TMNT #64 Review Round-up

Well, I knew this one would probably be the most divisive when it came to the reviews, but Tales of the TMNT #64 -- my last Ninja Turtles comic (with Mirage at least) -- has hit the comic stores around the world and reviews have finally started hitting the web.

I was most interested in seeing how this one flew, as it's substantially different to all my other stories so far. A good friend of mine, and fellow TMNT writer Will Tupper told me it was my best book out of the lot(as have a few other people), which I was really pleased to hear, as I probably had the most fun writing this one and was worried I may have had TOO much fun along the way.

Anyway, here are the first lots of reviews.

The best place for all TMNT news - GoGreenMachine.org.

Mark Pellegrini's TMNT and Comic Review blog.

Mechanistic Moth's Comic Review journal.

Walt Kneeland, of ComiXtreme.com's review.

WednesdayInReview's Ian Perez's review.

Hopefully there'll be more, be they good or bad.

First Last Review!

GoGreenMachine.org has posted the first review of Tales of the TMNT #64!

Check it out here ---> OBAMA-RAMA!

I have no idea why I just wrote/thought that, but I like it.

The End

This here's a preview for Tales of the TMNT #64. My last story with Mirage. It's amazing to look at, but there's a touch of sadness in reading it knowing it's the last. It's in stores VERY soon!

"Burning Man" BTS

I've been away for a while working in a restaurant during the summer "touro" season, but have come back this weekend to tend to some important shiznit, including the handing in of my last Tales of the TMNT script for 2009. Here's a sneak at November's issue; "The Burning Man", which will be illustrated by Jim Lawson. It's a significant change of pace when you hold it up against "Hun", "Expose" and "Sometimes They Come Back", but it all links up. I've also had a couple of people ask how I structure my scripts, and this should help people get a general idea. There are other pages where I go into much more detail than this, but there's too much in each page that kind of gives things away, so here's the safest!

Page 1

Panel 1

We’re in Leo’s post-Vol.2 lair. It’s an abandoned pneumatic transit station that he’s made a home of. We’re looking at Leo from Mikey’s P.O.V., he’s furious.

BALLOON 1 (LEO): …Blah blah blah-blah BLAH!? Blah blah!

CAPTION 1 (MIKE): So saw this coming.

Panel 2

Same shot, but Leo has changed his body language.

BALLOON 2 (LEO): Blah blah blah! BLAH!!

CAPTION 2 (MIKE): Like a week ago. Saw this coming a week ago. No $#%@.

CAPTION 3 (MIKE): I’ve been mentally preparing myself for this verbal spanking by Leo for bordering on seven days and everything he’s talking about he’s making out to sound like it’s all my fault. Like I’ve done something wrong.

Panel 3

Mikey is slouched on a beaten sofa, clearly over Leo’s lecturing. He just wishes Leo would shut up and get over himself. We can just see part of Leo off to the right of panel.

CAPTION 4 (MIKE): At least that’s what I think he’s saying. I stopped paying attention after I saw that bug fly into his mouth. That was pretty early on too. I don’t think he noticed. Either that or he’s so full of himself he pretended it didn’t happen. Pretty funny either way…

BALLOON 3 (Leo): …Blah-blah blah blah Michelangelo?! Blah blah blah…

CAPTION 5 (Mike): I hate when he does that too! Uses my name in full like he’s Splinter or some @#$%! What a jerk! Go eat some more sewer bugs, jerk!

Panel 4

New angle. We’re up Mike’s end of the sofa, looking past him at Leo, who is still ranting.

Mike is bored shitless and frustrated by the whole thing.

CAPTION 6 (Mike): You want to know what he’s blaming me for?

CAPTION 7 (Mike): You’ll LOVE this… check it out.

Buffy vs Burning Man

If I can dig up the plot, I'll post it here like I did the others, but I thought someone might find this interesting, particularly if there are any Buffy fans out there. Originally, I was sitting on the fence between two stories - Burning Man and a pisstake on Buffy the Vampire Slayer where Mike and Raph encounter a colossal uber-vamp in the belltower of the Church Raph has been hiding out in. The short and curly of it is that basically the two end up teaming up with a girl cut from the Buffy mold. She kicks vampire ass and the three set out to figure out why this ancient monster (which feeds on other vampires as well) has been let loose. It was basically a "What if" sort of story but taking all the necessary precautions to avoid horrendous legal troubles. It was a fun story, but ultimately took a dirt nap in favour of Burning Man, which ties into everything else I've got coming along for next year.

The Burning Man

My final pitch for the 09 season of Tales of the TMNT has been approved and is titled "The Burning Man". It will tie into everything else I'm writing for 09, and will tie into both #50 AND #36 in it's own way. Miller will make a proper reappearance too, along with two more villains, both brand new!

It will be written for Jim Lawson I believe and will be out in November!