Micro-Series: Mirage vs. IDW

[Matches Malone]

Now that all the Micro-Series issues are out (at least, the ones that have Mirage counterparts), I thought it would be interesting to see what people think on how they stack up against the originals. For me, it was pretty tough because IDW's Micro-Series has been some of the best stuff they've put out so far for turtles. I like them all, Mirage and IDW, but there were definitely some issues which are better than their counterparts.

[Jester]

I prefer the Mirage counterpart on all but Donnie's where I feel they are about equal.

Raph: Introduces a key character to the series Casey Jones. Yes IDW's Raph 1 shot introduced Alopex, but she's only shown up in that issue and a panel in...what...issue 7?

Mikey: Two different holidays, but I prefer the Christmas story. Shows Mikey's heart and introduces one of the most forgotten yet beloved characters, Klunk.

Leo: Another Christmas issue. I like the dichotomy of the original Leo issue, the harshly shaded battle with Leo vs. the outline only Christmas prep of the others. That and the stakes were bigger. I mean, Leo was beaten very badly. In the IDW book, not so much.

The Donnie books in both cases were very light and fun. I like both for their introduction of fun tech and silly side characters.

[Abnormal Freak]

Mirage all the way. Kind of an unfair battle since those Mirage issues are killer.

Donny's my least favorite of the originals by far, but the Kirby-esque art is fantastic so it bumps it up several notches on that alone.

[Lampy]

Simply, Mirage has this in the bag.
None of the IDW micros are really that memorable.
The IDW Leo issue was fun and beautiful to look at, but Mirage's Leo issue was simply badass. no words, just butt-whoopin action.
The IDW Raph had a foreshadowing Bebop and Rocksteady, but unless they were mutants, it wasn't as memorable and Raph barely developed. Mirage's Raph issue showed a different side to Raph when he met Casey.
The Mirage Mike issue just had more emotion than the IDW issue.
The IDW Don issue, to me anyway, was my least favorite. I prefer an actual Kirby character than a Kirby-fan character. Plus, i think i already forgot what happened. all i really remember was a convention.

Simply put... Mirage's stories were more memorable and fun.

[Matches Malone]

I was pretty on the fence with the Raphael issue. I just wanted to acknowledge the strength of the IDW Micro. True, the character exploration in that issue was much more subtle, but the moments that were there really worked, I thought. Still, the Mirage one is probably a better issue overall. I should change my vote, d'oh!

As for the Michelangelo Micro, there's no doubt in my mind that IDW is my preference. From the beginning, Michelangelo was charming and thoughtful. I absolutely loved that movie theater scene. The art was a bit inconsistent, but I thought the style was perfect. Only thing the Mirage could boast was Klunk, albeit a big plus.

I definitely liked the Donatello Micros the least from both series. I was particularly disappointed with IDW's since he has been such an interesting voice in the ongoing series. I thought the Micro would delve more into that side, but instead we got a more cliched characterization, which was a bit of a letdown.

Mirage Leo's Micro is unbeatable. Everything you want in a TMNT issue. Great family dynamic and their dark past which lurks right outside their window. IDW's was a valiant effort, but a little unfocused, I think, in exactly what it wanted to achieve. It promised the first fight with the Foot, which it delivered, but I was hoping there would be a little more meat to the story than that. No real consequence except Leo got bruised up a bit and the Foot finally came out and said "hello."

[thelouisguy]

My review (http://www.crossovercomics.ca/frontpage/tmnt-micro-series-v-1-by-brian-lynch/) comparing the Mirage Microseries vs the IDW Micro-Series is now up at CrossoverComics.ca (http://www.crossovercomics.ca/category/blog/return-to-the-sewers/). If you like this type of comparison, then you will probably like my other reviews (http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=37259) as they become available.
TMNT Micro-Series v.1, by Brian Lynch
Posted on Wednesday, 13 June 2012 - Written by Louis

This is the second 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 issues that are being re-released by IDW in TPB format. IDW’s Micro-Series Vol 1 will be released in June 2012 and collects the first 4 micro-series issues of this new series, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Leonardo. IDW also released The Ultimate Collection Vol 1 in November 2011 which contains Raphael #1 and released The Ultimate Collection Vol 2 in March 2012 which contains Michelangelo #1, Donatello #1, and Leonardo #1. These reviews will also contain spoilers to the plot lines so ***SPOILER ALERT*** to everyone who wanted to read these issues first.

The first four IDW issues are released in the same order as the Mirage originals with Raphael being the first Turtle to be featured in his own story. Both issues are about Raphael fighting crime on his own. In the IDW version, we have Casey Jones accompanying Raphael. They fight with the human forms of Bebop and Rocksteady, implying that they will eventually be mutated. They are not in any Mirage comics and were original to the Fred Wolf cartoon. I am glad that they are reintroducing existing characters. We also meet Alopex, a mutant arctic fox, who turns out to be working with Bebop, Rocksteady, and a ninja who seems like a number two to The Shredder. I would like him to play a role like Tatsu did in the first two live-action TMNT movies. Tatsu was never in the original Mirage comics, but according to Tristan Jones’ Facebook page, was going to be brought in at the end of the Gang Wars story arc, which never saw a conclusion. In the Mirage book, Raphael is confronted by Casey Jones while fighting crime. The entire issue is about Casey Jones and Raphael meeting and fighting and it takes until the very last page for them to actually work together. I like both issues for different reasons. Bebop and Rocksteady will be very interesting additions to the story. Also, Casey Jones’ involvement in the Mirage issue is great just because I like Casey Jones, period.

The second issue stars Michelangelo during the holidays. Both issues involve a crime taking place. The IDW story takes place at a New Year’s Eve party and Michelangelo is mistakenly included in a heist. He ends up foiling it and this entire issue showcases Michelangelo’s “party dude” persona. The Mirage story takes place at Christmas time at a toy store. Michelangelo follows his new friend, Klunk the cat, to the back of a toy store and discovers that the store is being robbed. The cat jumps into the back of the truck that the burglars drive off in and Michelangelo follows. He ends up hijacking the truck, being chased by the police, and returns the toys to the orphanage with the help of April and the other Turtles. I am glad that we had this IDW issue to define Michelangelo’s personality, but from what I can tell, there is nothing tying it into the main story arc. Since Raphael’s, Donatello’s and Leonardo’s issues have tie-ins to the main story, my feeling is that we will find significance in this issue once we get to the Shadows of the Past issues 9 – 12 (or later).

The third issue features Donatello in a tribute to Jack Kirby. In the IDW story, Donatello, browsing web forums late at night with the username “duz_machines_84”, accepts an invitation from “prof_J_perry” (a nod to the second live-action TMNT movie) to attend the New World Expo. There he meets another member of the forums Harold Lillja “kirby_fan01”, who is brought to see Baxter Stockman. Lillja is asked to help him track the Turtles , which he accepts. In the Mirage story, Kirby is renting office space in April’s building. Donatello sees Kirby’s drawings come to life and rise off the page. They go through a portal to another world and in the end, Kirby decides to stay behind with all his creations. I prefer the IDW issue to the Mirage issue. The IDW issue ties Baxter Stockman into its story which adds to the timeline. The Mirage issue feels really out of place with the early Mirage issues (not so much with all the stuff that came later).

The fourth issue follows Leonardo as he battles the Foot Clan by himself. Both issues are very similar. The IDW comic ends with the ninja with the scar from issue #2, who will eventually become The Shredder, confronting Leonardo and dropping him off a building. This issue is more significant in the IDW timeline than the Mirage issue because this is the first time we encounter the Foot Clan in this way. We have seen them in the past, but they have either been in pairs, or it was not clear which faction they belong to. In the Mirage book, they meet The Shredder for the second time as Leonardo crashes through April’s apartment window saying “…He’s…back…the…Shredder!”. The seriousness of the Mirage issue is broken up by checking into the other Turtles preparing for Christmas eve. We see Michelangelo’s cat Klunk which we met from his original issue. The Mirage issue is my favorite in the series. The IDW issue would have been my favorite also, but the art really takes away from my enjoyment of the story. The fact that Leonardo looks like a ragdoll most of the time detracts from the seriousness the story is supposed to be conveying.

I am really enjoying the micro-series. They serve to establish the individual Turtles’ personalities. Running alongside the main storyline, I am glad that they are taking the time to give some back story and release these as separate issues. The only downside to the micro-series issues is the art. They have different artists doing each issue. I really like what Dan Duncan is going with the ongoing series. I am not too fond of the guest artists. I was also not fond of the Mirage issues that were not done by Kevin Eastman or Peter Laird. I feel that this is why I just can’t get into some of the original comics, and why I have so much trouble with Mirage’s Tales of the TMNT series. The fifth issue of the Mirage series focused on The Fugitoid, a fugitive android. He has yet to be introduced in the IDW timeline and so we should not see a micro-series issue dedicated to him until they decide to bring him in. Something that I am really looking forward to is the fact that the micro-series will continue past issue #4. It was announced by IDW editor Bobby Curnow via IDW forums that there will be at least four more issues in this series focusing on Splinter, Casey Jones, and April O’Neil.

Stay tuned for my next review which will feature the Mousers from Mirage’s issue #2. IDW’s Enemies Old, Enemies New TPB will be released in July 2012 collecting issues 5 to 8.

[Powder]

Yeah, let's try not to bump threads for the sole sake of promoting our work, alright?

On topic, Mirage's Raphael one-shot gets my vote, for the sole fact it introduced Casey Jones. It's kickass for other reasons too, though.

[Plasticplayhouse]

for me its easy. while all the issues were great in their own regards, the mirage raph micro tops them all. great story, great art, and introduction of a mega key character.

[AquaParade]

Yeah, let's try not to bump threads for the sole sake of promoting our work, alright?

On topic, Mirage's Raphael one-shot gets my vote, for the sole fact it introduced Casey Jones. It's kickass for other reasons too, though.

Powder, you are pretty intelligent and have a valuable opinion on most things tmnt, but please stop playing "board cop" all over the forum! The guy's post was pretty on topic, so big deal if it's also promoting a review he wrote. I welcome his post.

[pannoni1]

Raphael: Mirage. Mirage was good for consistant action and introducing Casey Jones, while IDW introduces a mostly one-off mutant, though human Bebop & Rocksteady's appearance really make it worth something.

Michelangelo: Mirage. Once again, a story that got turned into a 4kids episode, plus it really is what Christmas is supposed to be about: a joyous, jolly time. IDW comes up a bit uneven.

Donatello: A draw. Both are nicely reflective of their time, with witty tactics used to drive each story.

Leonardo: I'll have to go with Mirage, since Mirage's was another strong issue, whereas IDW's felt all over the place.

[Matches Malone]

Raphael: Mirage. Mirage was good for consistant action and introducing Casey Jones, while IDW introduces a mostly one-off mutant, though human Bebop & Rocksteady's appearance really make it worth something.

Alopex isn't exactly a one-off mutant as she has shown up a couple of more times in the ongoing series. Plus, we don't know what the future holds, but I have a feeling she will have a significant role as we delve deeper into the Foot and their experiments.

Also, to be fair, Casey Jones was a mostly one-off character at the time as I believe he doesn't show up again until 2 years later in Vol 1. #10.

On related note, I noticed in the Turtlemania preview (at miragelicensing.com), there's a pin-up of Casey Jones as part of the "rogues gallery." Not sure if he was considered a "villain" at that time, but if they had gone down that route, things certainly would have been really interesting!

Also, seems like the consensus is that Mirage tops IDW, but I think it's also apparent that IDW put out some good stuff that can definitely stand on its own. And the fact that we're getting more Micro-Series issues (with Splinter just around the corner) is even better!

[Redeemer]

This is especially difficult bc the IDW Micros have all been great to say the least (Except Mikey's)

The Mikey comics
Mirage all the way, great story as others have said Mikey show a lot of heart and I love clunk in all honesty. The Idw issue was simply a let down....the art was mediocre and the storyline just didn't fit Mikey... A party dude at a high society shindig???

Raph-
The Mirage Raph was pretty awesome, but IDW teaser at the end with Bebop and Rock steady makes this a draw for me. Both issues introduce key characters

Don-
Mirage ftw in all honesty I jst love the storyline, The IDW Don is just too stereo typical of a nerd , The Mirage issue was also action filled and I simply loved it.

Now for Leo....
Mirage Leo as others have said is the "ultimate issue" but the IDW issue was better than i expected, except for the Art work, it was a bit of a let down...
I have to go with the Mirage bc of the art work simple as that

[thelouisguy]

Powder, you are pretty intelligent and have a valuable opinion on most things tmnt, but please stop playing "board cop" all over the forum! The guy's post was pretty on topic, so big deal if it's also promoting a review he wrote. I welcome his post.
Thank you. I thought my review was very relavent and I did not want to just copy/paste it into this board. I ended up putting it in a spoiler tag so that it does not take up too much room and for those who think I want to draw traffic away from the boards.

[Donnie]

I went 50/50.

Mikey: I went with Mirage, although IDW's issue was great it didn't have the same heart that Mirage's did. The Mirage micro really showed Mikey's personality and character better. Plus, Klunk.

Donnie: Went with Mirage again. Honestly, not a huge fan of the IDW micro. I thought the scientist was eh, I thought the whole plot was pretty unrealistic and should have been an OT episode. Too light-hearted for a serious character like Donatello. Like, where the hell did that Donatello wonder off to in IDW? He's such an ass in the main series yet in his micro he's cracking jokes to himself and the people he's fighting.

Leo: IDW. Both are amazing, but for the sole purpose of Ross Campbell's amazing work I picked IDW.

Raph: Also went IDW, I don't really know why. I think it was the artwork, but it was also the tone and the fact that Raphael was just getting accustomed to his brothers took it completely out of the Mirage zone, in a cool way.

[corvus]

I don't get all the hate dons receiving for his dialogue in issue ten. He's not like that all the time in this series just when they're all stressed out looking for splinter and he's made it clear he didn't buy the reincarnation thing before so Leo set him off. It's understandable.

[Donnie]

I don't get all the hate dons receiving for his dialogue in issue ten. He's not like that all the time in this series just when they're all stressed out looking for splinter and he's made it clear he didn't buy the reincarnation thing before so Leo set him off. It's understandable.

His temper is just so short, though. I think that's the major gripe with me. I don't remember any incarnation of TMNT where Don has been so quick to snap. I understand this is a new take on the Turtles, I guess I'm still getting used to this new Don...

[Matches Malone]

His temper is just so short, though. I think that's the major gripe with me. I don't remember any incarnation of TMNT where Don has been so quick to snap. I understand this is a new take on the Turtles, I guess I'm still getting used to this new Don...

I kind of felt this way at first, but I think for me, the reason why Donatello might seem overly aggressive or Leo might be too bossy is because we're getting just 1/4 or 1/3 of a story arc in every issue, and over-analyze each piece of dialogue. However, when read in the context of the whole arc, it's not as excessive as it feels when I first read those 22 pages, making that moment a bigger part of the story when it's just meant to be a big part of that particular issue. Anyway, just my two cents.

Some have said they are glad to see the TMNT in this series actually act like teenagers. I agree to a point, but I also have grown wary of reducing the characterization of any teenagers as immature, whiny, and emotional. Kids and teenagers can often surprise you with their maturity, understanding, and strongly held beliefs. Hopefully we can see more flashes of teen Buffy/Xander/Willow and less teen Dawn or Connor (for you Buffy/Angel fans). As for the original Mirage TMNT, I never had much problem with the way they acted because they trained diligently in the sewers for 15 years isolated from the rest of the world. I would imagine that would instill a sense of seriousness and discipline in them. Maybe they didn't really act like typical teenagers at times, but I'd say it's arguable they were forced to grow up fast.

[ToTheNines]

I'm all for opinions and all, but seriously... 9 votes for the IDW Leo isue???

The Mirage Leo issue is probably the single greatest comic book they ever put out in their entire history. The stakes were high, Leo went to effing war, the side story worked perfectly, they art was amazing and the ramifications of that story were felt for a long ass time.

The IDW issue has some nice art by Campbell for sure, but the fight wasn't anything special, it didn't move the plot along much, Leo talked and inner-monologued way too much, and the only lasting effect this story made upon the ongoing was Leo rubbing his shoulder and a few throw away lines.

[Cowabunga Carl]

I had to go with Mirage Raph simply because it introduced Casey Jones who was my favorite character. The issue was just a fun ride seeing Raph come to blows with someone who had anger issues just like him.

The IDW books have been good but right now where we are at I don't feel like they will have as big of impact on the ongoing series as Raph or Leo's Mirage issue.

[MikeandRaph87]

The Leo micro for IDW seemed like it was a fast read and did not have much content wise. I perfer the Mirage. I like Casey Jones and Klunk, but perfer IDW for the other three. All were well written and carefully placed and while tying into continuity was itself a one-shot which I appreciate.

The Kirby tribue left me bored actually,but the IDW one-shot was a good mix of a tribute to the previous one-shot, humor, and action with an interesting plot and I thought the art in this issue was the best. The Michelangelo from Mirage had Christmas as a back drop and he got a pet cat,but I liked the Tim Sale-like art and the jewel theft-mytery plot of IDW. Finally,Raphael of IDW was my favorite overall because it did something Larid and Mirage avioded,evil mutants. Like the inclusion of Bebop and Rocksteady and the complex new character of Apolex. Nowhere near as icon as Casey but it was just a fun issue with elements I have been wanting to see.

[Donnie]

Wow, I didn't think IDW's Donatello would take a lead over Mirage's, however slight it is...that surprises me. Don's Mirage micro is incredibly memorable. It takes the scientific Turtle into a world of fantasy, showing him from an early point that there are some things you just cannot understand (or, more appropriately, you cannot immediately or currently understand).

That's an important part of Don's character so far missing from IDW. I do like his IDW issue, though. I re-read it recently and found a new appreciation for it in its simplicity, and it actually does show Don being more socially accepting of humanity in his befriending and understanding of Harold, no matter how awkwardly that friendship started.

[Jester]

I'm actually surprised at how many people prefer the IDW Leo micro....really?

[Donnie]

I'm actually surprised at how many people prefer the IDW Leo micro....really?

For me, it's basically because of Ross Campbell. I love the Mirage Leo issue...but I like Campbell's art better. Usually, I judge comics based on the writing and the depth sometimes breached...but with Leo, it's the artwork that does it for me. It doesn't hurt that the writing was good, too.

That being said, the ending of Mirage's issue is far superior to IDW's.

[Jester]

Love Ross' art, but for me it's the story and especially the motif in the shading to differentiate the action half of the page from the light Christmas prep on the other half of the page.

[Powder]

Ross' art is awesome as hell, but in my opinion that issue itself was a sort of shallow husk of that which it was based upon.

[ToTheNines]

I'm actually surprised at how many people prefer the IDW Leo micro....really?

Agreed. Biiiig time. See my last post.

[Icegaze]

1. IDW Leonardo
2. IDW Donatello
3. Raphael draw
4. IDW Michelangelo (both Mirage and IDW were my least favourite microseries of the four).

[Heather Breckel]

They both have their merits. I think my favorite out of all of them was Mirage's Michelangelo issue. As a Mikey fan, that micro really laid down the foundation for who he was as a character and I found the story to be sweet. (as much as I love me some gritty action, I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.) My favorite micro art wise was Ross' Leonardo Micro.

[frank_one]

Mirage's Leonardo for me. One of the best of the whole Mirage's era.

[Spitfire]

The Mirage ones are all better then their IDW counterparts. For me it's probably
Leo, Raph, Don, and lastly Mikey. For the IDW ones Leo was the only decent one and the art is what really holds it up.

IDW gets props for making ones for other characters but quality over quantity.