Volume 4 #22

*Cipher* · 05-29-2009, 12:27 AM

Enough discussing new issues. It's time to discuss an old one. Not just any old issue, but possibly the most loathed of them all: Volume 4 #22.

I was reading it again recently and I came to the conclusion that, though I still have some misgivings about April's origin, I love it. It is absolutely the pinnacle of Volume 4, and one of the standouts among the entire series. It's just so...different.

Lawson's art really, really adds to the surreal atmosphere, and this story is the perfect outlet for his style. The origin is also very well handled, and surprisingly emotional. It would have been easy for the story to skip straight from April's dad finding the crystal to April being born. Instead we got so much substance. The father's slow experimentation, Robyn's episode with the puppy (that's...actually kind of sad), the reluctance to follow through with the plan, dissappearing babies. It's some messed up stuff, but the snail pace of the story actually allows April's family to seem like real people in the presence of something extroadinary. That's what the Turtles comics are about right there.

And all the while you have April and Renet "doing cockroach things." You have this twisted sense of distorted time. It's just wonderfully bizzarre. The only thing I can really fault this issue for is that, on the writing side, some of April's narration is a little sloppy and verbose (kind of like this post).

So, Vol 4 #22. Read it again with an open mind. It kicks a surprising amount of ass.

And the cover - Really creepy. Really cool.

05-29-2009, 12:27 AM	#1
Cipher Foot Elite Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,454	Volume 4 #22 Enough discussing new issues. It's time to discuss an old one. Not just any old issue, but possibly the most loathed of them all: Volume 4 #22. I was reading it again recently and I came to the conclusion that, though I still have some misgivings about April's origin, I love it. It is absolutely the pinnacle of Volume 4, and one of the standouts among the entire series. It's just so...different. Lawson's art really, really adds to the surreal atmosphere, and this story is the perfect outlet for his style. The origin is also very well handled, and surprisingly emotional. It would have been easy for the story to skip straight from April's dad finding the crystal to April being born. Instead we got so much substance. The father's slow experimentation, Robyn's episode with the puppy (that's...actually kind of sad), the reluctance to follow through with the plan, dissappearing babies. It's some messed up stuff, but the snail pace of the story actually allows April's family to seem like real people in the presence of something extroadinary. That's what the Turtles comics are about right there. And all the while you have April and Renet "doing cockroach things." You have this twisted sense of distorted time. It's just wonderfully bizzarre. The only thing I can really fault this issue for is that, on the writing side, some of April's narration is a little sloppy and verbose (kind of like this post). So, Vol 4 #22. Read it again with an open mind. It kicks a surprising amount of ass. And the cover - Really creepy. Really cool.