Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #4 Review


IDW is giving fans a chance to journey back to the original TMNT comic book series, but should these stories be colorized and made available for comic enthusiasts to enjoy?  Read on to find out.

The official description from IDW:

This tale of the original TMNT, now in all-new color, expanded the Turtles universe COSMICALLY! In the search for the missing Splinter, the TMNT run headfirst into Foot Ninja and a mystery corporation that has ties to their pre-mutated past. But their investigation into the past drags them into a wholly unexpected future — one of epic science fiction proportions!

There’s never been a better time then now to revisit these classic adventures starring the Heroes in a Half-Shell.  Yes, they’re chock-full of corny dialogue, unnecessary explanation, repetition and some cringe-worthy moments, but this re-issue carries the same charm and charisma that made this property an enduring hit to generations of devoted fans.

Keven Eastman and Peter Laird do a solid job making the story flow but sadly, for the most part time has not been kind to the overall quality of the script.  It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just extremely flawed as sequences play out with dialogue that simply beats the reader over the head with details about things that their eyes can clearly pick-up on their own.  Despite that fact, the overall narrative is still engaging as the inner-child who grew up around this property will surely see references and things that are both likable and endearing.

The art by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird has never looked better.  The stylized intricacies of their pencil strokes, inform detailed and deformed characters that easily fit this little romp.  With the added visual flare from the colorized panels, this series pops once again with new life and enthusiasm.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #4 is an engaging trip down memory lane, that’s lavishly colored by Tom Smith’s Scorpion Studios.  Recommended to any old school fans.

3.5/5

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