The Turtles are out for blood.
"City Fall" is easily one of the more memorable stories to unfold in IDW's ongoing TMNT comic. It marks the point where the series really came into its own and the family dynamic between Splinter and his sons became all the more crucial. So it's fitting that IDW chose to revisit that story as part of their month-long "Deviations" project. Like so many What If/Elseworlds-style comics, this issue isn't quite big enough to contain the ambitious tale within, but it still offers a compelling read for TMNT fans.
This issue deviates from the events of "City Fall" by presenting an alternate universe where Casey Jones was killed by Shredder and all four Turtles, not just Leonardo, were brainwashed to become agents of the Foot Clan. Seeing the Turtles decked out in red and black and hunting their father like an animal definitely packs an emotional gut punch. This is about as dark as TMNT comics get, and rightfully so. The alternate universe setting means writer Tom Waltz doesn't have to pull any punches. Many characters die as this one small deviation spirals outward to reshape the entire city.
It's just a shame the writers didn't have more room to work with. The pacing of the story is a little rushed, particularly in the latter half as more familiar faces join the escalating conflict. This issue doesn't spend enough time focusing on the Turtles' respective mindsets. How did they react to Casey's death? How do they feel about becoming cold-blooded killers? In some ways it's to this issue's credit that the story feels more deserving of a full-length graphic novel than a one-shot special.
Visually, this issue maintains the increasingly high standards of the ongoing TMNT comic. Zach Howard's art is a natural fit for the TMNT aesthetic, but his powerful figures and heavy black lines hearken back to the classic Eastman/Laird comic. That harsh vibe is a perfect fit for the darker tone of the story. With that in mind, it's a little strange to see Cory Smith's smooth, organic style paired with Howard's work. Smith's expressive storytelling is great on its own merits, but not necessarily as an accompaniment to Howard's. The transition works fine at first, when Smith renders a psychedelic dream sequence, but the abrupt shift from Howard's art to Smith's in the final pages is fairly jarring.
The Verdict
You might think the world has no need for a darker, grittier take on the Ninja Turtles, but this comic could very well change your mind. TMNT Deviations uses the main series' continuity to craft an unsettling look at a world where things have gone wrong for the Heroes in a Half-Shell, and it makes for fine reading. It's just a shame the creative team didn't have more space to let this What If?-style tale fully breathe.
Editors' Choice
→
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire