Tales of Leonardo: Blind Sight

[cqb101]

Looks like we're getting a new TMNT mini-series from Jim lawson. CHeck out the article/interview here:

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/show...threadid=63032

This all-new 4-issue mini-series picks up immediately after the events of the fan-favorite (and sold-out) Tales of the TMNT #5! Blinded and depressed, Leonardo seeks to take a break on the rooftops of New York. But an unfortunate misstep leads to a tragic series of events that culminate in a face-off between the Turtles and the New York City Police Department! This one’s not to be missed!
Forget the animated series.

Forget the movies.

Please.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began with a comical drawing by Kevin Eastman during a casual evening with Peter Laird. The sketch: a short, squat turtle modeling a bandana with a pair of nunchakus strapped to his arms. Funny? Yes. Interesting? Yes. Inspired? Yes. Spiraling out of that original drawing, Eastman and Laird went on to create a team of four such turtles and self-published a single issue in 1984. Intended as a parody of two of the most popular comics of the day, New Mutants and Daredevil, TMNT went on to be a phenomenon that spurred the B&W comics movement of the 1980s. Although the characters' successes in other mediums have eclipsed its reach in comics, it still remains a vital and viable title that shows a more mature side than is seen in the merchandised animated and live action franchises.

In a new miniseries from Mirage Studios, longtime Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic artist Jim Lawson turns the spotlight onto the TMNT's leader, Leonardo. Following up after the events in Lawson's Tales of the TMNT #5, the story opens with Leonardo blind and despondent…. But let's talk with the creator himself to find out what's going on.

Newsarama: This is advertised as following up after the Tales of the TMNT #5. For those of us who haven't picked that up, can you tell us what happened in that issue?

Jim Lawson:In that issue, I've introduced a new character who basically I identified just as a former Foot soldier. In some unknown battle in Leo's past, and quite accidentally, Leo has caused this guy to become blind. Revenge has consumed this dude, and has driven him to become this kind of ultimate ninja. He wants to make Leo pay and suffer for what he has done to him. When the issue closes, the ninja has succeeded, for he has not only blinded Leo, he has also caused him to take an innocent life.

The weird irony is that Leo can't even remember this guy.

I guess if I had to summarize this new miniseries I would say self-doubt. It's interesting to me the choices that we make and the paths that our lives lead us on. We all want our existences to have meaning, so we ask questions. Does what we do have worth? What is our purpose? Why are we here?

Leo has taken lives. Faced with the reality of that, how would he deal with the responsibility? This is what I'm trying to explore.

NRAMA: What can readers look forward to seeing in the first issue?

JL: After the events of Tales of the TMNT #5, Leo is in a pretty deep funk, refusing even to talk. Splinter thinks a change of scene would do his son some good and arranges for them to go to Northampton for a break. Splinter's act of compassion turns into a lesson in tough love for Leo as he finds himself lost and abandoned in the woods.

NRAMA: How did the idea of Leonardo being blind come to you, and what intrigued you about it?

JL:It began just as a cool visual thing. I've always loved these white silhouette panels that I've used in the comic occasionally. Artistically, you have to think about what you are drawing and translate that more into shapes. At the time I did Tales of The TMNT 5, I couldn't think of anyone who had done an entire issue in this way. The blind swordsman is like, classic Japanese folklore and it wasn't difficult to get the idea to put the two together.

NRAMA: Why did you decide to make Leonardo blind, and not one of the other Turtles?

JL: The blind swordsman thing is just so powerfully iconic that it had to be Leo. Besides, as him being the "leader" of the Turtles, it just seems that, to me at least, actions and events would affect him more.

NRAMA: Can you go into detail more on what separates Leonardo from the other turtles, and how you characterize him?

JL: The Turtles have always been portrayed as having 4 distinct personalities. Given this, for me, I see Leo as the thinking Turtle. Mike is easygoing and a jokester. Raphael is emotional and reactive. Donatello is intelligent but in a booksmart way. Leo I think of as someone who reflects. He has to consider the consequences of his actions. He has to judge right from wrong.

NRAMA: Does any other of the TMNT cast show up in this miniseries?

JL: Yeah, the other Turtles are in there, but very peripherally. This story is so much Leo's. The events of this series takes place back when Splinter was alive, and he figures prominently, helping to serve as Leo's advisor and guide.

NRAMA: Can you give us a run down of the comics you've done before?

JL: It feels like a lot. I've pretty much been penciling the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book beginning with Return to New York storyarc and regularly since issue 48 of the first series. Other books I've done have been Prime Slime Tales, Bade Biker, Dino Island, Guzzi Lemans, Planet Racers and Paleo.

NRAMA: When were you first introduced to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

JL: I was a big comic book reader when I was a kid but I fell out of it as I grew up. It was a friend of mine who introduced me to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, back in 86 it was, I think. I hadn't heard of the comic at that time- all I knew was that there were these 2 guys making money drawing comics. At that meeting was the first time that I saw the Turtles.

NRAMA: Drawing the Turtles seems quite a challenge: Mutant humanoid turtles in a real world surrounding. How do you go about balancing the realistic elements with the fantasy elements of the turtles?

JL: Drawing the Turtle book is a blast. The characters aren't mine, but I've been drawing them for so long that I feel really close to them.

That being said, your question acknowledges just what is so great about comics--there really are no limits. In the Turtles case, there has always been a strong reality base- I mean, they can't fly or shoot lasers out of their fingers, stuff like that.

I love the opportunity to draw wacky stuff. If I were to draw a 50-foot alien on an otherworldly landscape then, yeah- that's cool. But take that same alien and put him on Broadway Avenue in New York and WOW, that's comics! It's that juxtaposition of the real and fantastic that is so cool about the Turtles world, in my opinion.

Of course the Turtles are fictional, But I think that there is this aspect to them- that you could almost believe that in some possibility that they could be real....for the fans I think that this is a strong association to these characters.

Tales of Leonardo: Blind Slight #1 (of 4) by Jim Lawson is a 32 page B&W comic priced at $3.25 US ($3.95 Canada), and will be available in June 2006.

[VaughnMichael]

I'm not a big Jim Lawson fan anymore like I used to be back in the volume one days but I have to say I'm really excited about this it's been so long since we had a mini series.
-Putrescent

[Jo269976]

Originally Posted by Putrescent

I'm not a big Jim Lawson fan anymore like I used to be back in the volume one days but I have to say I'm really excited about this it's been so long since we had a mini series.
-Putrescent

Too true dude too true

[Raph's Girl]

This should be really interesting. Jim Lawson is pretty good. Definatly gonna be getting this series.

[Aztec General]

Wow that sounds awesome. It'll be nice to see a 4 issue mini-series again. It's been a while. It also sounds rather serious and dark, which is most certainly welcome. Color me excited.

[R-iZZy]

No doubt, that issue truly was one of the best (top 3 for sure) issues of Tales from Vol. 2. Wow, I didn't recognize Lawson was the one who did that entire issue! As much as I've been criticizing the guy, lately, I'll give him major props for that issue!

I'm glad he's following up on it... but I really do hope he steps up on his penciling. But from reading the interview, he really seems into this idea! I can't really say I'll be impressed by the pencils, but the thought and ideas he put into that one issue is good evidence for me to believe this mini-series will be a great one.

[TheShowstoppa]

This is exciting news to me. I loved that tales issues so much I even bought another issue of it before it went sold out.

I can't wait to see where they take this. I'm hoping this winds up being a good arc.

[Sabacooza]

Here's some pics to go a long with it. Quite disturbing.





I was a bit disgusted when I saw these but hey, I'll give it a chance.

[Sewer Bull]

Sweet Lord! That was nasty!

... what was that, anyway? The beginning or the ending of the story?

[Alouicious]

Originally Posted by Sewer Bull

Sweet Lord! That was nasty!

... what was that, anyway? The beginning or the ending of the story?

I would imagine that's the end of the story, as I can't imagine even Leonardo surviving a belly-flop from a skyscraper AND being impaled through the heart on a katana.

...

That said, this is a comic book, and in the Image series, Don survived a fall that shattered his shell into a bazillion little pieces and should probably have split his head like an overripe cantaloupe. I'd say the likelihood of Leo somehow clinging to life with one finger after this happens is about 100%.

Anybody else care to guess at whether Leo's alive or not, or should we just wait on the comics and see?

~Alouicious

[OldSchooler]

They never EVER put spoilers as heavy as that in preview pages, and logic would point us to the fact that Leo would and does survive something like that, otherwise how would his future self exist in Tales #13 and #14.

[cqb101]

Originally Posted by Sewer Bull

Sweet Lord! That was nasty!

... what was that, anyway? The beginning or the ending of the story?

I'm positive it's the beginning of the story. It appears to be what happens directly after the end of the tales issue. Plus, Newsarama wouldn't give away any major spoilers.

O_O

Holy ****...

This is something I'm definetly going to have to check out.

[Mecha Cow]

#5 is by far my favorite issue of Tales so far, but part of why I liked it so much was because it was a short and unresolved story, and I really don't think a follow-up is neccesary...Oh well, it could be cool I guess. I know I'll pick it up anyway.

[Sewer Bull]

Originally Posted by Alouicious

I would imagine that's the end of the story, as I can't imagine even Leonardo surviving a belly-flop from a skyscraper AND being impaled through the heart on a katana.

But Leonardo is a mutant turtle and can regenerate himself from everything... HA! Because mutant turtles rock and you should finally learn it, Alouicious!

Seriously speaking, I thought it may be rather the beginning of the story rather than its end... because of the aforementioned spoilering reasons. But that scene looks rather "terminal" and hopeless, I wonder how he is going to bail out after having been virtually killed... Maybe Leo will just wake up in the fifth page, all sweat up after having dreamt this morbid nightmare. That solution would be rather lame but wouldn't insult my intelligence that much.

[R-iZZy]

How the f*** does Leonardo survive something like that?

Originally Posted by Mecha Cow

#5 is by far my favorite issue of Tales so far, but part of why I liked it so much was because it was a short and unresolved story, and I really don't think a follow-up is neccesary...Oh well, it could be cool I guess. I know I'll pick it up anyway.

Yeah, I hear you on that. I'm hoping this series won't allow Leo to exact revenge on the guy. I'm hoping this is just a mini-series that only deals with him getting over his problem and seeing the obstacles he must overcome! It's so cliche for the hero to get the last laugh on every single villain they face.

[Alouicious]

I guess what I meant by those pages being the "end" of the comic are they are the "end" in terms of the story ends that way, and the rest of it is told as a flashback.

I can't honestly imagine anybody but a villain being killed in such a fashion, as heroes never die in comic books unless it's in climactic battles...and even then, there are always exploitable loopholes to resurrect those heroes. Comic books are like soap operas--the characters never die, they just wind up with amnesia and in another city for a few seasons.

As for how Leo survives...Well, I'm guessing Sewer Bull's idea of a dream sequence is out, 'cause that'd be plausible, and comic books are about all things but plausibility. Chances are, Leo's soul will have been kicked into the astral plane until his body has healed sufficiently, or some such nonsense. Or that's not even Leo, but an evil Leo clone created by someone. There are just so many comic book cliches to draw from in situations like this. Pick your favorite.

~Alouicious

[Raph's Girl]

Leo (or somethng that resembles Leo) go boom!

[Sabacooza]

The smoke coming out of him might actually be his spirit leaving his body as someone mentioned though it isn't actually shown what it really is.

Man, I want this book to be out now. I've never been excited about Mirages current books like I am with this one. That's saying alot.

Many of you are wondering how the Hell Leo survives this one. Well, it's quite simple. Because he's freakin' Leo. No further explaination needed.