issue 9 is out! [spoilers]

[HorseTechie]

Ask em if they can put an issue on hold for you, until you can get it. My comic stores has this service, so I never miss an issue.

[Stefano]

cool good idea. I went to the comic shop right after school on wendsday and they only had two left. Im scared i will miss some in the future

[Roseangelo]

Killing off one of the Turtles has potental for being VERY interesting. But it has to be done in the right way and at the right time. I do not feel that that time has come yet. I actually think it should be done in a far future setting.

[Stefano]

i hope they dont kill off a turtle. Mabye they can kill off a utrom. It will be dramatic

[Roseangelo]

[SPOILER]

Well, two Utroms kinda died in issue #9. I agree with HT that it will be one of the highly influential humans.

[Stefano]

i was joking about the utroms 3 died actually

[HorseTechie]

And all the little bugs on the ground that got trampled on in the process.

[Leo656]

Actually, something about Peter's tone in the letters column really, REALLY rubbed me the wrong way. It's like after so long in the business he isn't used to dealing with criticism by now.

Or, conversely, maybe after so long in the business he's fed up with dealing with criticism.

Either way, he comes off like a total ass.

He calls it being "pithy". I call it being "pissy" and find it amusing that while some people speak with a lisp, Peter apparently types with one. Interesting.

The worst was when one reader in particular commented that Jim Lawson's human art wasn't very good, and Peter responded by ripping them apart verbally. This bothered me for two reasons:

1) On the VERY NEXT PAGE, Peter sings his own praises for being willing to publish letters of criticism. Meanwhile, it seems like the unspoken message is, "feel free to criticize, we'll probably post your letter anyway, but along the way I'll be sure to verbally tear you a new one if I feel the need to do so."

2) I'll be blunt. Lawson's art in the book sucks. Maybe I've been spoiled by the fact that I own like ten million comics featuring art by everyone from Dan Jurgens to Mike Wierengo to Jim Lee and any number of other incredible comic artists, but I swear, the only people that think this guy is any good must either not read many comics besides TMNT or be complete Mirage loyalists. His TMNT are passable, certainly not the worst I've seen in a TMNT comic, and it's obvious that's where his strengths lie, but on the whole the art in the book looks like fan art more than something somebody actually got paid to do. His human beings are LOUSY. Some apologists will say (and have said) that drawing the Turtles is his strong suit. I say, if the guy was any good to begin with, wouldn't he be equally skilled at drawing humans too? Isn't that, I don't know, usually REQUIRED when one gets hired to draw a comic book?

I don't think his working on the new book is for "old time's sake." I think he was willing to work cheap and he was the best Mirage could get for what they were willing to spend. They could have a book with piss-poor art and get away with it by saying "Well that's how Lawson's always drawn!" Bleh.

Be that as it may, the fact that Peter really tore into the person who wrote the letter (who wasn't anywhere near as blunt as I am about the issue) really pissed me off. You could tell he was getting tired of reading all the negative comments about Jim's art and decided to vent more than anything. For one, the person was only expressing their opinion, and they did so in a very sedate, mature manner. Secondly, this person's opinion happened to be a lot more like a fact. Peter comes off as incredibly thin-skinned in his reply, it's like someone insulted his children or something.

He also goes on, in his ramble at the end of the column, to refer to some comments and questions from readers as "stupid" and "moronic". Way to go, Pete. Your fanbase really loves being called idiots in so many words. It's obvious that Laird is a very passionate, very STUBBORN individual, but if the criticism is getting to him that badly he seriously needs to rethink his enthusiasm for this entire project. I respect a guy for wanting to stick to their artistic vision no matter what, but to go so far as to refer to critiques and criticisms as "stupid" and "moronic" is entirely childish and unprofessional and it tells me that this whole "revival" isn't as fun as it seemed it would be in his head.

I don't know. I like the book, I'm glad that it's apparently gonna be around for a while, but I seriously think that whatever Peter's on, he needs to cut the dose. His blood pressure's gotta be through the roof by now.

[Fraggle]

ok getting back to who will die i reckon it will be April because the turtlebots will fail

[Aztec General]

Originally Posted by Leo656

2) I'll be blunt. Lawson's art in the book sucks. Maybe I've been spoiled by the fact that I own like ten million comics featuring art by everyone from Dan Jurgens to Mike Wierengo to Jim Lee and any number of other incredible comic artists, but I swear, the only people that think this guy is any good must either not read many comics besides TMNT or be complete Mirage loyalists. His TMNT are passable, certainly not the worst I've seen in a TMNT comic, and it's obvious that's where his strengths lie, but on the whole the art in the book looks like fan art more than something somebody actually got paid to do. His human beings are LOUSY. Some apologists will say (and have said) that drawing the Turtles is his strong suit. I say, if the guy was any good to begin with, wouldn't he be equally skilled at drawing humans too? Isn't that, I don't know, usually REQUIRED when one gets hired to draw a comic book?

I don't think his working on the new book is for "old time's sake." I think he was willing to work cheap and he was the best Mirage could get for what they were willing to spend. They could have a book with piss-poor art and get away with it by saying "Well that's how Lawson's always drawn!" Bleh.

I'm all for being blunt, but I completey diagree. I am a fan of Lawson's art in Volume 4. He is drawing in a "stylized" manner. Not every comic needs to look "McFarlaneesque" or "real". Lawson is quite a talented artist, I'll be the first to admit that he specializes in non humans, but that doesn't mean that he can't draw. His style has just evolved and changed as it went. Personally I think "Return to New York" was his best work, but I certainly love/d his work in "City At War", Vol. 2 & 4.

Lawson has a long history in Mirage TMNT canon, and I'm glad to see him as the artist for this book. In fact I'd place him right behind Eastman and Laird as THE single most important contributor to the Mirage comics. So your comment about Mirage hiring him because he'll "work cheap" is completely absurd.

Also can we stop this "nWo" and "anti-nWo" junk it is so annoying and lame.

Before I end this post I will grant you one thing Leo656, Laird did come off sounding like an ass in his rant. It was really unneccessary IMHO. Now, I'm certainly not trying to dis Laird, but there must have been some less hostile way to address those issues. Peter 95% of your fans are really digging your work, so you needn't freak out and get defensive.

[Karpo_007]

I think Leo hasn't gotten into older Lawssons art. I have read comics as long as I can remember, both B/W and color and I have always tought Lawssons art is good. To me thats sounds like useless complaining.

[Stefano]

i dont mind the way volume four is drawn i like the old feel to it. Not made 100% by computer. ANd leo656 Peter was sharing his opinion just like the people who wrote were sharing thier opionion. They say that the artest sucks and peter calls them morons you bitch about. Shut the hell up leo. If you dont like it dont buy it. screw you

[Raven]

leo have to agree with you man lawsons art seems to be getting worse
sure its different but I dont care for it the only reason i buy vol 4 any more is for the story.
but being a arist my self i cant say that its easy to draw humans but it also counts on what peter wnats in a arist to begin with peter or who ever hires the arist might want lawson to draw that way?
but I just cant get used to it I mean what happened to the way he drew in city at war his humans were great!!!!!!!
but this is my opion

[Karpo_007]

Check pictures of Planet Racer. The humans he draws now and ones in it look suprisingly alike. I hope he would go back to the old style, but a his turtles still look great, im fine with it.

[Jephael]

I just got my copy of #9 yesterday, but I only got to read it once before I ended up trashing it. I lost my temper with the computer and took it out on the comic (I was in serious Raphael-mode), so now I gotta go back to the comic book store on Friday night to get a replacement copy. It's a good thing I called them right away to make sure they still had a spare to put on hold for me, otherwise I'd have to mail order one from Mirage Publishing.

[Stefano]

why on earth did you take it out on something tmnt

[Leo656]

Boy, sure opened up a can of worms here huh.

At random...

1) I hate McFarlane too, so you know

2) I have almost every issue of the old Mirage book and if anything, Lawson is regressing. He was better back then.

3) Regardless of my opinion, it also happens to be the opinion of many, and Laird needs to understand that before he goes snapping at people in print. That was my main issue.

4) nWo tech is here to stay, regardless whether it "annoys" you. Plenty of people get on my nerves too, I just choose not to bitch about it.

5) If you're trying to present an argument, ending it with "screw you" doesn't help your case. If anything, it makes you sound like an immature child. You disagree with my opinion, and that's fine. But in the future, please try and refrain from stuff like "screw you".

6) Rat King gets points for seeing what my main issue was, and that's that Laird came off sounding like someone who can't take a poke. Regardless whether people like or dislike the art, the readers are the ones who buy the book and put money in Laird's pocket, and for him to vent about the criticism in the manner he did made him look like a rant amateur.

7) Stefano, in case you didn't bother to read past my criticisms of Lawson's art, you'd notice I said I like the book and am still going to buy it. It's not the worst art I've ever seen, or even the worst TMNT art. It's still sub-standard for many people, however, myself included. But I like the story, so I can overlook the art.

Anything else anyone wants to take a poke at me for, while we're all here? I don't mind, seriously, people disagree. I just don't like stuff like "screw you", that's all. That was uncalled for.

As for issue #10: I'm almost afraid to hazard a guess, seriously. I mean April seems almost too easy at this point, but as soon as I say that it's too obvious, they'll end up killing her. So I think I'll stay out of the "dead pool" for now.

[GK Punk]

Originally Posted by Rat King

Also can we stop this "nWo" and "anti-nWo" junk it is so annoying and lame.

.

Alright off topic, what the hell does that have to do with this topic, other than being just a personal attack?

[Stefano]

because i we dont know what it means and its weird

[GK Punk]

Oh forgive me, I'll be sure to stop having fun because you guys don't "understand" it. Eventhough there is nothing to understand.

Oh wait.. I got that confused... I *WON'T* stop just for that reason