In this week’s Wednesday Comics Reviews, the team reviews the finale of Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra’s run with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12, a fun seasonal anthology with Hello Halloween #1, and the latest burst of action from Speed Racer – Tales From the Road #1! Plus, Ensign’s Log and The Prog Report!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Review by Tim Rooney
If it is possible to be both back to basics and to tread new ground, Jason Aaron’s run on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has managed to do both. Starting off with our four heroes separated and at odds with one another, this last year of comics has been about the Turtles finding their way back to one another, at home in New York. Aaron has stripped away the supporting cast to but a few key figures and returned the title to its over-the-top grim parody roots of the Mirage era of comics. Fans of Sophie Campbell’s more slice-of-life Turtles may be frustrated to see Mutant Town and that status quo mostly cast aside, but Aaron still leverages key developments to put new challenges in front of the Turtles.This is not a group of heroes hidden beneath the streets, but firmly in the crosshairs of public opinion, situated as both hero and villain in the eyes of the average New Yorker. It’s been a long, decompressed road but the ending here is satisfying.
Joining Jason Aaron for most of this run is artist Juan Ferreyra. His phenomenal visuals have quelled any concerns about the slow build or what might have been left behind. Every issue is a visual feast to savor, full of inventive layouts and gruesome detail. Ferreyra’s mutants are vaguely menacing, with clenched teeth and lumbering builds, but it perfectly suits the grizzled Frank Miller dialogue and narration. Ferreyra embraces the super-heightened melodrama, pushing every page and panel to the absolute limit of detail and emotion.
This final issue of the Aaron/Ferreyra run is mostly a big action setpiece, which could be a slight against it in the hands of a lesser creative team. Seeing the Turtles finally reunited and fighting as one against their monstrous enemy for 20 pages of pure action is totally earned. It helps that the fight is so alive with Ferreyra’s dynamic, painted imagery. The work is more focused on the interplay of color, shape, and volume than comic books art’s traditional black and white and line weight. There is an expressiveness to the brushstrokes, a fluidity of motion as panel, weapon, limb, tentacle flow across the page. The air ripples with movement as the monster attacks. The lights in the background emanate in round flickers. From panel to panel their enemy changes form. Shawn Lee’s lettering echoes the handcrafted, painterly style. The word balloons and letters themselves mutate and shift with emotion, volume, and energy.
The issue starts off as visual and interpersonal chaos until Aaron and Ferreyra bring the team together in a stunning page whose individual panels evokes a turtle shell. All of the hardship and the heartbreak bring the turtles together with April and the spirit of their deceased father Splinter to enter a new era where they are no longer outsiders ostracized from the wider world. Jason Aaron has torn them down and rebuilt their bond–with one another and with New York City– back stronger than ever.
TMNT #12 is jam-packed with emotion, action, and breathtaking art. What more can you ask for? A few surprises are even left for the followup team of Gene Luen Yang and Freddie Williams II to pick up on. As disappointed as I am to see these creators go–especially Ferreyra– there’s every reason to believe that IDW is committed to moving the franchise forward in exciting, constantly changing fashion.
Hello Halloween #1
Writers: R.L. Stine, Robert Hack, Shawn Patrick Boyd, Megan Hutchison, Paul Allor
Art: Carola Borelli, Robert Hack, Elijah Henry, Megan Hutchison, Nil Vendrell
Colors: Francesco Segala, Jason Wordie, Rebecca Good
Letters: Jim Campbell, Taylor Esposito, Pat Brosseau
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Review by Clyde Hall
Horror anthologies, they drop like autumn leaves in the season of bewitchment. Nearly as numerous, not always as bright, but providing a welcome harvest of Halloween cover art decorating our LCS racks and online comics purchases. And Frazer Irving, Drew Rausch, Jeremy Bastian, Jenny Frison, and Mattia De Iulis don’t disappoint in this respect with their excellent cover variants. They also convey accurately that the content between those covers isn’t young reader friendly, a valid approach when the creative team has R.L. Stine in the lineup lest parents equate that with a Goosebumps level of maturity.
And what lurks within these pages is a mixed trick-or-treats bag of All Hallows’ goodies, some full-size Snickers and Twix, others the generically orange-and-black wax papered Peanut Butter Kisses. But no rocks, the Great Pumpkin be praised.
‘The Graveyard Club’ is the first offering, from maestro Stine, Carola Borelli, Francesco Segala, and Jim Campbell. And I sincerely believe Stine’s more than earned that title when it comes to creepy stories, the ones which kept my daughter stacking up the Goosebumps series when she was in grade school. I really want to like his newest comics offerings, but I usually can’t. This story embodies many of the reasons why.
A group of youths residing in the town of Graves End decide they’ll have a Halloween party in the local graveyard. One of the teens is unsure about this plan because of a superstition, a legend her grandmother shared with her. There’s also a town cop that makes their young lives miserable by overzealous applications of his authori-tay. What follows this set up is predictable and based on a spooky season Scare Tactics plan maybe okay once upon a time but wildly unlikely nowadays. ‘Cause dressing up as undead shamblers and grabbing people is a good way to meet the business ends of fists or worse. The ending, again, was expected. There are glimmers of Stines’ little signature shivers here, but most get lost in a rough sketch plot and a legend/folklore hook not fully established enough to be scary.
It’s a shame, because the artwork sets the right tone, but the narrative didn’t deliver. And, as the first story in the book, it gave me immediate apprehension about the quality of the other selections.
Apprehension not lessened by a page of single-panel, darkly comedic interludes, ‘I Can’t Take You Anywhere’ by Robert Hack. They’re all appropriate to the Halloween season, but the humor may come off as twisted to some.
However the next tale, ‘Weegee’, also written and drawn by Hack, is a dandy, macabre little entry to the issue. It deals with the sibilant, psychic calling from Old Ones seeking a doorway back into the waking world and using a seemingly cursed item as their portal. The man who answers that call, however, isn’t the vassal they expected. Equal parts Cthulhuian dread and wry commentary on contemporary mindsets, this story unfolds with a perfect blend of limited, punchy narrative and artwork reflecting its most shadowed corners.
‘Johnny Pumpkin Time’ from Shawn Patrick Boyd, Elijah Henry, Jason Wordie, and Taylor Esposito provides another horror tale treat. When the Yum Yum candy company begins a campaign offering one lucky winner a prize of $5 million dollars for online posts of people trying to eat an entire bag of their candy, it becomes a viral challenge beyond what Tide PODS or Nyquil Chicken managed. Quentin is in the minority of people, kids and adults, not trying to win the cash prize. His mother’s insistence on eating healthy means he has no access to candy, and a whole bag of Yum Yums is out of the question. Except that this is no ordinary candy company campaign, and Johnny Pumpkin Time is no simple corporate mascot. He’s on a whole nether level of perfidity, and Johnny Pumpkin Time doesn’t take no for an answer.
This story blended the structures of classic comic book horror tales with today’s sensibilities regarding junk food and internet influence very well. It may come off as a bit heavy-handed in its themes, but the payoff is one of the best in this issue. Esposito’s letters really light the Jack ‘o Lantern candle on this tale, a sense of fun injected into dialogue and onomatopoeias. The art style is also reminiscent of earlier weird comic tales, and seeing it applied to a story with concerns about current trends and social media may sound like a stretch. But for me, it worked on all levels.
‘Samhain’ by Megan Hutchison and Jim Campbell is a period piece set in 1936 Boston. A family of Irish immigrants is acclimating to American life and that includes Halloween. The two young brothers get stories about Irish folklore and what Samhain once stood for from their Nan. She shares her belief in creatures such as the Fomorians, and how traditions of Samhain were meant to protect people from deeper darknesses lurking beneath the season of shadows.
Their father protests such instruction, insisting they embrace the traditions of Halloween as Americans now, a day all about harmless fun and costumed kids begging for candy. They may not embrace their heritage, but that doesn’t keep their heritage from embracing them. It’s a beautifully illustrated story both written and drawn by Hutchison, and a comeuppance tale of consequences when new outlooks try ignoring and squeezing out traditional wisdom and insight. The final act is both chilling and darkly charming.
In ‘Billy Pritzker Talked Too Much’, Paul Allor with Nil Vendrell, Rebecca Good, and Pat Brosseau present a story of a new big city kid in a small town, instructing his classmates on how Halloween’s meant to be celebrated right. Like they do where he’s from. It’s not about getting candy, it’s about pulling pranks and breaking stuff, according to Billy Pritzker. But as the youths learn, it’s an either/or situation, not a best of both worlds one.
This story manages a combination of elements from Weapons and Trick ‘r Treat to good effect. The narrative is one of the more rooted in everyday as presented here, always a great start for a story eventually delving into the unreality of the supernatural. One drawback was how two characters as drawn here can easily be mistaken for one another. It left the flow of events a bit confusing in one section. A second read cleared it up for me, but it was a sticking point.
Otherwise this tale is fitting for the final entry of the comic anthology, leaving us with a satisfied melancholy, the sort we had as kids after the trick or treating was done, the candy collected, the sweet tooths appeased. And all that was left? Great memories, spooky moments, and the sad spectre of waiting a whole other year for Halloween to come once again.
Despite a stumble at the start, not unlike the kind we made getting used to seeing out of plastic Ben Cooper masks in years gone by, Hello Halloween carves out an enjoyable collection of stories. A few aren’t as perfect as they could be, but like a Jack ‘o Lantern with an off-center, crooked smile, they’re entertaining and creepy even so. If you see any one of those excellent covers, know that the contents have the right festive ingredients for the season. Pick it up and enjoy!
Speed Racer – Tales From the Road #1
Writers: Mark London, David Pepose
Artists: Sebastian Píriz, Alessio Zonno
Letterer: Buddy Beaudoin
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review by Jordan Jennings
Mad Cave Studios has quietly been killing it with the retro throwback comic series as of late. Gatchaman has been one of my favorite books this past year and now I get to put Speed Racer: Tales From The Road on my shortlist. The issue features two stories set in the world of Speed Racer but as you may have gathered, not focusing on the titular character but instead turns the attention to his brothers—Racer X and Spritle.
The Racer X story, Two Princes, is an action packed spy comic detailing an early adventure of Racer X against the crime boss known as the Viking. Mark London keeps the dialog brief to allow for the action to speak for itself. The framing device London utilizes is a simple but effective one of contrast. Racer X and The Viking start their journeys in similar fashion but diverge greatly over purpose and direction. The comic frequently cuts between the framing device and the action that gives the comic a snappy pulse. It’s a familiar burned spy story that wouldn’t be out of place in a Fast and Furious film. Yet, this is expertly executed to the point of beauty.
As much as I enjoyed the writing, the art by Sebastian Píriz steals the show here. Píriz has a kinetic style that is a perfect fit for the comic. He takes advantage of unique and novel layouts to deliver maximum impact for each action beat and car crash. One of the most novel things I saw in the comic was how Píriz handled a common car movie trope–The gear shift. This simple sound effect in films is critical to show the rising stakes and gives the action a sense of realism. Yet, in a strictly visual medium, such as comics, that element is often missing. Píriz uses panel inlays that highlight the gear shift and pedals. It’s a very simple but effective tool to give the issue an extra pop of energy.
The back-up story following Spritle and Chim-Chim’s joy ride in the Mach 5 is cute and a silly palette cleanse following the high-octane action of Two Princes. Written by David Pepose and illustrated by Alessio Zonno, the story is full of high energy hi-jinks and monkey shines as the duo wreck Speed’s famed race car following a hilarious montage of misadventures. Zonno gives a sleek aesthetic to the story that is vibrant and matches the tone of Pepose’s script perfectly. The dialog is fun and the humor is effective. Overall, a real great time to be had.
Speed Racer: Tales From The Road is an excellent read. The action and humor are both top notch and exceeded my expectations. This is a must read comic for any action comic fan.
Ensign’s Log Star Date 10222025
As IDW’s Star Trek comics continue to expand, Ensign Avery Kaplan has enlisted here to keep a careful log!
Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming #2
After the big reveal at the end of the first issue, Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming #2 puts the pedal to the metal as the U.S.S. Voyager crew faces off against Species 8472. The art by Ángel Hernández and colors by Charlie Kirchoff do a great job of bringing these aliens to the comic book page, where they look better than they ever did rendered in late 90s CGI. The writers Susan Bridges & Tilly Bridges clearly know their stuff, as demonstrated with the references to the episode “In the Flesh.”
This issue features Captain Janeway in Tanktop Mode (from “Year of Hell”) the whole time, which I doubt many VOY fans will find cause to complain about. There are especially big roles for B’Elanna Torres, Tom Paris, Seven of Nine and (of course) Janeway. Ultimately, Voyager – Homecoming #2 feels a lot like an action-oriented lost episode of the TV series. The issue features letters & design by Neil Uyetake, who does a particularly good job with Tuvok’s disoriented speech bubbles.
I’m very curious to see how this miniseries continues to develop, and I hope that we get to see more VOY stories afterwards, specifically from Bridges & Bridges.
The Prog Report
2000AD 2455 (Rebellion Publishing): Have you been reading the lead story in 2000AD of late? If you’ve made it down to this section, chances are you have. It’s titled Judge Dredd: Return to the Sea, and it’s from writer Rob Williams, artist Henry Flint, and letterer Annie Parkhouse. It’s really kicked into high gear at the exact right time, delivering a horror story with fall, American Thanksgiving vibes. You can see it from the cover above, but that’s what we’re dealing with right now, and it’s a perfect story to be following week-to-week as we head into Halloween. Great stuff. This week’s cover (above) is byCliff Robinson with Dylan Teague. As always, you can pick up a digital copy of The Prog here. —Zack Quaintance
Column edited by The Beat’s reviews editor, Zack Quaintance.
Read past entries in the weekly Wednesday Comics reviews series or check-out our other reviews here!
