Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection, Volume 3

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection #3

by Kevin Eastman (Writer/Illustrator), Tom Waltz (Writer), Bobby Curnow (Writer)

Violence and carnage rage across the city as Shredder’s master plan unfolds. When tragedy strikes the Turtles, the brothers will have to hold the line against an attack from within, but with allegiances shifting they must formulate a plan to fight back against their deadliest enemy. Volume 3 collects issues #21–28 of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ongoing series and the Old Hob, Alopex, Karai, Hun, Bebop and Rocksteady, and Shredder Micro-Series one-shots, plus the 2012 Annual.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Superheroes

406 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2016

About the author

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

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here:
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 2012 Annual Deluxe Edition
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 6: City Fall, Part 1
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series, Volume 1
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 7: City Fall, Part 2
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series, Volume 2

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this volume, the overarching story of Leonardo and the foot clan taking over was really cool and we got to see a lot of back story here as well as new characters introduced. All of that made this a very enjoyable read.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the beginning, I genuinely thought this was the strongest collection so far. The artwork is a bit more experimental, there is some impressive panel work, and the overall story progression is very good. The writer is very careful with the foot clan, and often you feel the lasting consequences of certain actions, which is nice.  Overall, very good! 

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this city fall run. Although there were a couple of one shots that had terrible art

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teil 3 der Collection Übersetzung mit dem Annual 2012, One Shots sowie den Ausgaben 21-28. Hier gibt es den Großteil der City Fall Reihe. Einige unterschiedliche Zeichenstile vom klassischen Eastman über Santuoco bis zu den One Shots.
Bisher die beste Collection, die mich von vorne bis hinten begeistert. Ich warte jetzt schon ungeduldig auf Teil 4.

[Jens Deprez · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it wasn't for the annual issue that started this collection it would have been a solid 5 star read. The City Fall storyline was great and I also really enjoyed the microissues in this one.

Last but not least, Rocksteady and Bebop make their first appearance and it's glorious!

[Matthew Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series seriously does not miss. What they did with characters in this one breaks out from a more traditional, less-intense Turtles story. I specifically loved the arcs around Leonardo in this one and around Hun. Excited for more!

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun volume with lots of interesting art.

[AltLovesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic third IDW volume here. Not only does it include the full City Fall run, but also all the one shots and tie-ins that tell the complete story, which is a nice touch. If there's one thing I hate about reading comics its seeing that little *SEE VOLUME XXXX in the bottom right corner of a panel for a volume I don't have.

A tiny complaint is that the artwork on some of the one shots leading up to City Fall was....kind of terrible. Pretty sure it's a nod to the original TMNT comics, but regardless, it was a bit much for me. City Fall more than made up for it though. Leonardo's my dude.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Writers Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz continue their beloved saga with their reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series, as they now explore the destructive and action-packed City Fall story arc. Implicating a myriad of iconic characters, all governed by their self-interest in the grand scheme of things, the tale evolves and presents the full-on assault between good and evil as each party seeks their ultimate goal. Whether it’s dominion over all or the safety of loved ones, swords will clash and egos will be bruised in this epic battle. In this stunning hardcover edition, this third collection contains issues #21–28 of the series and the Old Hob, Alopex, Karai, Hun, Bebop and Rocksteady, and Shredder Micro-Series one-shots, as well as the 2012 Annual issue.

The story follows the four teenage mutant ninja turtles in their hastened pursuit of Shredder’s Foot Clan to save their dear friend Casey Jones from danger. When tragedy strikes the clan and an unexpected turn of events leads the four turtles to see one of them separated from the group, disorganization and mayhem ensues as Splinter tries to keep them calm and composed. Unfortunately, Shredder’s master plan is now set in motion as the city finds itself on the verge of violence and carnage. Splinter and the rest of the turtles are thus forced to find allies in usual places in hopes to fight back and save their loved ones before the city falls.

The volume kicks off with the 2012 Annual issue, and what a bore it was! It’s nice to see Kevin Eastman write and draw it, in the very style of the original series that fans will likely effortlessly recognize, but what we get here just isn’t it. The main storyline is also interspersed with one-shots that focus on specific characters and sneakily tie-in with the story while giving readers some hindsight on the characters’ motives. Some of these one-shots are quite entertaining, but the artwork can be quite disastrous at times. Although the inclusion of so many writers and artists for these one-shots adds a subtle touch of community to this comic book series, this also paves the way to artistic friction and a lack of artistic cohesiveness for the reader.

When it comes to the main canonical issues, drawn by artist Mateus Santolouco, there’s very little to be criticized. This is what most fans will look forward to. The crisp and vibrant artwork, fully dynamic and explosive, makes for an engaging read, one that invites readers on an emotional journey where the heroes are plunged into disorder and attempt to quickly solve the problem, whatever the means. Desperately trying to reestablish the peace of mind they once had, the heroes are thus in the midst of an emotional turmoil, lacking communication and chemistry, acting up impulsively without rationally thinking through a plan of action. The story then leads them to find allies where they least expect it, trying to work on the basis of a common enemy, as the volume ends on a final act brimming with action and destruction. Although the story isn’t particularly innovative, it efficiently introduces new characters, background stories, and interpersonal dynamics that better establishes this familiar New York City landscape with its mutated humanoid beings.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection (Vol. 3) is an action-packed and entertaining volume centered around Shredder’s master plan to see the city fall, while Splinter and the turtles look to put an end to it all before it’s too late.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third hardback bindup of IDW's TMNT series and while not being quite as good as the first two volumes it's still an incredible series and well worth the asking price.

As always we get the story told in chronological order which is the big draw for buying the hardbacks rather than the standard trades. The book itself is very sturdy, the paper is good quality and it certainly has some weight to it.

That out of the way time to get to the most important factor. The stories themselves. Included in this volume are the 7 issues of the epic story, City Fall as well as 5 micro series one shots that spotlight certain characters, all of which fleshes out the afore mentioned City Fall perfectly. Leo has never been my favourite, in fact a lot of the time he's been my least favourite, but putting the spotlight on him here really works.

The terf war elements, which is something that could feel a little redundant in a comic about ninjas and mutants, are integrated well and makes the Foot Clan feel even more dangerous. Reading them back to back rather waiting months on end to see the payoff also helped keep me invested.

The only thing that makes this less enjoyable was the annual that began the book. I'm pretty sure when it was first released I didn't read it because it was in black and white which I'm not a fan of (personal preference). This time around it was coloured but the artwork did nothing for me and the story itself wasn't captivating at all. I breezed through the rest of the book but those first 60 pages felt like a slog and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Thankfully the quality of what follows shone through so brightly that I don't feel the need to drop a full star rating.

4.5 / 5

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sat on this one for a while. Not because it wasn’t good, but because I had a lot going on. But boy, this was fun. I really enjoy the TMNT and can’t wait to see where the story goes.

[Jordan Lombard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title/Author/Artist: TMNT vol. 3
Series/Standalone: vol. 3, not a standalone
Genre/sub-genre: Science Fiction/Graphic Novel
Book Format: Hardcover
Length: 404 pages
Violence: Yes, as is usual with TMNT, there is a lot of violence here.
Well written/Editor Needed: Well written
Art/Illustrations: Love the artwork!
Would I Recommend?: Yes
Personal thoughts: OMG, the suspense is high in this one. I can’t believe there’s brainwashing here and it’s done really well. There was also a lot of backstories for characters like Alopex, which was interesting, though I do wonder if they shouldn’t have been spread out more. The first issue in this collection wasn’t entirely my cup of tea, but everything else had me glued to the book, needing to know what happened next.

Leonardo is my favorite turtle, so this was especially harrowing for me! But so good! And I appreciate that the main storyline will continue in the next volume. There is no miracle cure at the end, making it more realistic.

The hardcover volumes are absolutely beautiful, from the artwork to the sturdy construction. There is no better way to enjoy these comics.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The apex of the story thus far culminates in the "City Fall" arc where the Foot Clan successfully turns Leo against his family as Shredder's chunin. It's entertaining comics for sure, easy to sink one's teeth into and reads like a breeze. The micro-series one-shots, Hun, Alopex, Old Hob, Bebob & Rocksteady, etc. feature the villains prominently and flesh those characters out quite well. Not sure how I feel about the Hun plot line, but perhaps this seeds into future volumes better. Overall a fun read and a strong continuation of the ongoing TMNT run.

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friends and I have conducted two interviews with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman and you can watch them here https://youtu.be/gt5B_RxPeqY and here https://youtu.be/ZQ_xgNqtq4g

It just keeps getting better.

City Fall and the associated tie-ins (all collected chronologically in this HC) is an emotional and thrilling ride. Everything about this is clever, powerful and deliberate. The funny parts are scattered throughout, but they’re never over bearing. The action is reinforced by high quality drama, and it never becomes boring. This IDW turtles series is damn near perfect, and it’s showing no signal of losing momentum. It’s damn great comic reading!

[London Heady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonardo's descent into madness is short but dense. Builds up all four turtles and Splinter in interesting ways. City Fall as a big arc might be a little too grand for my taste for being so early in a gigantic run, but it still finishes strong and gears up for some really engaging ideas to come from it.

[Angelo Lubrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing arc that had me hooked once I started.

[Joe Santoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

It really is something that Eastman and his collaborators have managed to take all the various different ideas from very different versions of the turtles and wrap almost all of them into a cohesive whole... very cool stuff.

My only complaint is the collections seem to be getting smaller, but not any cheaper....Vol 1 collected 18 issues (424 pages) Vol. 2 17 issues (416 pages) vol. 3 15 issues (404 pages.. the annual was larger).
Vol 4 clocks in at 12 issues and an annual (376 pages) .

It IS nice to not have to track down all the side series and such though, so I'll keep with them.

[Andrew A · Rating 4 out of 5]

An improvement on the prior volume.

The art becomes more consistent and distinct.

The emotions heighten, and while the city fall story line still feels remarkably smaller scale for the stakes, the plot builds well and executes in some very fun ways paying off elements of what felt like set dressing .

Very good

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started a little slow. I didn't care much for the annual. But once the City Fall storyline kicked into high gear this collection was great. Plus finally the arrival of mutant Beebop and Rocksteady? Oh man, did not disappoint.

[Jack Stannard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most kids born in the 90's, I grew up watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles every weekend. I was obsessed with them then, and to be honest, I'm still in love with the Heroes in a Half Shell now.

Volume 3 of IDW's TMNT is (mostly) brilliant with a darker storyline than usual. I say mostly brilliant as I was not a fan of the Annual that kicks off this Volume, but from then on, it becomes great.

While it's been obvious since the creation of the Turtles that they were heavily inspired by (or a parody of) Marvel's Daredevil, the storyline that runs throughout Volume 3 is a true reminder of this. The street level brawls, twisting storyline and gang warfare of this story reminded me more than ever of the Man Without Fear... and that's not a bad thing considering DD is my favourite Marvel hero.

Shredder and the Foot Clan are after full control of the Cities Underworld and will stop at nothing to get it. There are rifts within the Turtle family that make for gripping reading. Casey Jones battles demons of his own. Fan favourite villains Bebop and Rocksteady finally make an appearance. There's a brief cameo from Heisenberg towards the end. And of course, there are laughs, witty one liners and pizza. What more could anyone want from a TMNT comic? COWABUNGA!

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive volume of IDW's TMNT series. Despite a weak start with a very long and vey boring annual issue the majority of this volume collects the excellent "City Fall" storyline along with some of the micro series issues. Collected in the correct reading order these micro issues fall alongside the main story effectively and expand on important scenes in the main series. The story itself is top notch and the well earned introduction of Bebop and Rocksteady is another home run for this series. The art for "City Fall" is some of the best present in this series so far and this only adds to epic nature of the storyline itself. Go out and read this collection!!!

[Caleb Sandoval · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wish I could give this 5 stars. Consider it a 4.5. The City Fall arc and the tie-ins are the best in the series so far. Amazing character development and high stakes action. But the book is started by the first annual issue, which is by far the worst issue in the series thus far. I was so excited to see an entire issue drawn by Kevin Eastman, but the story is a long, confusing, meandering, and uninteresting mess. And unfortunately it takes up a decent portion of the book. Otherwise, the issues in this book are spectacular.

[Langston Lardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quality once again holds up in Vol 3. Such a well written, tightly weaved story. There’s no page that doesn’t overall contribute to the over arching story. Since Vol 1&2 we take a break from Stockman and the Krang invasion and go back to the more “simple” street level. In Vol 3 we finally fully focus on Shredder and The Foot as they take control of New York and take on all the gangs of New York that don’t fall in line with his rule as well as the Turtles and fam of courses
When I say the narrative is so tightly written, an example can be seen in the first story, what seems like a random side story of Raph and Casey just messin around and running across a missing briefcase from a gang (savate) ends up becoming pivotal to the main story as we meet the French ninja clan Savate, Angels dad Brooklyn, 2 punch drunk former Irish boxers, etc who seem like just random new characters at first, but they all play a role in the main story in some shape or form and we get to flesh these characters and this world out as well as our main characters. I still think Casey has the best development out of everyone so far, then Raph and now it’s lookin like Leo’s turn.
Casey becomes severely injured and spends most the time in the hospital, but I love how close he and Raph are, how he lost his cool when Shredder stabbed Casey, erupting in a pure rage. And the fact that freaking Hun is Casey’s dad (former name Arnold) actually blew my mind, it’s cool seeing the OG Purple Dragons reform in this volume and Huns sick and warped thought process.
Even side character like Alopex got solid development, seeing her past and how shredder burned it all (literally) to the ground, then her finally turning on Shredder in the final battle. I didn’t realize Bebop and Rocksteady were with her when she first fought Raph in Vol 1, crazy.
That’s another thing, the origin of Bebop and Rocksteady was dope, I had no idea we had seen them back in Vol 1 and to see them finally become the classic mutants we know is awesome and the art style for their mini story and when they’d rage out was very anime looking.
Karia even grows a lot, we get to see how she basically is responsible for creating the Foot Clan we know as she took it from her father who had turned the foot into a more business type clan and not so much ninja anymore. You can see a part of her kind of regrets bringing Shredder back and I bet she ends up betraying him at some point, I mean she did go behind his back already to create Bebop and Rocksteady.
Then there’s Leo being captured when the Turtles attempt to rescue Casey from Shredder and he becomes brainwashed and turned into Shredders second in command. It was a cool twist seeing him fighting his brothers, while we didn’t get much of it, I do like how we got to see his internal struggles, things like thinking he killed Slash back in Vol 2 and that his father is disappointed in him and missing his mother, etc. I really have a feeling the Mother will play a big role in Leo’s development as he mentioned seeing her before back in Vol 1. I also thought he looked dope as a Foot Ninja with the black headband, but I also love that he gave it to Slash after the final battle, like he will now have to earn his classic blue headband back, plus Slash now looks rad.
That’s also another solid Story, seeing Hobs and Slash team up and seeing Hobs origin and how Humans betrayed his trust too many times, I know Hobs is trying to create a mutant army since he got Splinter to steal Ooze from Stockgen in turn for helping rescue Leo from the foot, and I bet it becomes its own volume down the road.
Finally seeing Shredders “dreams” in that period when he was “dead” waiting to be resurrected by Karai for all those years was pretty cool, learning he in the end kills even himself in the after life in kind of a cycle doomed to repeat itself and now at the end of our story he and The Foot are as strong as ever and have a death grip on New York while the Turtles must flee the city and recover from their wounds. It sets the stage perfectly for the next volume, all our characters are in place for their next chapters to Star and I can’t wait to read it!

[Omnibuster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 3 of this fantastic series further builds on my favorite theme so far: family. We all have families in same way whether they're large, small, close, distant, or sadly for some, non-existent. What makes a family? How does the legacy of a family perpetuate good in the world or hatred? Perhaps families are a matter of perspective and anyone searching for one or looking to create one are all doing what's right. What would we do for our families when threatened by an outside force? The answer is probably most anything.

This volume further examines the bonds that keep the Turtles together, the Foot Clan, and Casey and his father. We learn they all mirror each other and are equally strong and fragile. I like how this series is doing it's best to make the conflicts more three-dimensional than simple "good guy, bad guy" plots. As we've learned in the previous volumes, the primary conflict with between the Turtles and Foot Clan span generations and centuries. Even characters like Hun (Casey's dad), Old Hob, Alopex, Karai, Bebop & Rocksteady, and Shredder have one-shots that show us their inner thoughts, motivations, and desires. As ridiculous as it sounds, these villains all have something we can relate to thus making us feel some compassion for their conflicts.

The Turtles experience a kidnapping, brainwashing, familial tests, and the potential loss of a loved one; they make the unlikeliest allies to fight the Foot Clan while Shredder is doing everything he can to solidify his grasp on the city an it's criminal organizations all while contending with a spiritual crisis. There's a lot going on in this volume, but it's all relevant and enriches the modern TMNT universe.

Onward to volume 4 and more goodness!

[Tomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid continuation of the IDW Ninja Turtles story.

These IDW collection versions are still the best way to be reading this comic. Whether it's digital or physical the only reason to read anything other than these volumes is if you're 100% caught up and just can't wait for the next one to be released.

This volume is a nice continuation of the story, though I didn't find it quite as powerful as the previous volume. Unlike the previous volume this one manages to be pretty much one single story, where the last volume had a few storylines that it covered. While I normally like my stories to have more breathing room, this one never quite managed to hit the highs of the previous volume. The City Fall story never quite feels as epic as they make it out to be.

The art also was a mixed bag. Santolouco is a talented artist, but I often found his renditions of characters felt like new people rather than a different interpretation of characters I already knew. He really like round cute faces. This was particularly jarring with April and Karai, but was a bit odd with Casey (though he at least looked like the same person I'd spent two volumes getting to know).

Complaints aside there is a lot to like about this volume. The Dark Leo story is well handled and surprisingly engaging. The relationship between Bebop and Rocksteady is hilarious. And in general all the characters grow and change in interesting ways. This may not be my favourite volume, but I still enjoyed it and I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing where everything goes from here.

[Rolando Marono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuamos con la lectura masiva de todo lo que hay que leer de TMNT. Este tomo trae el anual #1, los tomos pasta blanda 6 y 7 que corresponden a las dos partes del arco city fall, y el tercer tomo de las micro series con los números que corresponden a Aloplex, Hun, y otros.
Algo que me sorprendió es que en este tomo no tenemos nada referente a Krang y los Utrom. Supongo que en tomos siguientes veremos qué está tramando, además que en el tomo anterior se quedó con el droide prófugo y nos enteramos que le tomaría dos años aproximadamente terminar su dispositivo para transformar la tierra. Estuvo bien que no los viéramos porque eso hará que esperemos con más ganas el desenlace de ese arco.
Este tomo se centra en City Fall, una guerra entre el Foot clan y todas las demás pandillas, además que el deseo de Shredder de quedarse con Leonardo, algo que habíamos visto desde el primer tomo de esta colección, finalmente sucede. Me gustó porque esto hace que el tono de la historia cambie. Sus hermanos y Splinter están lastimados más allá de lo físico, y también podemos ver otras facetas de Aloplex, Karai y de Shredder, lo que les da más dimensiones y dejan de ser malos por ser malos.
Los últimos números tienen mucha acción y varias cosas del status quo cambian, nuevamente tengo ganas de continuar con esta historia.
Eso si, el anual no me gustó mucho, largo, arte feo y los diálogos son una pesadilla. Pero de ahí en fuera, en cuanto entra la historia principal y los números de la micro series, todo mejora.

[Will Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another home-run for the TMNT reboot. While it doesn't reach quite the same highs as the last volume did (Secret History of the Foot Clan was sooooooo good), the worldbuilding pays off big time with the New York gangs all going to war for control of the city.

A ton of fan favorite characters make their official debut in this new continuity, such as Bebop & Rocksteady from the 80s cartoon and Hun from the 2003 tv show. While Bebop and Rocksteady remain the same (albeit SIGNIFICANTLY more dangerous), their take on Hun is almost an entirely different character and I'm personally conflicted on that. I'm still very fond of the stoic muscle man from the tv show, but the character they've created for Hun in this volume has far more depth to him and a more interesting relationship to Casey Jones. I'm interested to see how that side story pans out.

A lot of my previous complaints of the series are non-existent in this volume. Fight scenes are better choreographed, and the action is very kinetic. 2 artists in particular that I want to mention are Ben Bates who absolutely killed it on the Bebop & Rocksteady villain mini, and Mateus Santolouco who draws the City Fall arc and would define the style of the book moving forward. Great read all around.

[Eastham Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

IDW's true reboot with a spin of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, continues to bring enjoyment and new story telling to this older franchise, allowing new readers to jump right in and old readers of the original to have brand new stories.

Volume three has less story than it's two predecessors, but in truth, it's only because IDW has committed to truly giving readers a complete collection of this series. Volume 3 starts out with a long annual drawn and written by Eastman, that thus far plays a very small roll in the overall story and in truth can seem like a chore to get through. The volume also contains several of the villain one shots, which offer just a little back ground for each . . . some of which have plot points worth paying attention to. Spoiler: The overall story arc of Leonardo being brainwashed into the foot, is simply just OK, and hopefully nothing more than a mere stepping stone to a greater story.

Nonetheless, a hardcover series collection that truly collects everything, is rare and IDW should be applauded for it. I will no doubt continue my support by purchasing the next volume in this series . . . I've actually already purchased the next five ;)

[Bram Ryckaert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the City Fall arc and very glad it was done by Mateus Santolouco, who previously drew the excellent Secret of the Foot miniseries. It's my favorite artstyle for the Turtles so far.

Important to mention here is the quality of the 'microseries' bonus issues. Normally tie-ins are kind of forgettable and easily skipped, but here they make even minor characters more rounded and are often even important for the main story. In this collection I really enjoyed the Alopex and Hun chapters. You can argue that not every character needs a backstory and it's superfluous, but it really helps to flesh out the world.

And 'fleshed out' is definitely how I'd describe this universe, even only 3 volumes in. Like in this issue we even got callbacks to Don and Raph's solo adventures from the very start of the series. Everything feels really well thought-out.

Now I hope it stays that way because I still have 10+ hardcovers on the shelf here!