So, while Raphael is constantly struggling with his anger issues (typical teenager tantrums), Casey Jones is simply struggling to fit in. And, before we know it, we realize that Casey and Raph are more alike than they want to be. Kudos to writer Johnny Hartmann for helping us finally make this connection.

And then, there’s Baxter Stockman, which is ironic because, although Volume 5 is the second TMNT comic book I’ve reviewed in the new year, it’s not the first I’m hearing of master scientist Baxter Stockman. The other episode in this collection, written by Brandon Auman, gives us but a small glimpse into the life of Shredder’s newest mutant. With Stockman now being able to “fly” (You’ll get the pun after reading the series.), his genius brain is more dangerous than ever!

The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of in this 2-part volume was what I would call the “action captions.” I understand these comic books are based on the TV show made for a much younger generation than myself, but if the animation is enough, then I shouldn’t need a caption for what’s going on. Comic books are a different medium than television. As readers, let us enjoy comics in a way that allow us to interpret what we see instead of what we read . . .

In the meantime, I’m very glad to have read up on a few episodes from Nickelodeon’s hit TV show. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some animation to catch up on!

#TurtlePower!