Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #4 (Review)

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k4tzm4n

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Edited By k4tzm4n  Moderator

Picking up directly after the events of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8, the team splits up to find Splinter, but all Leonardo discovers is a mountain of Foot ninjas.
The Good:
This issue is nothing but pure action and Leo showcasing why he's one of the most talented ninjas among his brothers. There's quite literally only 2 pages of set up ("Let's split up and find Splinter!") before Leonardo comes face-to-face with a sea of blade wielding Foot ninjas. We get a look inside Leo's mind and it's nice to see he's every bit as determined and heroic as he acts on the exterior and you've got to respect his struggle to keep focused int he face of impossible odds. However, if you're not currently a big fan of Leo's, I sincerely doubt this is issue is going to sway your position. Oh, and then there's a little showdown with (a man I can only assume to be) The Shredder. That alone is worth the $3.99 price tag.
The Bad:
I've been more than vocal about my love and support for IDW's TMNT run so far, but this issue essentially boils down to nothing more than a fight sequence to serve as the first fight a Turtle has had with the Foot. This is hardly a criticism for many, but at the same rate, there's no development with the search for Splinter / overall plot, and, like previously stated, this is unlikely to create any new Leo fans. In his credit, though, the lead Turtle does fire a few decent quips during the battle. Ross Cambell's art is likely going to be hit or miss for many. It's cartoonish, not very detailed at times, and some of the proportions tend to feel odd. The combat feels stationary during some of the moments with the ninjas, but thankfully, you can really appreciate the motions and speed during his final encounter with Shredder. The strikes are appropriately brutal and easily the highlight of the comic.

The Verdict:

There's really no reason not to pick this one up if you're like me and over the moon about IDW's run so far. This latest Micro-Series issue doesn't bring any new developments to the table, but sometime it's alright to take a break from the plot and appreciate an issue packed with hand-to-hand combat from start to finish.

3/5

source:my blog

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k4tzm4n

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#1  Edited By k4tzm4n  Moderator

Anyone else read this one?

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vance_astro

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#2  Edited By vance_astro  Moderator
@k4tzm4n said:

Anyone else read this one?

I haven't read it.I'm actually trying to get a hold so I can finish off reading all the TMNT material there is out there.
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k4tzm4n

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#3  Edited By k4tzm4n  Moderator

@Vance Astro: Nice. Let me know when you finally get around to the current IDW run.

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vance_astro

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#4  Edited By vance_astro  Moderator
@k4tzm4n said:

@Vance Astro: Nice. Let me know when you finally get around to the current IDW run.

Will Do.
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k4tzm4n

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#5  Edited By k4tzm4n  Moderator

@Vance Astro: The IDW stuff is really fun. It's a shame it's not getting more attention.

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Deranged Midget

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#6  Edited By Deranged Midget

YES! Some Leonardo love! :D Really need to get these Micro-issues and the current run or I'll end up having a breakdown.

Regardless, awesome review as always k4tz!

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The_Martian

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#7  Edited By The_Martian

I haven't been a fan of the Micro-Series. I prefer just the main run. The Donatello issue was okay.

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k4tzm4n

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#8  Edited By k4tzm4n  Moderator

@Deranged Midget: Thanks!

@Nobody: Any specific reason why?

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#9  Edited By danhimself

I see these one shots as kind of like filler issues or .5 issues that go in between the issues of the main series...you definitely don't need to reed them but if you do then you get to see a little more of the story....the only thing that bothered me about this issue was the art....I never really cared for the short turtles...I know they started out that way but Eastman and Laird quickly evolved their look into more of what we saw in the 2003 animated series...a little taller and more muscle..those are the turtles that I'm used to...so yeah that was the one grief I had with the issue....other than that I loved it...still not completely sold on the new origin though...seems more convoluted than the original but I understand that with so many different forms of media retelling the same origin that at some point someone needed to change it up a little to keep it fresh

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#10  Edited By The_Martian

@k4tzm4n: Not specifically. The stories just haven't grabbed my attention as much. Not sure why.

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k4tzm4n

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#11  Edited By k4tzm4n  Moderator

@Nobody: Fair enough.

@danhimself: Agreed!

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#12  Edited By Dex_Starr

Thinking about starting to read this series but debating if I should wait for the trade paperback to come out

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k4tzm4n

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#13  Edited By k4tzm4n  Moderator
@Dex_Starr: A TPB for issues 1-4 is already out.  It's called "Change is Constant."