Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

To be honest, I don't need dark and gritty TMNT. There's so much of that in comics anymore, so I was hoping for this to just be fun, perhaps a little more mature than Saturday Morning Adventures, but with some goofiness that we've come to love from the Turtles. I know their original comics didn't have the silliness of the 80s cartoon/movies, but those are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I've grown to love.

"Dan, that doesn't sound like the start to a 4 star review!"

That's true. And it's because Jason Aaron is SO good. Joëlle Jones and Ronda Pattison are SO good. Shawn Lee is SO good. This book is so well executed that I can't even be mad that it's not a direction I like. I knew at the start (and really after TMNT: Alpha) that this wasn't going to be a "fun" book, but by the end, I was excited to read more. As far as #1 issues go, Aaron does a good job of making sure readers know that there are certain things they aren't supposed to know yet. Why is Raph in prison? Where are the other Turtles? It's apparent that these are the questions we're supposed to be asking. Not a lot of dialogue but certainly a lot of narration: and it's beautifully written. For new TMNT fans, Raph is presented as the hot-headed, violent one - true to form. He's established as an expert fighter who wants to give off the appearance that he doesn't need anyone, but loves his family, and cares about wrong vs. right.

Joëlle Jones' Ladykiller is a fantastic book. It's a good story, but it's mostly the art that makes it stand out. Her work here with Ronda Pattison is exceptional, detailed, and fits the mood established by Aaron perfectly. Darker tones throughout, grittier line work, and just phenomenal action. To be honest, I don't love the cover here, so I was a little worried about the interiors - I was wrong to be worried.

Shawn Lee's letters are always good and this is more of the same. A lot of emotion, a lot of creativity, and really good guidance for the reader.

I'll keep going, especially with Nightwatcher coming. Overall, recommended, especially if you want the dark and gritty stuff.