I read a first print hardcover edition (June 2012) this time. The
source material seems to be scanned in higher resolution in this
collection, and a few pages seem to have updated artwork. There's one
particular spread that has lots of ink spatter with tiny dots that
are much finer than the pixelated dots you see in most of the other
pages.
For the first few books the series continues with The Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles still living in Massachusetts. At this time, Laird and
Eastman decided to split the issues between them, and their
differences as writers and artists become very apparent. Particularly
the first two issues (#12 & #14) are strikingly individual, and I
have to say that Laird's issue comes across as the much stronger one.
Laird's art is dynamic and expressive, set in a vibey forest location,
and with a story that hits even harder today than it did in 1989.
A gang of homegrown extremist "survivalists" -- terrorists with
ideas of "American greatness" and "patriotism" being threatened
by "communists" and "aliens" -- was probably a bit of fun
fringe/underground lore at that time, now it's the reality of the
American government. While Eastman's story is a lame and dated
pastiche over a contemporary Hollywood movie, and the artwork
is stiff and stylized, almost coquette.
The three last books comprise the "Return to New York" story line,
and the issues see Eastman and Laird again collaborating --
splitting the writing, pencils and inking between them like in the
earliest issues. The return to a New York setting is welcome, with
the city and sewers feeling much cooler and more atmospheric than the
sleepy suburban Massachusetts town.
Overall, the story still feels quite unfocused and underdeveloped,
with the issues jumping between disjointed ideas, settings, time
periods, etc.
