Summary: At the edge of known space only the rag tag group of misfits known as the Guardians can save the people from...Groot!?
Plot: I went into this one completely blind, only picking it up because the cover looked like a poster for a 70's spaghetti western and unlike most impulse buys based only on the cover art this buy was actually fairly decent. Although the "good guy breaks bad" plot is nothing new there's enough novelty to the fact that this time it's the ever lovable Groot who's going bad leaves room for some curiosity and interest. The spaghetti western/ Firefly like setting is fun and I'd certainly like more of that but I'm thinking this issue might be the only one with that aesthetic as by the issue's end the Guardians end up blowing town and Groot ends up apparently destroying the planet so there's no going back for seconds there and it would be a bit weird if there were two old west themed saloon towns that the Guardians just happen to find. And yeah, you read that right Groot is now giant sized and able to eat worlds now. How he became that we don't know but I'm willing to give the book some time to give us some answers.
Art: With Kev Walker behind the pen visually everything about this book comes out absolutely aces. So while the plot is a little tin at least the book is visually engaging on each and every page. The character designs are probably my favorite part, the flowing fabrics definitely evoke the wild west while there's still enough of the classic elements, like Peter's face mask, that clearly tell you these are the characters you know and love.
Grade:7/10

Summary: On the eve of their attack of Lord Hikiji's forces Usagi and his friends stop to help rid a village of a Kappa and instead meet the Turtles.
Plot: These two titans of the 80's indie-scene have met a handful of times over the years but this new five part mini-series promises to be their biggest yet and so far out of the gate it does not disappoint. While the Turtles and Usagi don't meet until the final page of the book I wasn't ever close to being bumbed because both families of characters were given their due to establish themselves which will definitely make the inevitable clash and team up in the coming issues run more smoothly as readers will have already been given time to get to know the characters. Set twenty years in Usagi's future( just before the events of Usagi: Senso which I really need to reread!) the story really reads like a Sakai classic in that it embraces the simplicity and fun of a casual adventure. On one side you have Usagi, Tomoe, Jotaro and Yukichi go on a side adventure to free a village from the terror of a Kappa and on the other is the raid of a mad scientist's lab by Leo, Mikie, Raph and Donnie and while both are pure fun that contrast between the stoic, almost peaceful, pursuit of the Kappa by Usagi and friends and the raucous and ribald assault of the Turtles not only helps to characterize the players in question but also breaks up the pacing in an ingenious and organic way. And while we've seen the Turtles and Usagi inadvertently meet before at no point does this issue feel stale in any way and with the scene set I'm really excited to see where Stan goes. I think my biggest question though is will Usagi and the Turtles remember their last encounter? In 2017's TMNT/Usagi: Namazu while Usagi  remembered his past interactions with the Turtles in Shades of Green, The Crossing and Turtle Soup, Leo had "forgotten" because the IDW iteration of the Turtles was a reboot and not a continuation made it so they never met, but with the IDW Turtles book still going strong I'm hoping the last encounter is still recalled by these Turtles and the relationship with Usagi can continue to build once again. Either way though I'm sure it will be fun, after all, how could it not be when the plot is Rabbit Samurai and Turtle Ninjas against a time traveling steam punk robot?
Art: Sakai is as brilliant as always with his art here, perfectly matching the fun tone of the plot. His lines are thick, fluid, and purposeful giving his backdrops a beautiful sense of mood while his facial expressions are clear and effective and his subtle body language says everything the sparse text leaves out. I gush about the beauty of comic art often but I honestly wouldn't be exaggerating if I were to tell you that every panel in this book is a legitimately beautiful piece of art in its own right, never mind its fantastic ability to tell a story through imagery.  

Grade:10/10 Go buy this now shaxper it's calling for you!