More background on main and side players.
Master Splinter is locked in battle with the Foot Clan and is doing quite well as expected. During the battle he reflects on his previous life, and remembers the events that got him to this point. -summary
IDW continues to deliver more background to main and supporting characters through their TMNT Micro-Series which is very similar to their Transformers Spotlight series. This batch of stories features two origin tales and two side stories that takes place across the main storyline. This volume contains Micro-Series: Splinter, Casey Jones, April, and Fugitoid.
As the previous volume, this TPB will mainly be valuable to hardcore fans of IDW's TMNT run. It's true that there is a bit more necessary information added to understand the characters individual drives. However, there really isn't too much to learn that isn't covered in some way during the main storyline, and quite frankly, I doubt many readers cared that much for the Fugitoid although his background is quite tragic. Casey Jones' story is quite solid though, as it better explains his reasoning on not fighting his drunk and abusive father. April fans will probably have a better understanding on what the Turtles mean to her, and how they impact her life; but the main series does a well enough job on this.
There is some action to be found here but it's nothing to really brag about. These issues are about the characters, and these stories fit somewhere in between the second and fourth TPB's, therefore one's enjoyment will be determined on how much they're sold on these people and creatures by that point. The artwork features four different artist that complement each other well enough. None of the issues feel drastically different from the other visually, and character designs along with backgrounds have the usual grittiness found in at least the first four trades. Therefore those individuals whom grew a big attachment to, let's say, Ross Campbell's chibi artwork found in volume eight may be somewhat put off.
Overall, I still enjoyed these stories enough to say they're fine, but I can't really say that they're truly necessary. The witty dialog and character interactions are in place, yet this is something that only hardcore fans should add to their collection. Those with limited cash should definitely skip it and move forward with the main series.
Pros: Some good character driven stories
Cons: Not truly necessary and mainly valuable to serious fans