I’m not sure you could meet a person today that doesn’t have some knowledge of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but everyone might give a different description of what the franchise is because you can tell any story with these characters. That’s exactly what Mirage Studios did in the late 80s and early 90s. It’s actually a little surprising that it took IDW Publishing this long to put together something similar but fret not! It’s here, and it’s glorious!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White, & Green is an anthology comic featuring several different creative teams all telling self-contained short stories, just with one caveat: they have to be black, white, and green. This format has been gaining popularity, and chances are one of your favorite characters has one of these types of anthologies.
In this issue, there are four stories that are all very good. The stories are varied so whichever version of TMNT is your favorite, you’ll probably find one here that fits your style. The strongest of the bunch in my opinion is “The Brutal Sword of Leonardo” by Dave Baker and Jesse Lonergan. It’s a romp that really gives a much needed spotlight on Leo, as I feel like it’s been awhile for him.
Starting off the issue is the premier, top-of-the-marquee creative team of Declan Shalvey on script, art, and colors with Nathan Widick on letters. “Green Screen” is a Donatello-centric tale that is fun but it feels a little lukewarm coming off the heels of issue #150, which concluded a massive Donatello story. I still liked it, as the main draw for me was the gnarly character designs, though I think Shalvey was trying something in the color palette that didn’t quite work for me. There’s some pages where the light green comes across as very yellow and requires a bit of eye strain for me to get through,especially on the pages that lack any black. The lack of contrast really hurts parts of the story. But then I turn to that page where they are fighting Leatherhead, and it’s a perfect blend of the palette, where the lighter green is used sparingly.
Next up the issue goes full on Mirage Studios with a fantastically epic romp starring Leonardo where Jesse Lonergan and Dave Baker are swinging for the fences, and I’m out of my seat cheering. I won’t go into too much detail, because it’s worth reading fresh. I’d argue it’s worth the price of admission alone, and all the other stories are bonuses. I would love a weird mini-series by this creative team. Give them some real space to go wild!
The third story is by Gigi Dutreix and Lorenzo Hall, with art by Dutreix (apparently, these are their first interiors!). I really enjoyed this one where Raph is portrayed as a lot more than just the angry one. It’s very good, and I like how there’s a fair bit of subtlety. It feels satisfying to read, and I really like knowing that IDW is using this book to give newer creators a shot! Gigi Dutreix did a great job, and I hope to see more of their work soon!
The fourth and final story is the Mikey one, and it’s probably the easiest for younger readers to enjoy. It feels like a condensed episode of an animated TV show, and I really liked ending the issue on a silly note. The story felt smooth, largely thanks to the art and script coming from a single creator, Paulina Ganucheau.
Overall, this first issue exceeded my expectations, despite a few bumps in the road. It’s just plain fun and really calls back to the old days of Mirage Studios. Don’t hesitate to pick this up. It’s perfect for any fan of the franchise, and there’s no need to be up on what IDW is doing in the other books. I can’t wait for the next issue!
