IDW TMNT New Animated Adventures #7

Originally written by Paige with thoughts from Mark Rodriguez

Issue number seven introduces another fun adventure with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This time Donnie gets time alone with April! Their first not-date! Mikey and Raph are trying to sneak into a movie theater. And Leo is on a solo patrol and also runs into somebody. So let's see what happens in this issue...

April and Donnie are on a fire escape having some traditional food of China. She comments about how easy it was to get there using the "ninja-way". Donnie asks about the food they're about to try, which April tells him is fermented fish. Yum. They go on the count of three to try the food and Donnie throws the chunk of food away while April tries it. 

She catches him and calls him a chicken. She eventually asks about the lack of turtles with them. Donnie explains that Leo is on a solo patrol, while Raph and Mikey are trying to see a movie at a theater. She asks how can Raph and Mikey accomplish such a feat and he tells her that Mikey has a plan to get them in. She knows there something else on his mind. She asks and it's making Donnie feel awkward and he ends up knocking her bag off the fire escape. April goes to retrieve it and runs into the Purple Dragons.

She says she doesn't want any trouble and is only retreiving the bag. They tell her that it's their's now. Donnie is now talking to himself about wishing he could be a normal guy to be with April and then he hears loud noises from below. April is fighting the two guys and he joins in on the fight defending April from the second Purple Dragon. In comes Dogpound and he has more of the gang with him. He releases the group on them and the two flee. Leaving the bag and a pile of defeated gang members behind.

Meanwhile, Mikey's big plan was for him and Raph to sneak into the movie dressed as women. Raph doesn't want to, but he can't come up with a better idea. Rpah tells Mikey not to tell anyone, especially Leo. This transitions into what Leo is currently up to.

Leo is running and a kunai stops him with note on it. "Turtles make for slow ninja" I would think you know who would send the note. He counters with another note saying "Faster than you". This annoys Karai and it's on now.

Back to Donnie and April. They're still fleeing from Dogpound and the Purple Dragons. The dragons run past, but Dogpound uses his nose and finds the two hiding in a dumpster. Donnie comes up with a new plan and they decide to meet up with Raph and Mikey. And that's where Leo and Karai end up, ironically. Leo tries to talk to Karai, asking to try something different.

Donnie kicks in the theater door and blocks it keeping the bad guys out. He asks April to find his two brothers. Raph and Mikey are enjoying the movie when the bad guys interrupt. Raph asks his brother how the Purple Dragons knew where they were. April tries to tell the 'ladies' to leave the theater since things are about to become dangerous and Raph reveals who they are. April tells them that Donnie needs their help. They get in on the action. Dogpound makes fun of their outfits.

Back to Leo and karai. Leo tell this enemy-crush his idea, that there shouldn't be a war between the two. He explains that they could make a good team. At first she laughs, thinking that he was joking, but soon realize that he was being serious. Mikey attempts an attack on Dogpound and he easily grabs the nunchuck and throws him. Karai is contemplating what Leo has told her, even thinking about having a turtle sidekick. Mikey rudely interrupts and this makes Karai think they were trying to trick her and leave. Mikey asks for Leo's help and the two go back into the fight.

The guys were failing at defeating Dogpound, but they hatch a plan, ironically from the movie that Raph and Mikey were watching. They decide to surround and disorient Dogpound. They are defeating the bad guy. As Don hits Dogpound, he yells "And that's for ruining my date". Everything stands still and Mikey and April stop and ask "date?" Donnie gets embarassed and tries to change the subject back to Dogpound. He's defeated and  the turtles ask each other about why are they there. Mikey tells them "secret ninja stuff." and he asks about Karai. Which Leo avoids the question. Raph gives his brother the third degree about Karai, and Leo counters asking him why he is wearing a dress. Raph sulks off, ripping off the dress. As they enjoy their victory, the cops start coming and the group escapes to the lair.

As they arrive, Splinter has a pizza and a special surprise for the turtles. Raph is mad, so he goes to his room. Mikey grabs the pizza. Leo asks why do things have to be so complicated. Finally, we see Donnie freaking out about April never hanging out with him ever again. Splinter sits down in front of the TV, which is the movie Raph and Mikey were trying to watch.

Paige's Thoughts- 

The art style in this issue is off. It's really cartoony compared to the other issues. Well Mark did mention the art style in the last comic was different. The last issue wasn't so bad, I didn't see too much of a difference...Well that's just me. But this issue, I did notice it looking different. Karai's face looks chunky. But I did like the "stress bars". Yes, I geeked out over that. I like the story. It shows separate adventures for the turtles. It's not just one solid adventure. The three different "plots" eventually lead to one big battle at the end with Dogpound. Oh, and Donnie gets more alone time with April, and that gets ruined because of the Purple Dragons.

The stories definitely aren't up to date with the TV series. Karai is still flriting with Leo and Dogpound is still a dog and not a wolf, like how he is now.

Mark's thoughts-

Nice little story. Interesting to see the Turtles off doing their own things, as well as the bad guys also off doing their own things. Karai is on her own though and never gets involved with Bradford and the Purple Dragons. Speaking of which, like Paige mentioned, at this point in the TV show, Bradford fell into Mutagen a second time, turning from Dogpound to Rahzar. But that's to be expected when you have a comic coming out once a month that is based on a show where the status quo changes every other week.

Good story. The art is cartoony but it lends itself to all sorts of silly facial expressions that works for the Turtles. I also noticed the cover showed Dogpound leading the Foot rather than the Dragons. Man, the Purple Dragons are so low on the totem pole they're not even worthy of being on the cover. 

The next issue definitely has a different a slightly creepier art style as the Rat King finally makes his debut in this comic book series. Not only that but this would be the first time where the mutated monkey Rockwell encounters Dr. Falco as the Rat King. Finally something worth looking forward to.