REVIEW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends Vol 2

Return Of A Cult Classic
Volume 2 of Urban Legends does something almost unheard of; it not only reprints the Image Comic run of TMNT but it concludes the series that had previously been left dead in the water since 1999. It does this with three additional issues that bring back the original writer Frank Fosco and colourist Adam Guzowski. This 300-page extravaganza collects issues 14-26 of the 26 issue series providing you with the final half of the two-volume set. Here content is king as each page is filled with popping panels, organic dialogue and good old fashioned gore you won’t find in the toned-down versions of these rambunctious reptiles.

Gritty & Great
Much like the traditional turtle comics, this story is gungy, gritty and gory; it’s a shell of a time. The art uses heavy shadows on both its characters and environments to paint a dark picture of the New York these Ninja Turtles inhabit. The action is filled with brutal takedowns hitting you right from the first pages as Raphael cuts a man from crotch to crown using a bladed gauntlet. The action continues to ramp up when leader Leonardo loses an arm in a duel with the fearsome King Komodo. He awakens howling in pain, staring down the towering monster that consumed his hand before he’s forced into a battle against an old friend now at a major disadvantage.

Turtles In Time
These Turtles seem like they are more in their mid to late twenties than their teenage years. They casually kill their enemies, drink and have all drifted apart as they follow their own passions in life. Raphael is the new leader of the long time enemy faction, the Foot Clan; Michelangelo is a talented writer on the verge of his first book deal. Donatello is half cyborg now, and Leo is finding himself without a team to lead.

With different interests taking up the turtles time, each has earned a new appearance that sets them apart, making them visually distinct. Raph, for example, is missing an eye and dons the armour of their mortal enemy, The Shredder making for a striking image standing amongst his brothers. With time allowed to move forward, we find a distant group of brothers who are reunited in a cause to save their Master Splinter, who has been transformed into a giant feral bat creature. The brilliant thing about this comic is while all the boys are in new phases of their lives with new looks and interests, they still feel like the same fearsome fighting team consisting of the leader, hothead, brains and jokester. To see them remain true to their roots and be expended upon creates something familiar yet new that is addictively hard to put down.

Back To Basics
With the recent cartoon, Rise Of The TMNT, introducing awful ideas such as the Turtles having magical powers, insufferable personalities and questionable role switches in the team, Urban Legends is a return to a more pure Ninja Turtles experience. It takes you from the sewers to the stars as they deal with street-level thugs and extraterrestrials.

They explore the mystical astral plane to save their master and bring him back to his senses so their family can be whole again. At the core of this book is a chemistry that shows their strengths as characters, making them a joy to watch playing off one another. They bicker like bitter brothers and show their love for one another which is an important undertone to have in all the gritty and grim moments this book hits you with. This book should really be something you keep your eye on if you have even a passing interest in the Ninja Turtles.

“What you’re getting here is a hefty 300 pages filled with detailed and fleshed out storylines that explore a future beyond the prime of the Ninja Turtles.”

SCORE: 4/5

by Gary Carlson (Author), Frank Fosco (Illustrator)