Retro Comic Review - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #26

Name: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #26

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer & Artist: Rick Veitch 

Letterer: Gary Fields

The 'River Saga' ends with style, providing an exciting issue with a satisfying final battle and closure for all the relevant characters. The main villain behind the powerful and brutal Bloodsucker turns out to be a weird one, as per the rule in TMNT, who gets defeated in an epic way, leaving us wondering what fun could have been had if not for the rights issue.

The story progresses smoothly unlike the second issue and Veitch has gotten the hang of characterizing the turtles perfectly this time and conflict is told through his unique and weird style, giving some memorable moments well after you have finished.

The art is as good as ever; there are some brilliant moments like the psychic punch and Raphael's triumphant return that are bound to stay with you if you are a turtles fan. 

All in all, this one closes the story with a massive sense of accomplishment and a lingering desire of seeing Bloodsucker return to wreak havoc once again.

A whooping 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

Retro Comic Review - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #25

Name: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #25

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer & Artist: Rick Veitch 

Letterer: Steve Lavigne

The second issue of the 'River Saga' may be the weakest of the trilogy, but it is still way better than most other issues of the guest era. The story takes a new direction with the introduction of new characters and new story elements, keeping the reader guessing as to where the story is heading next.

The turtles get pulled into an environmental subplot, involving a greedy corporation and corrupted authority, and the pursuer for the Bloodsucker takes a back seat. But the ecologically motivated semi-conflict does end in this single issue as the trio restarts their quest with the help of a new ally.

Despite the enjoyable premise and execution, the new characters are quite generic and stereotypical in their depiction, and the dialogue at times contains some uninspired puns. And the story might have been polished a bit to make the issue even more powerful and enigmatic.

As like the previous issue, the art is quite detailed and engrossing. Once again, the villainous design of Bloodsucker was the highlight of the character's work.

This gets 3.5 stars out of 5 stars from me.

 

Retro Comic Review - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #24

Name: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #24

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer & Artist: Rick Veitch 

Letterer: Steve Lavigne 

The notorious 'guest era' in Mirage comics' original TMNT is known mostly for its inconsistency. These issues are often filled with pure randomness, awkward humor, and sheer mediocrity. But there are also some issues that are still regarded by some fans very highly even these days.

Issues 24-26 are fondly remembered by most fans as 'The River Saga' and the first issue brilliantly sets up the story. We get introduced to how Veitch characterizes the Turtles and their companions, get acquainted with his unique style of storytelling and also get our first glimpses of the main villain, who might be one of the best antagonists of this guest era if not the best.

The art is also quite beautiful, with detailed character works and poignant facial expressions. The first reveal of the humanoid depiction of the antagonist is master class of horror storytelling that I keep remembering quite often when I think of this arc.

There are a few gripes regarding how the characters speak at times or some unorthodox clothing choices not in touch with the general personalities, but these are things that can be easily overlooked based on the overall merit of the plot.

I'll give this a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars.

Retro Comic Review - Gizmo and the Fugitoid #2

Name: Gizmo and the Fugitoid #2

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer: Peter Laird and Michael Dooney 

Artist: Michael Dooney 

Letterer: Steve Lavigne 

The second issue picks up just where the first one left off. We find our heroes prisoners of the Triceratons and trying to figure out a way to get out this prickly in one piece.

The story suffers a bit with some unlikely coincidences as the author tries to finish everything in this issue and the Triceratons come out a bit out of character because of this. 

Although the art is as good as ever, even better than the first at times with the detailed spaceships and background work. Throughout the whole two issue series, I kept coming back to back pages just to goggle at the detailed art.

This gets another nostalgic 4 out of 5 stars. 

Retro Comic Review - Gizmo and the Fugitoid #1

Name: Gizmo and the Fugitoid #1

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer: Peter Laird and Michael Dooney 

Artist: Michael Dooney 

Letterer: Steve Lavigne 

I have been checking out the original Mirage comics and came upon this 2 issue mini-series. Initially I was a bit sceptical about checking this out as these didn't feature the turtles at all and although I knew Fugitoid and I had no idea about who this Gizmo guy was. I am glad I decided to check this out.

The first issue does a fine job of introducing us to the main characters, the humourous dialogues of Gizmo and Fluffy was quite enjoyable and I really did feel for the strange situation Fugitoid was in.

The story was fast paced and enjoyable, but the thing I really liked was the detailed art, once again one of the most attractive things of these old Mirage black and white issues. And it also ended in a cliffhanger throwing one of my favorite extraterrestrial factions into the mix, great stuff so far.

4 out of 5 stars from me.