How Is Mirage Volume 2?

[Cipher]

I was browsing Mirage's website, saw that all of Volume 2 was still available, and I'm thinking about requesting it for Christmas. Could someone who's read through it tell me if its worth getting?

[VaughnMichael]

I enjoy it and think color adds allot to Jim Lawsons art.
The story is continued into other Mirage comics so I'd say it's worth getting just for that aspect.

[Andrew NDB]

It's 13 issues and it's all pretty much one big story that has lacked an ending until just recently, with Dan Berger's Tales of the TMNT #49. Character-wise, it's about the TMNT trying to find direction after the treaty with the Foot. They never really end up finding it, but there's fun moments in it.

If you like Vol. 4 you'll probably like Vol. 2. The TMNT vs. Baxter, Round 2 was fairly cool and the Eastman & Laird covers were badass.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

If you like Vol. 4 you'll probably like Vol. 2. The TMNT vs. Baxter, Round 2 was fairly cool and the Eastman & Laird covers were badass.

I like Volume 4 well enough, though it's not my favorite. I'll probably pick these up while I still have a chance, then.

And just from seeing the preview pages on the site, I have to say color really does add alot to Lawson's art.

[CyberCubed]

Volume 2 has weird pacing. It feels like nothing much happens in the early issues and then it takes off in the middle and toward the end.

Its a good 13 issue run with some uneven pacing, but I liked it.

[TristanHuwJones]

Volume 2 is worth getting in that you learn exactly what happens to Baxter and Nobody, and the events have been referred to a couple of times in Tales recently and certainly will be again...

Ultimately it's your own call, I really dug these when they came out and still really enjoy pulling them out to read them.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by TristanHuwJones

Volume 2 is worth getting in that you learn exactly what happens to Baxter and Nobody,

About Baxter, sure (though he does turn up again in Vol. 4), but I'm still not sure if Nobody's death in Vol. 2 was real or imaginary... even after Dan's issue. What's your take?

I think it was real... it'd be an odd thing to be Louis Braunzed in their memories... but I can't be sure. And it was such a throwaway death.

[TristanHuwJones]

I say everything prior to the explosion/invasion was for real... at least, that's how I take it when I write. It's the invasion that I'm unsure of. I hope the Nobody death was for real anyway... I have plans...

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by TristanHuwJones

Volume 2 is worth getting in that you learn exactly what happens to Baxter and Nobody, and the events have been referred to a couple of times in Tales recently and certainly will be again...

I'm already up on the plot points, I was just wondering if from an entertainment perspective these were the ones to go for.

As long as all thirteen are so readily available, I think I'll go with them. While browsing, I also finally ordered the Return To New York book, which I still haven't read, and the Tristan authored Tales issues, because of the fan acclaim. I need to start beefing up my collection before even more of these sell out.

[TristanHuwJones]

Oh! Yeah, volume 2 is very entertaining, and it presents the Turtles in a different light too which I really dug. When Baxter comes back everything really gears up nicely!

Thanks for taking the time to check out my comics too mate! If you didn't get it last week, Tales #50 should be in all stores this week, so keep an eye out!

[oldmanwinters]

I really like the color, although the characters and panels seem to lack detail and shading (the larger shots of the backgrounds have lots of detail though). It is interesting to see the TMNT deal with the aftermath of City at War and the apparent lack of a true archenemy like Shredder that gave their existence apparent meaning early in life. Leo's reflection on this is interesting in issue 2. Baxter's return occupies the plot in issues 2-9 (there are some pretty graphic scenes when he's involved). I wish there had been more action in general but it did pick up in issues 10-13 (which serves as its own little arc: rescuing Raph from DARPA). Most issues include some interesting backstories featuring Inky (Tattoo's dog) and Ryan Brown's Swamp Demon. It's neat to read some of the old fan letters to Kevin and Pete too. Rose has a very sorrowful letter in one of the last issues lamenting the apparent cancellation of the series. Kinda brought a tear to my eye actually.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by TristanHuwJones

Thanks for taking the time to check out my comics too mate! If you didn't get it last week, Tales #50 should be in all stores this week, so keep an eye out!

The only comic store near campus doesn't carry Turtles, and being the carless college student that I am, I don't want to take the time to go out there and hassle. So all my comic collecting is done in sporadic, mail-order bursts (why doesn't Mirage offer online purchases?).

And I am really looking foward to Tales #36 and 50.

[DrSpengler]

I enjoyed the first half of TMNT Vol. 2, primarily for the return of Baxter Stockman. The second half of the volume, when they invade DARPA headquarters...not so much.

Jim Lawson's art deteriorated rapidly over the course of this volume. The first few issues look similar to his style during "City at War" but by the end of the series it pretty much looked like his dreadful TMNT Vol. 4 artwork. Additionally, color is NOT flattering when it comes to Lawson's style, making his inadequacies stand out even more so than usual.

I'm glad the volume finally got some closure with Tales Vol. 2 #49, as the "WTF" ending always bugged me as being entirely unnecessary and pointless.

So anyhow, I totally dig the first half of the series but its more or less downhill once Baxter is defeated (in both the story and art department).

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

I enjoyed the first half of TMNT Vol. 2, primarily for the return of Baxter Stockman. The second half of the volume, when they invade DARPA headquarters...not so much.

Jim Lawson's art deteriorated rapidly over the course of this volume. The first few issues look similar to his style during "City at War" but by the end of the series it pretty much looked like his dreadful TMNT Vol. 4 artwork. Additionally, color is NOT flattering when it comes to Lawson's style, making his inadequacies stand out even more so than usual.

I'm glad the volume finally got some closure with Tales Vol. 2 #49, as the "WTF" ending always bugged me as being entirely unnecessary and pointless.

So anyhow, I totally dig the first half of the series but its more or less downhill once Baxter is defeated (in both the story and art department).

Unless I'm mistaken, there was about a year's gap between #9 and #10 where Mirage didn't publish any issues. Is this when you think Lawson's style change more drastically?

I think the art still worked ok for the story in the later issues.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

Jim Lawson's art deteriorated rapidly over the course of this volume. The first few issues look similar to his style during "City at War" but by the end of the series it pretty much looked like his dreadful TMNT Vol. 4 artwork. Additionally, color is NOT flattering when it comes to Lawson's style, making his inadequacies stand out even more so than usual.

Lawson's art throughout "City At War" and apparently Volume 2 seems very transitional. I didn't mean for this to be a discussion about his artwork, but I have to say that while I don't hate his current art at all, I can think of more suited styles for an action comic.

And I have to disagree about the color. Granted I haven't read it yet, but every colored Lawson image I've seen (covers and previews) gained a great deal from it. I think it's because he doesn't do anything particularly interesting (no disrespect) with a black and white medium.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Cipher

Lawson's art throughout "City At War" and apparently Volume 2 seems very transitional. I didn't mean for this to be a discussion about his artwork, but I have to say that while I don't hate his current art at all, I can think of more suited styles for an action comic.

I'm not knocking things at all, but I think most that've been reading wouldn't classify TMNT as an "Action Comic" since Vol. 1 (strictly talking about Vol. 2 and 4 here, not Tales).

And I have to disagree about the color. Granted I haven't read it yet, but every colored Lawson image I've seen (covers and previews) gained a great deal from it. I think it's because he doesn't do anything particularly interesting (no disrespect) with a black and white medium.

Agreed. Except for the volume 1 material of Lawson's with good doses of duotones layered out, like in the awesome TMNT Vol. 1 #21... I can't think of a black and white comic that has taken better advantage of the B&W medium than that single issue, and that was all Lawson. When I try to drum up an example of a B&W comic that convinces you why it should be B&W and truly sells itself, that's the first issue I think of... it's just awesome, awesome.

When they rip out the duotones, don't do color, and just have it stand as is... it's a fairly pants-down affair, unless he's got an inker that has the willingness to inject enough of their own style over his that it pans out well. And even then... without the tones there the material just screams "Color Me!"

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by Cipher

And I have to disagree about the color. Granted I haven't read it yet, but every colored Lawson image I've seen (covers and previews) gained a great deal from it. I think it's because he doesn't do anything particularly interesting (no disrespect) with a black and white medium.

I think the reason so many Lawson-drawn color covers look so good has more to do with Michael Dooney's talents than anything else. That guy's the Alex Ross of Mirage.

Looking back at my Vol. 2 issues, Eric Vincent's coloring is better than I recalled it, so I'll take back some of the harshness of my prevous post. However, Vincent's work tends to fluctuate from page to page in regards to depth. I dunno if that's more the fault of his colors of Lawson's inks, though.