the story correctly. Mike, Leo and Don (who is a cyborg) laugh at the banter, while April and Splinter agree that all that really matters is that they’ve been friends ever since.


Turtle Tips:

*The epilogue for this story takes place during the Image TMNT (Vol. 3) series. As all four Turtles, Casey and April are together, Raph still carries his Shredder helmet and Leo’s hands are not visible (so you can’t tell if he’s missing his left), I would place this part of the story in-between TMNT (Vol. 3) #16 and TMNT (Vol. 3) #17.

*The story as Raph and Casey tell it takes place immediately after Raphael (microseries) #1. In fact, the first page of this story is a recreation of the last page of Raphael #1.

*The other installments in Tupper's series of character vignettes are "Secret Spirit", "Credo", "Practical Jokes", "The Mother of All Anger" and "Fathers and Daughters".


Review:

Will Tupper, who had previously done introspective back-up stories on each individual Turtle and Casey, now tackles the dynamic of Casey and Raph. It fits in nicely with Tupper’s other character-centric back-ups, focusing on the most popular duo in the book.

Raphael (microseries) #1 ended on an “And the adventure continues…” sort of beat, leaving something of a story remaining to be told. Not to say it was an entirely necessary story, and as “Conflict Resolution” reveals, it was a fairly mundane “adventure” by their standards (beating down a pair of hapless purse-snatchers). But it was more what came after the thug-stomping that matters. At the point where we left Casey and Raph in Raphael #1, they’d come to an understanding but were still fairly untrusting of one-another. This story shows them parting on amicable terms and provides a nice link in their chain of friendship (lamest thing I’ve ever typed).

The dialogue at the end felt a bit saccharine, but it was a pretty saccharine story in-itself, so far as stories about pummeling street urchins go. The reveal that it takes place during Image’s TMNT Vol. 3 felt a bit hollow. Whereas the timeframe of the storytelling fit the theme of Tupper’s other back-up, “Practical Jokes”, the theme of “Conflict Resolution” doesn’t really necessitate any particular time in Casey and Raph’s life. So I guess putting it in the middle of the Image series is as good a place as any, though it could really have gone anywhere.

Dennis Kennedy’s artwork is a bit up and down with me. His recreation of the last page of Raphael #1 is very cool and at first glance I almost thought it was just a copy of the actual page. It wasn’t, though, with Kennedy doing a great job mimicking Eastman’s art style and changing the poses up a fraction enough to make it look like one pace from where Raphael #1 left off.

His art style changes dramatically after the “frontispiece”, however, to a far more surreal and comical style. I didn’t mind the style so much, though some panels fair worse than others (the one on page 3 where Casey jokes about Leapfrog, for instance). The style fit the overall comedic tone of the story, as Casey hits the purse-snatchers with silly things like umbrellas and lacrosse nets while quoting “The Tick”.

The digital photoshopped effects are too incongruous with the character artwork, though, and only serve to distract. At times I wasn’t even sure what was going on, such as the purse-snatcher swinging the purse above his head.

Overall, I wouldn’t qualify this as the best of Tupper’s back-up strips but I enjoyed the miniscule gap in Casey and Raph’s “bromantic” bonding that it filled. Others may enjoy Kennedy’s art style more than I did, of course, and more power to em if they do.

Grade: C+ (as in, “C’mon Don, why are you so pissed all of a sudden?”)

Practical Jokes

Originally published by: Independently published by Andrew Modeen
Originally published in: TMNT (Vol. 3) #24
Publication date: August 31, 2010 (online) and May, 2011 (in print)

Story: Will Tupper
Art: Donna G. Omo
Letters: Adam Pruett

“Practical Jokes”

Summary:

Narrating a story, Michelangelo reveals just why he insists on being the light-hearted prankster even in the direst of situations.

The story sees a small turtle shuffling into a Wild West saloon. After much effort, the turtle makes his way to the bar and asks the bartender for some turtle food. Enraged, the bartender informs him they don’t serve turtle food and tells him to leave. The turtle leaves.



The very next day, the turtle returns. Just as last time, he slowly shuffles to the bar and asks the bartender for some turtle food. Even angrier now, the bartender tells him they don’t serve turtle food and if he comes back again he’ll nail his shell to the floor. The turtle leaves.

The day after that, the turtle returns. Again, he slowly shuffles to the bar and before he can even speak, the bartender demands to know what he wants. The turtle asks if he has any nails. Confused, the bartender tells him they don’t carry nails. Relieved, the turtle asks another question:

“Got any turtle food?”



Back in the sewer, Don (who is a cyborg), Raph (wearing an eye-patch) and Leo (missing his left hand) all laugh heartily at Mike’s joke. Mike’s inner monologue reveals that he plays the part of the comic relief because humor lightens tense situations and a good laugh promotes peace and unity. Being a peaceful kind of guy, he sees comedy as the path of least resistance and as long as he can make the world smile, then there’s a little less to fight over.


Turtle Tips:

*With all four Turtles together, and Leo missing his left hand, I would place this story in-between TMNT (Vol. 3) #23 and TMNT (Vol. 3) #24.

*“Practical Jokes” was originally sold to Mirage Studios by Will Tupper to be a back-up comic in Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2). Mirage opted not to print the story after purchasing it before Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) was cancelled. The art and letters for the story were eventually completed by Donna G. Omo and Adam O. Pruett in August of 2010 and the story was made available online via The Technodrome Forums (you can view it here).

*Less than a year later, Andrew Modeen printed the story in TMNT (Vol. 3) #24 as a back-up in that publication.

*The other installments in Tupper's vignette series are "Credo", "Secret Spirit", "The Mother of All Anger", "Fathers and Daughters" and "Conflict Resolution".


Review:

Prior to “Practical Jokes”, author Will Tupper had been doing a series of introspective back-up stories focusing on one individual Turtle (and Casey), giving us insight into how they view themselves and why they behave the way they do. Oddly, by the conclusion of Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2), Mikey never got his story. As it turns out, for reasons unknown, Mirage opted to publish all of Tupper’s back-ups save that one, leaving the series incomplete.

Rather than let it go to waste, we’ve gotten to see it via the internet and the self-publication of TMNT (Vol. 3) #24. Hooray for the fans!

While I wouldn’t qualify the joke as a major knee-slapper, the implementation of the narrative as basically a stand-up routine suits Mikey and the point of his inner monologue perfectly. Mikey has always been my least favorite Turtle, as his comedy relief antics are often more obnoxious than genuinely amusing, but stories like this and Tales of the TMNT (Vol. 2) #64 go a long way in turning him around.

The hard part with “comedy relief” characters is that they have to be funny. All the time. No one can be funny all the time and a nonstop barrage of bad jokes and useless slapstick is not the way to endear a character to the audience. Lesser writers tend to treat Mikey that way, so stories like this almost feel akin to “damage control”, where an author tries to explain to us why Mikey acts like a doofus and rarely pulls his weight. While it’s up to each individual reader whether they “buy it” or not, the effort is appreciated and, at least in the case of “Practical Jokes”, Mikey’s rationalization of his behavior makes sense to his character and world view.

Donna G. Omo’s art is very cute and stylish, with the scenes in the Old West really looking like something out of a dime novel or a pre-photograph newspaper. It’s only six pages long, but I found myself flipping back and digesting each panel a couple of times, as Omo slips in lots of fun details, such as two cowboys fighting over a girl in the background or a liquor shelf full of brands with “familiar” labels (“Farley’s Finest”, “Fosco’s Fizz”, “Eastman’s Distillery”, “Carlson’s Stout Ale”, etc.).

The last page sees the Turtles in their various forms from toward the end of Image’s TMNT series, which I doubt was in the original script sold to Mirage (as Mirage’s decree at the time was that Image’s TMNT was non-canon). It still makes for a nice compliment to Mikey’s story, as that particular year in their lives was one of their hardest, making the need for laughter all the greater.

Pruett’s letters deserve some cred, too, particularly the way he has Mikey’s narration coming from the little turtle through the whole joke, rather than in little boxes in the corner of each panel. It helps give the joke a better “voice”, as you can imagine in your head Mikey trying to sound like a little turtle or a gruff bartender when he delivers each of their lines.

“Practical Jokes” was a nice finish to Tupper’s series of back-ups, and if you add them all together, you basically end up with a graphic novel’s worth of material in the vein of Michael Dooney’s “Challenges”. Not a bad piece of work.

Grade: B (as in, “But maybe Mikey should’ve told that joke by Gilbert Gottfried about the doctor, the man and the paralyzed wife. Now that one’s a hoot”.)