Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 4

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection

by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Jim Lawson (Illustrator)

Volume 4 of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection brings the start of a major Turtles storyline: "City at War!" Starting with the two-part "Shades of Gray," get ready as Eastman and Laird strap themselves down and get back to making those TMNTs as the multi-part "City at War" explodes onto the comics page!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Comics Manga, Martial Arts

248 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2012

About the author

Kevin B. Eastman is an American comic book artist, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eastman and Laird return to TMNT for the first time in almost 30 issues to plot out City at War along with actually drawing issue #50. They split everyone up with the Turtles returning to New York where they get involved in a civil war betweent he factions of The Foot. Splinter communes in the woods and stupidly gets himself really hurt. April heads to California to start over with her sister. Casey kills a punk and then drives to Colorado where he stays when he meets Gabrielle. It's all worth a read. Unfortunately, though, this is only the first half of City at War. The last 8 issues are in volume 5.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing that you might not remember about old Ninja Turtles comics is that they're actually really melancholy and pensive and sad. And while City at War (which starts here and carries through Vol 5) is neither the best nor the saddest TMNT story, there's something admirable in the way it attempts epic tragedy, and how it chooses to (sort of) find peace for its characters.

The turtles and Splinter don't actually ever really find peace. Maybe it's because they never really find a place where they belong, or a purpose to their existence. It's a lonely life, being a mutant ninja, and that's the inescapable truth.

[Critley King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been slowly working my way through the TMNT Ultimate Collection. While this hasn't been the strongest installment, it was a solid contribution. I do appreciate the re-introduction of the Foot Clan, and I was particularly surprised by Casey's story development 🤔. However, I didn't enjoy April's story arc this time around.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, I have enjoyed reading Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's TMNT. The fourth volume of The Ultimate Collection starts the beginning of the City at War where the Turtles have to fight warring factions of the Foot Clan. Casey, after killing a young criminal, moves out to Colorado and meets a woman and starts a new life with her. This was personally my favorite of the five volumes that I have read. The annotations had an excellent commentary, and the artwork gets better.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

So yeah, things got… weird for a few years there. After the "Return to New York" arc Eastman and Laird were too busy overseeing all of the various facets of the dizzyingly massive popular culture empire their little comic book had spawned, and consequently the comics kind of got away from them. To put what they were busy with in perspective, the Ninja Turtles appeared in 2 feature films, 108 episodes of television, 4 major video games, and who knows what else in this period of time. There was a lot on their plate.

That whole period of the comics is considered non-canon, so a lot of essential collections pick back up in the 40s or so. #45 is where things start being canon again, this collection picks back up with #48. Basically you get a two-issue arc where Casey accidentally kills somebody in self-defense and goes into a bit of a spiral, and then everyone just sorta goes their separate ways for a little bit. April heads off to California, Casey separately heads off to California, not knowing that’s where April’s going as far as I can tell. Splinter heads off to do some really vague meditating and zen stuff that seems to frustrate him, eventually setting him up to meet the Rat King in the concluding pages of this volume.

Meanwhile, the Turtles head back to New York. Oh, that’s the other thing, they ended up back on the farm? Not too sure what that was about, and it’s never really clarified. But anyway, now they’re back in New York without Splinter or their human friends, and they’re being very angsty boys and just feeling very in over their head with the Foot Clan and lots of other gangs at war with each other. There’s some really pretty art in a lot of these battles, but I gotta be honest the storytelling isn’t really there to back it up?

There’s a lot more yelling between Raph and Leo, and even Leo and Donnie get into it at times? Just a real lack of consistent characterization there, in my opinion. I think they still didn’t have a lot of these characters as nailed down as it felt like they did during the first few issues when the character writing was quite a bit more minimalistic.

Overall this is a so-so volume. More consistent in quality than its immediate predecessor, but lacking any real defining moments to buoy it.

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Check out my compilation review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on my blog, 24,000 Miles to the Moon! https://24000milestothemoon.com/2022/...

[Marcelo Soares · Rating 3 out of 5]

COWABUNGA!
Peraí, isso não tem nada a ver com o desenho.
Nem com nenhum dos filmes.
Nem com a música do Vanilla Ice - Ice, Ice, Baby.
Então por que eu li? Porque custou R$ 3,50, ora.
Muitos anos atrás, eu li as primeiras edições originais do Eastman & Lard num encadernado brazuca lançado por alguma editora que eu não lembro o nome, e eu tinha uma boa lembrança, essa edição, que se passa uns 4 anos depois daquelas primeiras, são bem interessantes num jeito arqueológico de ser.
Enfim a história separa os personagens, as Tartarugas vão para Nova Iorque enfrentar o Clã do Pé, o Casey arranja uma namorada redneck, a April vai pra California curtir a vida sobre as ondas, o Splinter fica meditando na floresta. Até aí tudo bem, as facções do Pé começam a guerrear em plena Nova Iorque. Contudo a história termina no meio e talvez nem tenha começado de verdade.
É divertido, mas os diálogos são tenebrosos e a arte é tosca, naquele jeito filme ruim dos anos 80 que tanto adoramos. Tem um diálogo que eu achei particularmente legal, o Casey sai na porrada com uma gangue e acaba, sem querer, matando um; um tal de Senhor Ninguém quer prender o Casey por assassinato e um dos jovens quelônios o defende dizendo: "Porra, Ninguém, vai dizer que tu nunca matou ninguém?"
Um diálogo com a cara sombria e malvada dos anos 80.
Interessante como essas tartarugas mutantes adolescentes ninjas viraram - de um começo tão tosco - no império do merchandising que é hoje em dia. Impressionante.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume 4 collects the “Shades of Grey” two-parter, and the first half of the thirteen issue “City at War” storyline. This consists of issues 48-55. You’ll notice however that this “ultimate” collection has skipped twenty seven issues and rushed ahead to the next big collaboration between Eastman and Liard. I understand that these are considered the “essential” issues, but they also bring in two characters from the missing issues, the villain the Rat King, and the masked vigilante, Nobody. Both have had encounters with the Turtles before, which do not appear in this collection, but the editors assumed that you would already know who they are.

Also I think the publisher, IDW, got a little greedy here. They could’ve easily published the “City of War” story as one large volume, rather than split it in half. I mean I didn’t pay full price for the damn thing, but if I had, I’d be a little pissed off.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh boy. I've been waiting for this. I've heard people talk about "City at War" when talking about TMNT for years and I have been so excited to get to that arc, and it's finally here.

This volume starts with "Shades of Gray" which I didn't really think was that interesting, but I get the need for it as it does pave the way for "City at War," but it really is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars.

Now, "City at War" starts off with a bang, quite literally. I don't want to give anything away, but it is quite an explosive start and it doesn't really ever slow down. April and Casey have gone on their own paths away from NYC and the turtles, and Splinter has his own thing going on. Each story arc is super interesting and exciting in it's own way, and the development of each character has been a long time coming.

Overall, this was pretty awesome and I'm already on to the next volume.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I grew up on the original TMNT cartoon, reading this book was my first exposure to the original Eastman/Laird comics (Why'd I start with v. 4? It's the book my library had!), and I enjoyed it. As expected, the comics deal with heavier, more consequential themes than the children's cartoon. It's a melancholy book about people growing up and figuring out where they fit in the world -- while a ninja/gang war breaks out in the city! It's not particularly amazing and the art is erratic - some very nice layouts, but stiff figures and a clunky sense of motion (the Eastman/Laird collaboration in issue 50 is the book's high point, illustratively) - but the creators have a good sense of self-reflection and inner turmoil, and they're clearly building toward something. I'll have to look for the next book to see if it pays off.

[Clint the Cool Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really Good

I think I've finally figured out why despite the weirdness, silliness, and inconsistent storytelling, I still like the Turtles so much. This collection perfectly illustrates it too.

I like the randomness and unpredictability of the stories. I really like the art. Those clean black and white lines are very easy on the eyes. I also like how the comics are often adult themed.

This collection marks the first time I've seen a real long term comic storyline, with "City at War". It doesn't make a lot of sense, and I feel like all the skipped issues missing from these collections are starting to take their toll. But it's still really good. Recommended.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reliving these. It captures the zeitgeist of the era that allowed a series about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to thrive. It also really gives perspective to the modern series and makes me appreciate the long form storytelling of the modern series to the rather clipped pace of the originals. The City at War storyline was the longest original storyline. It spans 15 books of about 25 pages each, which is quite brief by comparison.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been reading the classic TMNT comics on and off over the past few years. This may be my stopping point, as the narrative matters less and less to me, though I’m half tempted to keep reading just for the wonderful black and white renderings of New York, seedy and lived-in and bustling with life. The extent to which these stories are played seriously, even melodramatically, is jarring— and often affecting, even if I miss the campy version of the Turtles that I was raised on.

[Cannon Qorson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Oh my gosh. This was issue 11 on steroids. Gone is the goofy fun and camaraderie of the early issues. These issues were super depressing. Felt like I was reading Batman. Good stuff though. Love Caseys arc. Wow. Main negative is that Lawsons art isn't as good as it was in RTNY. Also dislike the California slander. But rlly good.

[Philip Mastandrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall good, the early stories were slow but they kept getting better and better. Reveal of Rat King was fun as he wasn't in any of the compilations I've read yet but based on the notes he has been in the comics before. Anyway, I remember him fondly as both a toy I had and on the cartoon.

[Lyle Aryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic edition!

You can definitely see things develop rather dramatically through this volume. Hopefully I can get a print edition for my collection, as the phone does not do justice to the art.

[Milad Talavari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Simply beautiful. I don't understand the purpose of the elite personal guard of shredder here because in one scene, he was helping them, but then he said he seeks vengeance. I'm a little confused. Other than that, I just simply love tmnt.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m still kind of surprised by how mature this is. Casey really goes through the wringer accidentally killing someone young, and then there’s the back and forth with Gabe and whether he will stay with her despite her revelation. Dare I say the humans stole the spotlight?

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good volume! I'm eager for the series finale.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this one- the art was great, and the City at War storyline is excellent so far.

[Jipi Perreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another pretty good volume. We apreciate the passion of their creators that try to innovate, best themeselves and have fun.

[Steven Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREDIBLE

[Jason Kordyban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stellar collection of TMNT issues that ends in the middle of the City at War story arch.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is as good a '90s comic book story as I've ever read. Deep and moody and nihilistic. Nothing like the TV show, that's for sure.

[Guido · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fin del exilio y Comienzo de Ciudad en guerra.

[zackxdig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The turtles are lost without splinter. Casey proposes to the waitress and Rat King shows up.

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, wow. After the last book skipped issues 13 and 18, I figured there'd be some missing, but wow. The last book ended on issue 22. This book picks up on issue 48. The art style, while still amazing, is completely different. I'm sorry I missed the chance to see how it evolved in this direction. Plotwise, I do think that this is not as much of a jump as it seems. This book, initiates the City at War story arc, which had originally been intended to follow up the Return to New York story arc, but life happened and it was pushed back. So other than a few confusing elements (why are they back in North Hampton after they just got back to New York? Who is Nobody and how do they know him? Why is there so much tension between everyone after they just had some nice family bonding?) It is not nearly as much of a plot shock as such a jump should be. The artwork is impressive, utilizing some really unique techniques to tell the story. And the story itself is enormous and really powerful, developing the characters through adversity over multiple, intertwining subplots. The story arc is so large, it continues into the next book. I can't wait to see how this set up resolves.

[A. Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any collection, there are going to be parts you love and parts you don't. The good thing about this volume of the TMNT is that there's an overarching story that we're building towards. The character development in these issues alone (especially for Casey) is extraordinary.

I'm looking forward to where this goes from here.

Also, an interesting note about the art style - every other issue has the half-tones that I've come to know the Turtles for. I like these issues best because I find the line-only drawings to be lacking the depth that I've become accustomed to. Yes, the half-tones can be a bit much on a double-page spread but they give the panels depth and realism that I enjoy. Life isn't just black and white.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Turtles do a good job showing confusion and anger. The authors do a good job of showing multisided chaotic action sequences. But it's not clear where the story is. The Turtles seem almost like a sidenote, like the authors are trying to show the futility of civil war.

The Casey story is either not believable or does not show real depth with the characters involved. It's like the authors did not know how to get to step 10 of their story so they started there.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright, maybe I am exorbitantly emotionally invested in the teenage mutant ninja turtles, but seeing the turtles, Splinter, April, and Casey split up cut me deep. Some of the epic battle sequences in the streets of New York after the City at War story line starts are just amazing. This is some of the coolest art in these comics. A.C. Farley's cover art during this period is also some of the best in TMNT's long history.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of Eastman and Laird's last Ninja Turtles comic story 'City at War.' The material is wonderfully dated and full of late 80s independent comics call outs and strange jargon from those days. It was a lot of fun to go back and see the original comics that have been out of circulation for quite a while now.