Things have been a little rough for IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with regard to both the current storyline and series’ overall quality. This week, the Turtles start a new story arc, which will hopefully put the rocky last few issues behind us. Is it good?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #62 (IDW Publishing)
Observations
- Always fun getting to see Casey kick some Purple Dragon ass.
- So this guy is the mastermind? I can live with that…
- …especially when it’s a new and improved/terrifying version of him.
- Wow. Splinter is kind of a douche.
Is It Good?
Well, it’s definitely better than what we’ve seen before.
As expected, the artwork by Dave Wachter is great. He provides us with a fantastic fight scene along with an incredibly tense confrontation that’s just as powerful as any physical brawl.
Where the issue lost me a bit was its portrayal of Splinter. I get what writer Tom Waltz is trying to do—and it’s actually a very cool idea. But it also feels very compressed. Splinter has always been a very well rounded character in this series. Seeing him act like this now doesn’t feel organic or authentic.
All that being said, Waltz does a superb job with his take on this classic-ish TMNT villain. (Hint: Fans of the 2003 cartoon will be glad to see that he’s dedicated himself to losing weight). The portrayal is a hair’s breadth away from being over the top with an under current of murderous intent that makes him feel like a genuine threat.
I also like that we’re finally starting to resolve this silliness with Mikey leaving the team. I thought it would make for a nice storyline, but it’s morphed into a recurring annoyance that feels more contrived than serious. Thankfully, Raphael was somehow able to reach into my brain and pull out my thoughts. He then articulated them in a well-stated truth bomb that also managed to be kind of sweet.
And despite my misgivings about Splinter’s shift toward being a coldly efficient sociopath, I do like where it appears to be leading the narrative. I’m not ready to declare Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles back on track yet, but the title appears to finally be rolling off its shell.
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