In this month’s issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Donatello, Venus and Bob once again explore a new time in search of Armaggon. Bob makes amends while Evil Bob reveals his true identity and motives to Leonardo and April. Will they be able to figure out the complex magic and science surrounding the wormhole before it collapses trapping Don, Venus and Bob somewhere in space-time forever? And will Donatello and gang be able to decipher Armaggon’s plans and stop him from erasing the Turtles’ existence completely from the timeline?
IDW Publishing
The Story
Donatello, Venus and Bob get caught up with Jennika in Mutant City. They’re in the future and Mutant Town has apparently grown immensely from its humble beginnings. Huge skyscrapers abound and most of the inhabitants have cybernetic enhancements, a la cyberpunk. Bob finally breaks down and explains what’s going on: how a future version of himself promised if he helped, Armaggon would be able to return him to his human form. Though Donatello is not quick to forgive Bob, Venus is very understanding. Her background makes her very sympathetic to Bob’s struggles. Having once been human and involuntarily turned into a frog by the Mutagen Bomb and then experimented on by Jasper Barlow and turned into a turtle infused with a magic dragon scale, she’s certainly been through a lot.
Campbell does a fantastic job showing how struggles with identity can lead to insecurities and people making rash decisions. Because Donatello was never human (at least not in this life), he struggles to understand what Bob is going through. Eventually he comes to better appreciate Bob and Venus’ experiences, relating it to the time when his consciousness was suddenly transferred into a metal body.
Switching over to Leonardo and April, they’re hard at work deciphering the journals and research left by Donatello. April has begun to crack the code and notice patterns in the symbols and translate them. When the two begin to suspect the true identity of Bob, they suddenly black out along with Carmen and Lita. When they come to, things finally come to a head with Evil Bob and he reveals he’s attempting to steal their QNA for Armaggon. Things are looking grim for our heroes, but unexpected backup arrives from out of nowhere to help. Back in the future, Bob, Don and Venus put their brains together to come up with a plan to possibly track Armaggon by reverse engineering Bob’s tracker. What Donatello discovers about Armaggon’s plans raises the stakes significantly and it’s now a race to the past to try and prevent the destruction of everything the turtles know and love.
IDW Publishing
The Art
The pencils by Vincenzo Federici and inks by Fero Pe are consistently good throughout the issue, just as we’ve come to expect from this team over the course of this arc. Mutant City looks alive and vibrant for the couple of pages we see the thriving metropolis in all its glory. The mutant characters are diverse and interesting. Jennika’s cyborg design looks great, and her yellow eye is a nice reference to her “color”. Her barebones apartment is what you’d expect from a private eye down on their luck.
There are some well choreographed fight scenes, with Carmen getting to shine in the fight against Evil Bob. The Armaggon like minions he summons are somehow creepier than ever in this issue, with sharp, gnarled teeth that prove to be a real challenge for Leo and Carmen. Lita’s facial expressions are another highlight, her big round face asking for a donut and her realization of who just showed up to help are both adorable. The use of silhouettes during the fight scene is also a nice contrast and provides some visual diversity. The final three page sequence of Donatello discovering Armaggon’s ultimate plan is on par with some of the best art in this series to date. The rows of shark teeth, flesh and metal of Armaggon creates a nightmarish scene that Donnie is superimposed over.
The colors by Ronda Pattison are terrific. There’s great contrast between the neon pinks, blues and yellows of Mutant City and the drab browns, greys and tans of Jennika’s apartment. The glowing greens of the magic symbols and reds of Evil Bob’s powers and minions is another excellent contrast. Backgrounds melt away and are replaced with speed lines and bright yellows, oranges and reds during the fight scene, which is just want you want to draw your attention to the action.
Final Thoughts
In this issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the narrative unfolds with gripping intensity as Donatello, Venus, and Bob navigate the complexities of time and space in pursuit of Armaggon. The intertwining storylines weave seamlessly, exploring themes of identity, forgiveness, and the high-stakes race against Armaggon’s apocalyptic plans. Campbell’s storytelling delves into the characters’ struggles, particularly Venus and Bob, offering a poignant reflection on identity crises. The artistry of Vincenzo Federici and Fero Pe elevates the visual experience, from the vibrant, cyberpunk Mutant City to the nightmarish revelation of Armaggon’s ultimate scheme. The exceptional use of color by Ronda Pattison enhances the overall visual impact, creating a dynamic and immersive reading experience. As the issue concludes, readers are left eagerly anticipating the resolution of the intricate plot and the fate of our heroes. With only two issues left until the culmination of Campbell’s run on the series, this book continues to deliver a thrilling blend of action, emotion, and suspense, leaving us eagerly awaiting the next chapter in this enthralling saga.
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