Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends #6
| Writer | Gary Carlson |
| Artist | Frank Fosco |
| Cover Price | $3.99 |
This is it! Fans demanded it and IDW Publishing listened! The entire TMNT Volume 3, reproduced for the first time ever in full four-color glory! With Splinter still missing, The Turtles try to test the limits of Donatello's new cyborg body. But when a friend makes a mistake, will Donatello be able to take control before it's too late?
? Featuring new cover art by Frank Fosco and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman!
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8.5
TMNT Urban Legends is a strange footnote in Ninja Turtle history. It began as a canonical continuation of the original Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird series from the 80s and early 90s. It's pretty much forgotten that Image Comics produced a volume of TMNT comics. It is probably even less notable than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. The most talked about aspect of the series was how dark things got for our heroes. Donatello's shell was destroyed leaving him in a Cyborg body. (They did it first) Raphael's face was horribly disfigured in the first issue leading to him wearing one of Casey Jones old masks. Eventually, Raph takes on the mantle of Shredder, leader of the Foot Clan. "‹"‹ Leonardo loses his hand in battle and Splinter undergoes further mutation transforming into a giant bat. Michelangelo is the only character to escape the series relatively unscathed. The series was canceled with little fanfare before the final storyline was even completed until IDW picked up the license and decided to reprint the series and finish the story. I have the entire series but I figured here was as good a place to start with the beginning of the second arc. "‹"‹ Splinter is gone and Donatello is adjusting to his new body. Donny is nervous about his consciousness potentially being overridden by his cybernetic mind. Leo goads him into a sparring session. Donatello proves to be seriously upgraded and quickly overwhelms his brothers. All goes well until Casey Jones shows up. Casey sees the fighting and immediately rushes to defend the turtles not remembering that Donatello is now cybernetic. He lands blow after blow until Donny's self-defense protocols kick in taking over his mind and moves in to execute Casey. The turtles manage to talk Donatello down resulting in a close call and uncertainty in Donny's ability to trust himself. "‹"‹ There is a sub-plot in Michelangelo having one of his poems published. The comic ends with him babysitting Casey and April's daughter and her being kidnapped while he sleeps in the other room. Once you get past how jarring some of the changes are for our heroes the story isn't bad. The turtles, Casey, and April all feel familiar which is a hallmark of all TMNT series. The downside of the issue is that I'm not a fan of the art style. This will probably be an issue throughout the series so I won't mention art going forward unless something really jumps out to me as appealing or egregious. "‹"‹ That being said, adding color to this series was a godsend. Some of the detail is lost but the color makes it a lot easier to understand what is happening on the page. This was a chief complaint I had with the 90's series. I don't really like dumping on anyone's art as they probably can produce a better book than I ever could nevertheless, I don't like it and I won't lie about it. more
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8.0
this was one of the best written issues of the series thus-far. the characterizations for all for the Turtle brothers as PITCH PERFECT! just the banter between brothers in this issue was worth the price tag alone. it was funny as hell! with all the action from the events of the first story arc this issue steps back and give everyone a much needed breather. The Turtles are worried about Donatello now that he's become a cyborg, and decide to check in on him. Donatello is worried that the A.I. of his new cybernetics, at times they take over him and he is unable to stop it. Leo, Mike and Raph try to convince Donnie to spar with them, to see what his new enhancements are capable of. Raph mostly goads, calling him "chicken". hesitant at fi rst Donatello finally gives concedes. now with his enhanced strength and reflexes takes on his brothers with ease. Casey Jones visits the lair and hearing the commotion, thinks the Turtles are under attack. not knowing is Donatello, Casey steps in and starts assaulting Donnie with a baseball bat over the head. the cybernetic A.I. distracts Donatello while he's fighting, and eventually takes full control over him. it tries to terminate Casey, but is stopped once Donatello is finally able to regain control over his body. once very nice characteristic of this series is it plays up Michelangelo wanting to be a writer. this was brought up in Mirage TMNT #17, but had never been really explored other than this series. Michelangelo goes back with Casey to his & April O'Neil's apartment. they are going out for the evening and need Mikey to babysit their adopted daughter, Shadow. Shadow and Mikey play video games till her bed time. then she asks Mikey to read her a story. it's really cute to see Shadow knows this story makes Mikey fall asleep. after he nods off she goes right back to playing video games. the front door opens. Shadow thinking her mother and father have returned home, goes to the door. someone we cannot see who it is, abducts Shadow. the new colorizing of this series is terrific! as much as i enjoyed these comics in their original B&W, i'm actually enjoying them much more in color. more
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8.0
Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another. And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel? It was the son of Jove and Leto; for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest. Now Chryses had come to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, and had brought with him a great ransom: moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo wreathed with a suppliant's wreath and he besought the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus, who were their chiefs. "Sons of Atreus," he cried, "and all other Achaeans, may the gods who dwell in Olympus grant you to sack the city of Priam, and to reach your homes in safety; but free my daughter, and accept a ransom for her, in reverence to Apollo, son of Jove." On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting the priest and taking the ransom that he offered; but not so Agamemnon, who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away. "Old man," said he, "let me not find you tarrying about our ships, nor yet coming hereafter. Your sceptre of the god and your wreath shall profit you nothing. I will not free her. She shall grow old in my house at Argos far from her own home, busying herself with her loom and visiting my couch; so go, and do not provoke me or it shall be the worse for you." The old man feared him and obeyed. Not a word he spoke, but went by the shore of the sounding sea and prayed apart to King Apollo whom lovely Leto had borne. "Hear me," he cried, "O god of the silver bow, that protectest Chryse and holy Cilla and rulest Tenedos with thy might, hear me oh thou of Sminthe. If I have ever decked your temple with garlands, or burned your thigh-bones in fat of bulls or goats, grant my prayer, and let your arrows avenge these my tears upon the Danaans." Thus did he pray, and Apollo heard his prayer. He came down furious from the summits of Olympus, with his bow and his quiver upon his shoulder, and the arrows rattled on his back with the rage that trembled within him. He sat himself down away from the ships with a face as dark as night, and his silver bow rang death as he shot his arrow in the midst of them. First he smote their mules and their hounds, but presently he aimed his shafts at the people themselves, and all day long the pyres of the dead were burning. For nine whole days he shot his arrows among the people, but upon the tenth day Achilles called them in assembly- moved thereto by Juno, who saw the Achaeans in their death-throes and had compassion upon them. Then, when they were got together, he rose and spoke among them. "Son of Atreus," said he, "I deem that we should now turn roving home if we would escape destruction, for we are being cut down by war and pestilence at once. Let us ask some priest or prophet, or some reader of dreams (for dreams, too, are of Jove) who can tell us why Phoebus Apollo is so angry, and say whether it is for some vow that we have broken, or hecatomb that we have not offered, and whether he will accept the savour of lambs and goats without blemish, so as to take away the plague from us." With these words he sat down, and Calchas son of Thestor, wisest of augurs, who knew things past present and to come, rose to speak. He it was who had guided the Achaeans with their fleet to Ilius, through the prophesyings with which Phoebus Apollo had inspired him. With all sincerity and goodwill he addressed them thus:- "Achilles, loved of heaven, you bid me tell you about the anger of King Apollo, I will therefore do so; but consider first and swear that you will stand by me heartily in word and deed, for I know that I shall offend one who rules the Argives with might, to whom all the Achaeans are in subjection. A plain man cannot stand against the anger of a king, who if he swallow his displeasure now, will yet nurse revenge till he has wreaked it. Consider, therefore, whether or no you will protect me." And Achilles answered, "Fear not, but speak as it is borne in upon you from heaven, for by Apollo, Calchas, to whom you pray, and whose oracles you reveal to us, not a Danaan at our ships shall lay his hand upon you, while I yet live to look upon the face of the earth- no, not though you name Agamemnon himself, who is by far the foremost of the Achaeans." Thereon the seer spoke boldly. "The god," he said, "is angry neither about vow nor hecatomb, but for his priest's sake, whom Agamemnon has dishonoured, in that he would not free his daughter nor take a ransom for her; therefore has he sent these evils upon us, and will yet send others. He will not deliver the Danaans from this pestilence till Agamemnon has restored the girl without fee or ransom to her father, and has sent a holy hecatomb to Chryse. Thus we may perhaps appease him." With these words he sat down, and Agamemnon rose in anger. His heart was black with rage, and his eyes flashed fire as he scowled on Calchas and said, "Seer of evil, you never yet prophesied smooth things concerning me, but have ever loved to foretell that which was evil. You have brought me neither comfort nor performance; and now you come seeing among Danaans, and saying that Apollo has plagued us because I would not take a ransom for this girl, the daughter of Chryses. I have set my heart on keeping her in my own house, for I love her better even than my own wife Clytemnestra, whose peer she is alike in form and feature, in understanding and accomplishments. Still I will give her up if I must, for I would have the people live, not die; but you must find me a prize instead, or I alone among the Argives shall be without one. This is not well; for you behold, all of you, that my prize is to go elsewhither." And Achilles answered, "Most noble son of Atreus, covetous beyond all mankind, how shall the Achaeans find you another prize? We have no common store from which to take one. Those we took from the cities have been awarded; we cannot disallow the awards that have been made already. Give this girl, therefore, to the god, and if ever Jove grants us to sack the city of Troy we will requite you three and fourfold." Then Agamemnon said, "Achilles, valiant though you be, you shall not thus outwit me. You shall not overreach and you shall not persuade me. Are you to keep your own prize, while I sit tamely under my loss and give up the girl at your bidding? Let the Achaeans find me a prize in fair exchange to my liking, or I will come and take your own, or that of Ajax or of Ulysses; and he to whomsoever I may come shall rue my coming. But of this we will take thought hereafter; for the present, let us draw a ship into the sea, and find a crew for her expressly; let us put a hecatomb on board, and let us send Chryseis also; further, let some chief man among us be in command, either Ajax, or Idomeneus, or yourself, son of Peleus, mighty warrior that you are, that we may offer sacrifice and appease the the anger of the god." Achilles scowled at him and answered, "You are steeped in insolence and lust of gain. With what heart can any of the Achaeans do your bidding, either on foray or in open fighting? I came not warring here for any ill the Trojans had done me. I have no quarrel with them. They have not raided my cattle nor my horses, nor cut down my harvests on the rich plains of Phthia; for between me and them there is a great space, both mountain and sounding sea. We have followed you, Sir Insolence! for your pleasure, not ours- to gain satisfaction from the Trojans for your shameless self and for Menelaus. You forget this, and threaten to rob me of the prize for which I have toiled, and which the sons of the Achaeans have given me. Never when the Achaeans sack any rich city of the Trojans do I receive so good a prize as you do, though it is my hands that do the better part of the fighting. When the sharing comes, your share is far the largest, and I, forsooth, must go back to my ships, take what I can get and be thankful, when my labour of fighting is done. Now, therefore, I shall go back to Phthia; it will be much better for me to return home with my ships, for I will not stay here dishonoured to gather gold and substance for you." And Agamemnon answered, "Fly if you will, I shall make you no prayers to stay you. I have others here who will do me honour, and above all Jove, the lord of counsel. There is no king here so hateful to me as you are, for you are ever quarrelsome and ill affected. What though you be brave? Was it not heaven that made you so? Go home, then, with your ships and comrades to lord it over the Myrmidons. I care neither for you nor for your anger; and thus will I do: since Phoebus Apollo is taking Chryseis from me, I shall send her with my ship and my followers, but I shall come to your tent and take your own prize Briseis, that you may learn how much stronger I am than you are, and that another may fear to set himself up as equal or comparable with me." more
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8.5
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8.0
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