TMNT

• Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #9
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Kenny Byerly
• Artist: Dario Brizuela

The friction between Donatello and Raphael, and Raph’s disrespect of what his smarty-pants brother brings to the team, causes Donnie to use Metalhead to attempt to teach him a lesson. Faking an emergency of the Kraang taking over the robotic turtle, the brothers struggle to stop Donnie’s invention – especially after he really does loose control.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #9 also offers a back-up story of Raphael’s tall tale to his brothers about a fight with an actual dragon rather than admit the his new black-eye came courtesy of training with April.

Both stories are fun and play on basic character traits of the Turtles. The first story allows the two to eventually come to an understanding. The second showcases Raph’s bruised ego and Donnie, Michelangelo, and Leonardo choosing not give their brother a hard time after learning his shiner came in the service of helping a friend. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

• Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #31
• Comic Vine: link
• Writers: Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz
• Artist: Ross Campbell

The Turtles’ Northampton retreat continues as April gets a spunky new hairdo, a still-confused Leonardo takes an important first-step into returning to his role as the Turtles’ leader, and Raphael finally accepts Alopex into the family, at least until Shredder’s new warriors led by Koya find them.

I’m hoping the bridge built between Raphael and Alopex, who I very much enjoy together, isn’t so quickly burned down as the Turtle is quick to blame Shredder‘s former soldier for leading the Foot Clan’s assassins to the group.

Other than the first appearance of Koya, who we should be seeing much more of next issue, and April’s haircut, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #31 is most notable for Leonardo accepting the blue mask from Splinter and taking his place alongside his brothers yet again. Now we see if Shredder’s training, with the abscence of the brainwashing, has made Leonardo a more fierce warrior or if this too will take time. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

• Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #8
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Kenny Byerly
• Artist: Dario Brizuela

The Rat King is one of my least favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villains but the latest issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures does what it can with the villain and also returns Monkey Brains whose attempts to control the rodent-controlling madman who stuck his mind in the body of chimp have unintended side effects when he accidentally gives the Rat King even greater control of New York’s rat population allowing him to gather them all together to form a giant monster swarm of destruction.

If that sounds kinda gross it’s because it is, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #8 also begins to further develop April O’Neil‘s unique sensibilities which prove instrumental in helping defeat the villain.

Those who are more fond of the Rat King than I am are likely to enjoy the issue more than I did, but even so there’s enough here in terms of character interaction and developing ongoing plots which I felt helped the comic work despite focusing on a villain I don’t much care for. For fans.

[IDW, $3.99]