Comic Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Change is Constant
The first paperback collection of IDW’s new ongoing TMNT book went on the stands not too long ago, and after hearing a good deal of praise for the series, as well as having grown up with the Turtles myself, I knew I had to pick it up.
Was the first collection worth it, or was I left disappointed? Read on!
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Ever since it was announced that the Ninja Turtles would be making a return to comics with one of their original creators on the book, I just knew I was going to have to check it out. Sadly, I had to wait until the first collection came out. Luckily, it was worth the wait.
Kevin Eastman returns to the franchise along with Tom Waltz and Dan Duncan to retell the origin of the team, as well as their master Splinter. Now, I’m not familiar with the original comics (not yet at least, as I’m eventually going to order the newly released Ultimate Collections), but the origin here seems to work really well. The four turtles, as well as a rat, are part of some genetic experiments going on in this secret facility. A group of ninjas attempt to steal the the experimental formula, and the animals it’s being tested on before their attempts are foiled. The turtles and Splinter (as well as a certain cat) then get exposed to mass amounts of this chemical, which transforms them into the humanoid figures we know.
The story in the present time begins with Raphael missing from the group after being separated while everyone was being exposed to the chemical. Splinter tries to lead the rest of the gang to find Raphael; meanwhile, Raphael is just roaming the streets attempting to feed and shelter himself.
It’s a pretty engrossing origin story and a nice start to the new series, albeit a bit simple. There’s not much more here than meets the eye, but then again, I suppose people aren’t going to expect much more from the Ninja Turtles than some good fun and action. Luckily, we do get a fun and action-packed first volume.
I liked being introduced to many of the main characters from the old series so quickly, including April O’Neil and Casey Jones, as it builds a sense that we’re going to be moving along to bigger and more important storylines in this series, such as the Turtles meeting their nemesis Shredder for the first time.
Overall, the writing in the book is pretty great stuff, and the artwork stands well aside it. It’s a similar style to what I’ve seen from the older comics, and it works well with the darker and gritty kind of story being told here.
My biggest disappointment is that at $18 I thought I was going to be getting at least six issues, but the first volume turns out to collect just the first four of the series, making it a really quick read. It does tell a complete story with a good conclusion to it, though, so I can’t complain about the content too much. Also, I ordered it on Amazon for $12, anyway.
Overall, the first volume of this new series starts it off on a very entertaining foot and I can say I’ll definitely be back for volume two. Hopefully the quality continues this way because I can’t wait to see the Ninja Turtles as a team in action against Shredder!
GO Rating: 4/5
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