Written by Matthew K. Manning
Art by Chad Thomas
Published by IDW Publishing
Rise is the current incarnation of Ninja Turtles airing on Nickelodeon. However, these are not the heroes in a half shell that we used to know. They fight like untrained buffoons instead of a fearsome fighting team. Splinter is an eccentric couch potato, and April O’Neil is African American, young, energetic, and not afraid of a fight. Raphael is a lot bigger than his brothers and the leader of the team.
Now that you’re caught you up let’s get to the story.
This first issue of this three-part miniseries deals with a new group of mutants called The Silent G’s.
They have mastered the power of stopping sound, making it easy to loot and plunder. The turtles get involved because one of the places the G’s hit was Splinter’s favorite ice cream truck.
As someone who grew up with the original animated series, it’s a little jarring to see Master Splinter crying a river of tears over an ice cream truck.
The thing is, this series is not meant for me. It’s designed towards those who are growing up with the Ninja Turtles for the first time. The comic reflects with zany antics such as fedora-wearing mutant gangsters shushing the turtles to Mikey yelling “No one gives Raph a bath without his permission.”
Matthew K. Manning’s artwork is fine and reflects the style and tone and the cartoon. It takes talent to draw several panels of a turtle, making various faces as he falls closer and close to his demise. The colors are vibrant fill out the pages nicely.
The best way to describe this series is to call it the Teen Titans Go of Ninja Turtles. If you’re a fan of the show, you’re going to enjoy this book. It’s a fun and easy read filled with energy, comedic moments, and an adventure that most kids should enjoy.
Both the comic book and the animated series are not even a year old, making it easy to jump on and catch up rather quickly if you’ve been looking to meet the newest addition to the TMNT family.
Grade: B
