Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW Collection Vol 1 Review

Turtle Power 

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW Collection is the successful relaunching of a streamlined Turtle series, written by Tom Waltz and series creator Kevin Eastman. Contained in this sturdy hardback are issues #1-12 of the main series, and 5 issues of the Turtles micro-series, all chronologically arranged. This series takes the old mythology and adds modern long-form storytelling, creating a rich reading experience. It's clear a lot of passion went into making this product. Slight story spoilers below.

Our heros begin by searching for their lost brother, Raphael. Raph's tale is parallel to the core cast, and he meets a certain hockey-playing vigilante early on. It's a touching moment when the two halves of the story finally reconnect. The relationship between our heroes feels genuine. You can tell they love each other; even while they bicker, they push each other to be better.

Their personalities feel genuine, and they don't read like simple archetypes. Michelangelo's voice sounds exactly like his animated counterpart, and is a joy to read.  Raph isn't a "rude dude" like in the cartoons, but is defensive and protective towards his family. Don and Leo's' personalities are largely unchanged, but their ideologically-opposed conversations are always entertaining, with Leo being more mystical and Don being more empirical.  Their exchanges expand the lore of the series. Finally, Splinter is the wise father. He's the backbone of the group, but also has a sense vulnerability about him.

Each of the core characters is given plenty of spotlight, but Raph is the main character in the first half of the book. He is the most interesting Turtle because of his newness to the family, but also because of his experiences living on the streets.  Don and Leo aren't given much to do until their individual 'micro-series' issues. After those issues, the characters feels balanced.

Whenever I reached a micro-series issue, I slightly resented being taken out of a proper numbered issue. However, these issues are all fantastic, and added character depth to the story. Don's issue was my favorite, where he teams up with a hippy scientist with an inferiority complex, and they develop a friendly rivalry. The scientist, Harold Lillja, is a new character to the series, yet he feels familiar. This is the series' biggest success, making everything feel familiar but somehow fresh at the same time.

Other new characters are Ole Hob and Alopex.  Hob is a gang-leading mutated alley cat whose origin is interconnected with the Turtles.  He is a good villain for the Turtles to face in the beginning of their journey.  Alopex is a mutated ninja snow fox, who is also an excellent challenger for the Turtles to face. Both of these characters have excellent designs, and make a great addition to the Turtle's rogue gallery.

Krang and Shredder are also here.  Unlike the TV show, they have an adversarial relationship, and the turtles find themselves in between the two factions.  It's much more interesting than having the villains on the same page.  Baxter Stockman is another bad guy with a big presence here . His mutagen plays the same role as the Super Soldier Serum in the Marvel Universe, and it helps streamline the origins of characters.  Finally, the chapters where the Turtles face the robotic Mousers stand out as the highlight of the book.

What would TMNT be without a strong supporting cast? Casey Jones and April O'Neil are both here, and feel true to their roots. Casey and Raph's relationship feels authentic as they become as close as brothers.  O'Neal is a college student, and besides being there for the Turtles origin, doesn't have a big role to play as of yet.

There are plenty of callbacks and easter eggs in these pages. The Turtles all wear red masks initially, as a nod to the original series. The old 80's Turtle comic art used to fill the pages at the end of each chapter gives a strong sense of nostalgia. The creators truly have a reverence for the past. This series is the perfect fusion of love for the past and a future with boundless storytelling potential. They did it right.

The main series art is by Dan Duncan, and the micro-series each have a different artist. Duncan has a great handle on these characters. I didn't feel lost or confused by any of the action. His lines are the right amount of thick and scratchy, with clean environments and negative space. However, my favorite art here is by Valerio Schiti, who draws Donatello's standalone chapter. It resembles the cartoon, with expressive characters and bright colors. Sophie Campbell's drawings in the Leonardo chapter are wonderful. Her art reminds me of Mouse Guard artist Peter David's art, and I had to double check to make sure it wasn't him.  Luckily, Peter David's Turtle art is showcased here as chapter covers, and I now crave a TMNT issue drawn by him.

Who is this for?  If you grew up watching TMNT or are into the current franchise, this is most definitely for you. Even if you know nothing about TMNT, this is the absolute best place to begin. I'd argue this is the best TMNT product ever made.