Comic Review: TMNT: New Animated Adventures Vol. 4
Image courtesy of IDW Publishing.
Outside of the recent live action movie produced by Michael Bay, Nickelodeon acquiring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been the best thing for the turtles. The ongoing comic book series by IDW Publishing retains the best elements of the original series and beyond, while the CGI Nickelodeon cartoon shakes things up wonderfully. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that with the success of the latter, IDW would expand on it with a comic book adaptation of its own. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures Vol. 4 collects #13-16 of the comic book series by various writers and artists. While the trade paperback is best suited for those following the Nickelodeon series, anyone looking for some fun will find it in these nine presented stories.
Anyone will general knowledge of TMNT will be able to follow what’s happening in the fourth volume, even though the new animated series makes some serious alterations to the formula. The most obvious change is April O’Neil –usually depicted an as adult woman working as a TV news reporter–is now a teenage girl that Donatello has a crush on. “April’s Way,” the first story in volume four, has her sulking over her schoolwork taking up so much time from her ninja training with Master Splinter and the turtles. Later, she attends a school trip to the Zoo and observes a strong, but peaceful elephant that loves punk music. However, as April tries to catch up with her school group, she discovers the alien race Krang preparing to take over the Zoo and mutate the animals into monsters.
“April’s Way” is actually a good indication of what you’ll be seeing in later issues in the book. Yes, the “lesson of the day” aspect of the stories are obvious, but considering the cartoon the comic is based on is aimed at a younger audience, it’s not exactly unexpected. At the very least, the moral themes aren’t shoved obnoxiously in the reader’s face, nor do they seriously hinder the writing. The stories overall are predictable, but entertaining nonetheless. Some standout examples include Donatello developing a pheromone to attract April but gains the attention of a mutated insect instead, the day in the life of Ice Cream Kitty, and Master Splinter’s annual walkabout.
Despite the artists working on New Animated Adventures being different, there’s a unified look to the series, for the most part. The panel layout is easy to follow and the action on display is tame, but still fun to observe. Lesson Learned, illustrated by David Alvarez, is the most visually appealing in the book. The short story about hothead Raphael learning not to overexert himself nicely illustrates all the characters and has the most consistent quality to it. Although, none of the artwork in these issues ever come across as poor. At its worst, the exaggerated visual gags hilariously animated in the CGI cartoon don’t come off across as successful in the book.
Young fans of the animated series don’t need anymore convincing to pick up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures Vol. 4, but older readers of the franchise will find some entertainment here, if they give it a try. The episodic tales may not stick with you forever, but they’re worth the time to blaze through. At the retail price of $17.99, volume four of New Animated Adventures delivers the right amount of action and amusement for your buck.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures Vol. 4 is now available in stores.