It's time once again to go all fanboy on you.
TMNT #4 is out (and, incidentally, I've found that Peter Laird is running a series at the same time: it's on issue 11 and the two continuities don't appear to be ... continuous for lack of a better word... Laird -- one of the two creators of the characters -- has just killed off Splinter rather permanently, promising not to bring him back). I've finally figured out what David is doing with these. There's an underlying assumption that you watch the TV series (I don't, I don't even have access to watch it if I DID have time to watch it), so that's why he skips some stuff. In fact, the first 4 issues have been retellings of TV episodes from different character points of view. This is bothersome, I want my comics self contained, if not within an issue, at least within the series. However, it's still worth reading, as David is doing to terrific things with character; and the annoying aspect is mitigated by the fact that everything that's been done so far has also been retellings/revamping/refitting of stories from the original comic book series, so any information that is assumed, can be safely assumed by anyone who's followed the stories before.
TMNT #4 is about Raphael's first meeting with Casey Jones. If you don't know the backstory: Casey is a vigilante, wears a hockey mask, and weilds sports equipment, mostly baseball bats and hockey sticks, with which to pummel his foes. He's usually used as Raph's foil, so that he has someone to help him see why discipline would be so important, something to keep him in the path, so to speak.
TMNT #4 looks at the story from Casey's point of view, something we haven't gotten before. It's a little bit Daredevil, a little bit Punisher, and a lot deluded. When he finally confronts his neighbor (in combat regalia) to stop him from beating his kids, we get not only the standard abused child and wife stand up for the abusive father, but the father gets extremely protective. I don't do it justice here, but David (with Lesean's penciling) in a few short panels pulls down a huge amount of angst and self doubt. All of which Casey buries quickly by returning to his home and repeating his mantra, like an 8-year-old child, about how his mom and dad will come back some day and they'll be a real family.
Touching, sad, and psychological. It's a brilliant thread of character, especially with just a few references from Raph about his own, similar issues. Despite my complaints, I love this comic.
