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A review by stephen_arvidson
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, Volume 5 by Dean Clarrain, Ryan Brown
4.0
Despite its abrupt cancellation two decades ago, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures remains the definitive TMNT incarnation due in large part to its lengthy continuity. The series was quite unremarkable in the beginning, its maiden issues little more than bland retellings of the Saturday morning cartoon, a mere cash-grab. But Adventures quickly became its own thing, adding layers of depth to established characters well beyond anything the TV series would do. While the stories collected in Volume 5 of the IDW trades—specifically, Issues #17-20—still bear a kid-friendly tone, there’s a certain indefinable maturity that manages to strike a comfortable balance for adult readers.
Volume 5’s opening chapter, “Fight the Power,” brings to a close the South American tour, a story-arc which served to introduce many of the anthropomorphic characters that would later form the Mighty Mutanimals. On a return-voyage to America, the Turtles and Man Ray make a pit-stop on a derelict brig where Man Ray educates our heroes on the endangered Kemp Sea Turtle. Shortly thereafter, April and Man Ray notice some nearby shrimp-trawlers have failed to use Turtle Extruder Devices on their nettings, an illegal act that infuriates the latter and prompts the team into action. The stories featuring Man Ray tend to be the most didactic, skewing heavily toward environmental themes—so much so that his early appearances are allusive of those Captain Planet PSAs from the '90s. There’s no question that Man Ray holds the ecosystem in high regards; his consuming obsession with protecting and preserving marine wildlife and habitat has occasionally incited fits of rage whenever he witnesses pollution or human indifference to the environment. Ray's character ultimately lacked dimension and functioned more as a mouthpiece for topical eco-fodder. “Fight the Power” is a sanctimonious filler story about environmental awareness; and the lame one-shot villain, Captain Mossback, is a silly Ahab pastiche that Raphael and Man Ray are content to stand idly by as the crippled scoundrel almost drowns after toppling into the sea.
In the second issue, “Mondo Metal,” the Turtles and April part ways with Man Ray in New Orleans as he swims off to investigate some strange glowing meteors that landed in the ocean. Hitching a train ride back to New York City, the team is lured to Shredder’s former hideout by boisterous metal music—here the creative staff gets innovative by inserting authentic sheet-music and lyrics in the page gutters—where they discover a garage band has set up a practice space. The lead guitarist, Mondo (with his pet gecko latched to his shoulder), executes some thunderous histrionics that rouses some agitated Foot Super Soldiers (Maybe they prefer classical?). The Turtles intervene, but Mondo is exposed to Shredder’s patented mutagen, transforming him into the gecko-human hybrid, Mondo Gecko. The story amounts to another flavorful mutant-of-the-month, but we get the sense that a larger plot is bubbling to the surface. Although Mondo is a likeable character, there’s something crassly commercial about him—he plays guitar, skateboards, and speaks in cool lingo. He’s an amalgamation of hip ‘90s clichés that border on "Poochie" syndrome (Fans of The Simpsons will grasp the "Poochie" reference).
Issue #19, titled “The Man Who Sold the World,” builds upon past stories reaching as far back as Issue #5. All those scattered mutant-of-the-month installments that introduced various members of the Mighty Mutanimals are now paying dividends as this ragtag team of mutant allies comes together to thwart Queen Maligna, whose planetary invasion was foreshadowed in Issue #12. The nihilistic industrialist Null is seen hammering out a deal with Maligna’s minions, Skul and Bean, a nefarious arrangement that will pave the way for Earth’s enslavement. Null is revealed to be a Lex Luther-esque mastermind with budding devil-horns that go a long way to imply the demon lurking beneath his corporate visage. On a rooftop the Turtles and Mondo debate the significance of several meteors buzzing a nearby skyscraper—until they’re accosted by Kid Terra. The Clint-Eastwood wannabe attempts to warn them of Null’s scheme, but Raph hastily subdues him. Terra’s evolution is interesting enough. On the one hand, he conspired with Null to commit heinous crimes against humanity and he murdered Man Ray’s friend Bubbla. Kid’s honest attempt at redemption challenges the readers’ sense of forgiveness as much as it does the characters’. Artist Garrett Ho debuts in this issue, and although his character conceptions are not as fluid or endearing as Ken Mitchroney’s, Ho manages to keep the Ninja Turtles on par with their established look from the animated series.
The last issue, “Sun and Steel,” follows Leo, Mikey, Don, Splinter, and April in the wake of Null’s escape (with Raph and Mondo stowed away on Skul and Bean’s spaceship). Police helicopters swarm the scene, prompting our remaining heroes to fade into the crowded Chinatown streets. Moments later, they come across a curio shop engulfed in flames and an Asian fireman’s selfless act of bravery is overshadowed by his sudden transformation into a colossal yellow dragon (the result of a smashed Chinese flask containing a vaporous mutagen). Bill Wray’s first foray in TMNT Adventures is a mixed bag. In the opening pages, the Turtles are strangely reminiscent of their initial toy design—with gritted teeth and pupil-less eyes. But Wray’s grasp of the characters quickly improves as they don unlikely disguises to blend in with the keen-sighted denizens (who fail to even bat an eye at the man-sized rat walking amongst them). To Wray’s credit, though, his badass depictions of Chu’s Warrior Dragon are phenomenal and make up for his earlier indiscretion.
One final note: it seems that IDW spared every expense in reproducing these books, for the quality is egregiously lacking. The flimsy covers and bare-bones presentation leave a lot to be desired. The stories are printed on rag-linen paper that’s notorious for smudging and bleeding through to the other side of the page. And then there’s the faded coloring and other printing problems that make the final product an eyesore at times; for instance, this volume shows several panels in which the Turtles are sporting mismatched colors. These defects are shamefully indicative of a company trying to publish comics as cheaply as possible.
Volume 5’s opening chapter, “Fight the Power,” brings to a close the South American tour, a story-arc which served to introduce many of the anthropomorphic characters that would later form the Mighty Mutanimals. On a return-voyage to America, the Turtles and Man Ray make a pit-stop on a derelict brig where Man Ray educates our heroes on the endangered Kemp Sea Turtle. Shortly thereafter, April and Man Ray notice some nearby shrimp-trawlers have failed to use Turtle Extruder Devices on their nettings, an illegal act that infuriates the latter and prompts the team into action. The stories featuring Man Ray tend to be the most didactic, skewing heavily toward environmental themes—so much so that his early appearances are allusive of those Captain Planet PSAs from the '90s. There’s no question that Man Ray holds the ecosystem in high regards; his consuming obsession with protecting and preserving marine wildlife and habitat has occasionally incited fits of rage whenever he witnesses pollution or human indifference to the environment. Ray's character ultimately lacked dimension and functioned more as a mouthpiece for topical eco-fodder. “Fight the Power” is a sanctimonious filler story about environmental awareness; and the lame one-shot villain, Captain Mossback, is a silly Ahab pastiche that Raphael and Man Ray are content to stand idly by as the crippled scoundrel almost drowns after toppling into the sea.
In the second issue, “Mondo Metal,” the Turtles and April part ways with Man Ray in New Orleans as he swims off to investigate some strange glowing meteors that landed in the ocean. Hitching a train ride back to New York City, the team is lured to Shredder’s former hideout by boisterous metal music—here the creative staff gets innovative by inserting authentic sheet-music and lyrics in the page gutters—where they discover a garage band has set up a practice space. The lead guitarist, Mondo (with his pet gecko latched to his shoulder), executes some thunderous histrionics that rouses some agitated Foot Super Soldiers (Maybe they prefer classical?). The Turtles intervene, but Mondo is exposed to Shredder’s patented mutagen, transforming him into the gecko-human hybrid, Mondo Gecko. The story amounts to another flavorful mutant-of-the-month, but we get the sense that a larger plot is bubbling to the surface. Although Mondo is a likeable character, there’s something crassly commercial about him—he plays guitar, skateboards, and speaks in cool lingo. He’s an amalgamation of hip ‘90s clichés that border on "Poochie" syndrome (Fans of The Simpsons will grasp the "Poochie" reference).
Issue #19, titled “The Man Who Sold the World,” builds upon past stories reaching as far back as Issue #5. All those scattered mutant-of-the-month installments that introduced various members of the Mighty Mutanimals are now paying dividends as this ragtag team of mutant allies comes together to thwart Queen Maligna, whose planetary invasion was foreshadowed in Issue #12. The nihilistic industrialist Null is seen hammering out a deal with Maligna’s minions, Skul and Bean, a nefarious arrangement that will pave the way for Earth’s enslavement. Null is revealed to be a Lex Luther-esque mastermind with budding devil-horns that go a long way to imply the demon lurking beneath his corporate visage. On a rooftop the Turtles and Mondo debate the significance of several meteors buzzing a nearby skyscraper—until they’re accosted by Kid Terra. The Clint-Eastwood wannabe attempts to warn them of Null’s scheme, but Raph hastily subdues him. Terra’s evolution is interesting enough. On the one hand, he conspired with Null to commit heinous crimes against humanity and he murdered Man Ray’s friend Bubbla. Kid’s honest attempt at redemption challenges the readers’ sense of forgiveness as much as it does the characters’. Artist Garrett Ho debuts in this issue, and although his character conceptions are not as fluid or endearing as Ken Mitchroney’s, Ho manages to keep the Ninja Turtles on par with their established look from the animated series.
The last issue, “Sun and Steel,” follows Leo, Mikey, Don, Splinter, and April in the wake of Null’s escape (with Raph and Mondo stowed away on Skul and Bean’s spaceship). Police helicopters swarm the scene, prompting our remaining heroes to fade into the crowded Chinatown streets. Moments later, they come across a curio shop engulfed in flames and an Asian fireman’s selfless act of bravery is overshadowed by his sudden transformation into a colossal yellow dragon (the result of a smashed Chinese flask containing a vaporous mutagen). Bill Wray’s first foray in TMNT Adventures is a mixed bag. In the opening pages, the Turtles are strangely reminiscent of their initial toy design—with gritted teeth and pupil-less eyes. But Wray’s grasp of the characters quickly improves as they don unlikely disguises to blend in with the keen-sighted denizens (who fail to even bat an eye at the man-sized rat walking amongst them). To Wray’s credit, though, his badass depictions of Chu’s Warrior Dragon are phenomenal and make up for his earlier indiscretion.
One final note: it seems that IDW spared every expense in reproducing these books, for the quality is egregiously lacking. The flimsy covers and bare-bones presentation leave a lot to be desired. The stories are printed on rag-linen paper that’s notorious for smudging and bleeding through to the other side of the page. And then there’s the faded coloring and other printing problems that make the final product an eyesore at times; for instance, this volume shows several panels in which the Turtles are sporting mismatched colors. These defects are shamefully indicative of a company trying to publish comics as cheaply as possible.