TMNT: Black White & Green
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles gets its own turn at the Black, White & (insert associated color here) format.
Usually, when I pick up a comic and get about a quarter of the way through and realize that the story is wrapping up I get frustrated.
“Oh man, not another collection comic.” I know, it’s on me. Shouldn’t I know what I’m picking up? Didn’t I flip through the book before buying it?
I did not, on either count. No, with my dwindling comic book time and growing mass of other hobbies and responsibilities, my keen eye on what’s coming out next has dimmed.
But the nice part of not knowing what’s behind the cover you’re flipping is that sometimes you get to be surprised, and in the case of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White, & Green, I found a collection comic (a comic comprised of a collection of smaller stories) I’m happy to have.
What Made This Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Comic Book Special?
My normal complaint with books in this format is that each of the individual stories don’t deliver. Whether an artist decided to get extra creative in a small space, or a writer decided to finally insert their darling story that didn’t fit anywhere else, there tends not to be a cohesive thread connecting the collections.
Issue #1 of Black, White, & Green instead ties each of their unconnected stories with an emotional undertone that shows an individual turtle butting up against, and then overcoming a personal flaw.
Leonardo finds his role, Donatello finds connection, and Raphael faces his anger
I invite you to pick up the issue and explore each of the individual stories on your own. You’ll take something from them through your own personal lens in ways that I won’t be able to identify or explain here.
That being said, Leonardo and Donatello’s stories stood out above the rest of the book. Leonardo gets flung deep into time and learns something about what his real purpose is.
Donatello finds that staying connected with other people (turtles) is as important as all the inner lives one can lead. By the time you close the back cover, you’ll have spent some time with characters we love as they learn something new about themselves.
Byline:
Bio: Just Buffalo teaching artist BENJAMIN BRINDISE is the author of the chapbook ROTTEN KID (Ghost City Press, 2017), the full length collection of poetry Those Who Favor Fire, Those Who Pray to Fire (EMP Books, 2018), and the short fiction micro chap Secret Anniversaries (Ghost City Press, 2019). His poetry and fiction has been published widely online and in print or is forthcoming from Peatsmoke Journal, Marathon Literary Review, and Dust Poetry Magazine. Find him on IG @benjaminbrindiseauthor
