TMNT Prelude To Vengeance: FCBD 2015 Edition

Back from over a year’s hiatus, this is the latest in a series of comparison pieces following IDW’s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles timeline and how it differs from the original Mirage timeline. These reviews will reference IDW’s TPBs as well as original Mirage issues that are being re-released by IDW in TPB format. These reviews will also contain spoilers to the plot lines so ***SPOILER ALERT*** to everyone who wanted to read these issues first.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past four years, you’ve probably heard that after Nickelodeon acquired the TMNT franchise, IDW Publishing launched a new comic book ongoing series (unofficially labeled Volume 5). This came along with several 4 issue miniseries (à la Tales of the TMNT except more focused and tying into the ongoing run). The creative team behind this incarnation of the TMNT (Editor Bobby Curnow, Head Writer Tom Waltz, and Co-Creator Kevin Eastman) have managed to accomplish what most ongoing series attempt but rarely succeed at; they’ve planned out the stories months, and even years in advance. This allows them to connect some incredible dots and lay the groundwork for some amazing storytelling, unheard of in any TMNT comic book series of the last 30 years. And if, for the past four years, you have not been able to keep up-to-date with this series, or have never read an issue, then this Saturday‘s Free Comic Book Day issue is for you.

IDW’s TMNT FCBD 2015 issue, entitled Prelude to Vengeance, does a masterful job of summing up all of the relevant plot points of the last four years without spoiling it. Meaning, you can pick up this issue, add the title to your pull list, be up-to-date with the series, and be able to go back to get caught up and still manage to be surprised. Everything you need to know is mentioned in this issue and after having read it, you’ll be able to jump into this final story arc leading up to a monumental issue #50.

The last story arc, Attack on the Technodrome, ended with one of the biggest twists in the past 4 years, and arguably, the entire 30+ year TMNT run. Donatello being beaten to within an inch of his life by Bebop and Rocksteady was a significant event. Less than a month after being released, issue #44 is already at its 3rd printing. Second only to the book’s launch, the events of last month have caused a resurgence in interest in the TMNT comic, which is great because if you ask me, every TMNT fan should be reading this. You owe it to yourself to at least pick up this free issue and see what you’re missing. And with that, I’ll leave you with this image of Cyborg Donatello from the Image Comics (Volume 3) series that inspired the events going forward.

from Crossover Comics » Louis http://bit.ly/1zeeCAs