Reviews
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 1: Change is Constant by Kevin Eastman, Dan Duncan, Tom Waltz
rutatheythem's review
4.0
I wanted to read about TMNT since I love Brooklynn Nine-Nine so much, now I can understand what this quotes mean. YAY!!
I was concerned that I wasn't going to understand the time line and everything since there is so many different TMNT comics but this is a complete reboot so if you want to start reading the series this is a good start.
I'm really excited about reading Batman crossover. I heard so much good things about it.
crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
2.0
Having just finished [a:Sophie Campbell|15265779|Sophie Campbell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1530476807p2/15265779.jpg]'s first arc on TMNT, I was excited to find out how the story reached the point where she took over. I read through Wikipedia, and saw that the whole IDW Turtle universe was a reimagining of the Turtles, using their original series, the cartoons, the live action franchises, and the various other Turtle universes all folded into one streamlined story. It sounded great.
It's not great. What might be a solid debut for a promising writer with potential should be embarrasing for the series creator who's over thirty years into his career. Eastman's TMNT is just a series of cliches with no depth. It would be fine if the story was cliche but the dialog was strong or the art was interesting, but everything about this series is profoundly mediocre. Every character announces their intentions and their origin story in the stiffest ways possible. Eastman tries to poke fun at certain eras of the Turtles by having Raphael find a Cowabunga shirt in the trash and point out how silly it is. But the writing on the 80s cartoon version of TMNT is superior to the writing here. It reads like [a:Matt Wagner|9934|Matt Wagner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308067280p2/9934.jpg]'s early Mage work. It wants to be edgy but it's just echoes of better stories.
The art isn't bad, it just isn't anything special.
Very few writers aget a chance to go back and reimagine their stories to a fresh generation, using the same medium they started out in. I'd like to think other writers wouldn't squander that opportunity the way Eastman has here.
This is a boring story with characters with Zero Personality, and no imagination. I'm going to skip all the way to [b:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 22: City at War, Pt. 1|43663954|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 22 City at War, Pt. 1|Kevin Eastman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563765660l/43663954._SY75_.jpg|67934981] to see if Eastman gets any better, but I can't imagine him improving vastly between 2011 and 2019, given how little he improved between 1984 and 2011.
It's not great. What might be a solid debut for a promising writer with potential should be embarrasing for the series creator who's over thirty years into his career. Eastman's TMNT is just a series of cliches with no depth. It would be fine if the story was cliche but the dialog was strong or the art was interesting, but everything about this series is profoundly mediocre. Every character announces their intentions and their origin story in the stiffest ways possible. Eastman tries to poke fun at certain eras of the Turtles by having Raphael find a Cowabunga shirt in the trash and point out how silly it is. But the writing on the 80s cartoon version of TMNT is superior to the writing here. It reads like [a:Matt Wagner|9934|Matt Wagner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1308067280p2/9934.jpg]'s early Mage work. It wants to be edgy but it's just echoes of better stories.
The art isn't bad, it just isn't anything special.
Very few writers aget a chance to go back and reimagine their stories to a fresh generation, using the same medium they started out in. I'd like to think other writers wouldn't squander that opportunity the way Eastman has here.
This is a boring story with characters with Zero Personality, and no imagination. I'm going to skip all the way to [b:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 22: City at War, Pt. 1|43663954|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 22 City at War, Pt. 1|Kevin Eastman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563765660l/43663954._SY75_.jpg|67934981] to see if Eastman gets any better, but I can't imagine him improving vastly between 2011 and 2019, given how little he improved between 1984 and 2011.
lincolncreadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve been a Turtles fan since forever, grew up watching the cartoon and have read the bulk of the original Mirage and later Archie comics turtles series’. I was stoked beyond words when I heard IDW was going to be doing the Turtles; even moreso when I learned that original creator, Kevin Eastman, was going to be on board. I’ve read the first three issues and I’m loving it. The first trade, which I’d imagine will collect the first four-issue arc, will be on sale in February, but I’m sure you can track down the individual issues at your local comic shop. Any concerns about the comic being cartoony, or for kids, or that the writers will just be rehashing what’s already been done..? Lay them aside. Already, we’ve had an entirely different Turtles origin and not a Shredder in sight, though even I’d be disappointed if we didn’t see the ol’ Shred-head eventually.
tazmeen_kasim's review against another edition
4.0
Well a great book for me. You should read it if you love comics. I liked the book and the show as well.
dnightingale's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
izzy_happyfornow's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! I think I spent most of my time reading this with my mouth half open in awe of the amazingness of this series.
I fell in love with the darker side of the turtles in this volume. I laughed at the references to the old cartoon being called lame. Because lets face it they were kind of lame.
This trade starts at the beginning of the relaunch of the series. We learn about their origins of the turtles and splinter. Also get introduced to April and Casey.
The plot starts up 15 months after the accident that released them and mutated them. They are searching for their brother who they were separated from after the accident. With multiple flashbacks of sorts to the accident and lead up to it all in between their search.
I can't wait to read the next trade in this series!
I fell in love with the darker side of the turtles in this volume. I laughed at the references to the old cartoon being called lame. Because lets face it they were kind of lame.
This trade starts at the beginning of the relaunch of the series. We learn about their origins of the turtles and splinter. Also get introduced to April and Casey.
The plot starts up 15 months after the accident that released them and mutated them. They are searching for their brother who they were separated from after the accident. With multiple flashbacks of sorts to the accident and lead up to it all in between their search.
I can't wait to read the next trade in this series!
ethancf's review against another edition
4.0
By the time I was old enough to engage with TMNT, it had become a merch factory. The only meaningful ways I consumed it were the first movie (which is still great, by the way) and the video games; I never watched the show regularly and I certainly never read any of the comics - so I was going in relatively fresh.
That doesn't matter so much as this is a new continuity and there's a new (but mostly familiar) origin story at play here. I liked this new take on the origin as it adds an extra layer of complexity to a handful of characters. The action is good, the art is fantastic, and the characters are written pretty well. I will probably read a good amount of this Eastman run!
That doesn't matter so much as this is a new continuity and there's a new (but mostly familiar) origin story at play here. I liked this new take on the origin as it adds an extra layer of complexity to a handful of characters. The action is good, the art is fantastic, and the characters are written pretty well. I will probably read a good amount of this Eastman run!
pichu0331's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
readerturnedwriter's review against another edition
5.0
I'm just trying out different comics and I have watched some of the ninja turtle movies, but I don't have a lot of background with them. That said, I loved this comic!
The artwork looked great and was really easy to follow (that's really important to me) and the plot was very interesting, with well done pacing.
The artwork looked great and was really easy to follow (that's really important to me) and the plot was very interesting, with well done pacing.