Drawing Blood: The Story Behind the Stories

There’s no business like the comics business, as Shane “Books” Bookman, can attest in this rollicking action-comedy by Eastman, cocreator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, written with Avallone (Elvira), and art by Bishop (The Last Ronin). Bookman’s risen rapidly from a complete unknown to a global comics superstar as the cocreator of the Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls. Then, he crashes down to earth, with reckless spending (including the purchase of a Batmobile) and bad business decisions. As he battles his internal demons—personified as the Ragdolls themselves—he finds himself in debt and in the crosshairs of the Russian mob. Still, he’s just charming enough to keep winning second and third chances. Parallels to Eastman’s life are as bombastically drawn as his own Ninja Turtles, which coincidentally rocketed from a self-published zine to blockbuster franchise almost overnight. Bishop’s dynamic art emphasizes the pathos and humor in Bookman’s tale of depravity and redemption. (The “real” first issue of the Ragdolls’ comics, drawn by Rick & Morty animator Troy Little, is a fun bonus.) Diehard Ninja Turtle fans will appreciate the Easter eggs from Eastman’s notorious biography, while casual readers will be drawn in by a saga that’s equal parts aspirational and cautionary. It’s a wild ride in the weird world of comics. (Oct.)