Chris Cooper reviews the latest of IDW’s TMNT ‘Color Classics’ reprints…
“Devastated by a traumatic fight with the Foot and the Shredder, the TMNT retreat to Northampton. This issue serves as a poetic coda to the original, astounding run of Eastman & Laird on TMNT.”
Damn Splinter is short! OK now I’ve got that out of the way let’s get into the issue, which is possibly the last of this current classics run. It’s a lovely finish to a story arc in which the Turtles and their family have taken quite a beating, and it’s a sweet way to tie of this re-print run.
Much like in the film, after April’s home is ruined in the battle with The Foot, everyone climbs into the camper van and escapes to Northampton and an old farm (Here owned by an old relative of Casey’s). As the Turtles deal with the trauma in various ways (all in what you would call fitting ways, bar Michelangelo), April starts on a journal in the hope of dealing with her sleepless, nightmare filled nights.
As film April illustrates scenes of the turtles (wish I could own the Leonardo drawing!), comic April fills us in on her thoughts of each turtle. One such scene is almost directly lifted for the film, which should amuse those who look back on it fondly.
Speaking of illustrations, though I have a good giggle at April’s frizzy hair and how it is drawn, there is some great use of the page, as Eastman and Laird aren’t afraid to leave white space. It’s not always about what you draw, but what you choose not to.
Not having mentioned it before I’d remiss to not touch upon the work by Tom Smith’s Scorpion Studio in doing the colours on these issues. Their work has been top notch. If you didn’t know that the issues were originally printed in black and white you wouldn’t be able to tell that the colour was added later. Great colour selections, applied well.
The Color Classics run has been enlightening. Not only have they given me the chance to see where a lot of inspiration for the first (and best) TMNT movie came from, but also to get a good look at Eastman and Laird’s work. With an appreciation for these roughly 20 year old comics safely tucked away now, I suggest you pick them up and find it yourself.
Chris Cooper
