The Ultimate TMNT Collection

Submitted by bookstorequeer
on Wed, 12/14/2011 - 14:44

This is a reprinted collection of the first seven issues (and a Raphael one-shot) of Eastman and Laird's hit comic: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (AKA the "TMNT"). The movies and the original animated series are classics between my brother and I, and I can't wait to show him this volume! I was immediately excited when one of the guys at Paradise Comics handed me this collection the other week. I've recently reconnected with those nostalgia-inducing '80s films and the original animated series, so these original comics could not have come into my life at a better time. Within 10 minutes of flipping through it, I'd committed to taking home this $50 book. It's worth it.

 

 
It's called TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION (Vol. 1), from IDW Publishing. It's 319 pages of incredibly detailed art, creator annotations, and a panel-by-panel look at each issue that talks about Laird and Eastman's inspirations, thoughts, and layouts as these teenage turtles grow. The first volume, which came out in October of this year, collected issues #1-7 of the original comic series, as well as a Raphael-centric one-shot where we're introduced to Casey Jones.
 
This collection not only contains amazing original art, with full-page spreads and splash pages of incredible detail that make me envious of their ability to draw, but it also contains something that I never even realised: annotations. That's right, annotations! After every issue, Laird and Eastman revisit where they were in their lives while creating that particular adventure and they go through the issue page by page, discussing why things unfolded as they did and also why things were published as they were. For someone wanting to be a face behind the production of a comic book, this is INVALUABLE. It's also really interesting!
 
Now, there are a lot of the same story lines between the comics, the animated show, and the movies (although Splinter's origin and ooze-based mutation is rarely consistent across platforms) but the art and the annotations make this collection into something more than just its plots. 
 
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And not only am I in love with the art, which makes the 1987 animated series look like a commercial for neon crayons and fruit loops in comparison, but I’m in love with these characters. It's so much fun to read these issues in order and see how the turtles grow from story to story. 
 
What I found interesting, in looking at the colour reproductions of the issue covers, was that all of the turtles had the same colour headbands. The comics themselves are in black and white, so I've already been finding myself looking for the sai or the bo to figure out who's who, but I find it interesting that even in colour Laird and Eastman gave the turtles the anonymity of such conformity. Or maybe Splinter just liked red too much. It makes me wonder, though, when and where the differently coloured headbands first appeared (I'm hoping that vol. 2 will tell me!).
 
I was also pleased to discover which of Splinter's origin stories was the original -- I'm not going to spoil you on that, because you should read this edition and these comics -- but it's fun to finally see how they originally designed it. And the baby turtles are too cute. I was surprised to learn that originally April was Baxter's lab assistant, not a TV news reporter, as the animated series and the movies lead me to believe.
 
 
But again, beyond the annotations and the origin stories for these characters that I've grown up with, I really can't say enough about the art. There's a level of detail and grittiness to these comics that blows me away. Some of the splash pages are breathtaking and I find myself with my nose nearly pressed to the paper just to take it all in. I'm also giggling over the geeky references included, like one of the turtles reading "Dune" and somebody referencing Star Trek. Then I realize that it was all done without the technology that I use in comics today and I'm impressed all over again.
 
I love this volume. It would be a great present for any fan of the franchise, even someone who has the original comics, because of the new material that's included in the creator annotations. There's something for everyone, be they new or original fans, and I really can't wait for the next volume to be out in 2012!
 
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go order a pizza.
 
-Anisa N.
 
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Anisa Nixon