Throughout Jason Aaron’s run on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, each issue has put the focus on a singular Turtle as the Heroes in a Half Shell find themselves under attack by the Foot Clan. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 takes a different approach: it puts the spotlight on New York’s district attorney Hieronymus Hale, showcasing how he rose from nobody to New York Nightmare – and how the Foot Clan was involved.
It’s that rise to power that shaped Hale’s character. Through the narration, we learn that nobody noticed him growing up. No praise or scorn was heaped his way. Aaron’s script juxtaposes the journey through Hale’s life with a particularly brutal sequence where his Foot troopers disperse the crowd of reporters outside; this is an effective way of showing how recognition can be its own form of power, but also as addictive as any drug, and the lengths some men will go to to get it.
TMNT fans are probably asking at this point, “What’s this got to do with the Turtles?” Not only does it turn out that Hale is the man who sent Foot forces after the Turtles, but Casey Jones pops up in the back half! And in true Casey form, he immediately starts cracking skulls; Hale even notes that Casey took down a dozen Foot members before being apprehended. It’s immediately followed by an extremely shocking moment that I never saw coming, but that’s Aaron’s best trait as a writer. He’ll zig where you expect him to zag.
IDW Publishing
Keeping in line with previous issues, Aaron is joined by a new artist for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5. This time it’s Darick Robertson, who brings the same grit to Aaron’s script that’s defined his creator owned work like Happy! and Transmetropolitan. The standout moment comes when Casey confronts the Foot; one panel has his hockey stick whapping across a Foot thug’s face, drawing blood and shattering the thug’s helmet. Casey is also sporting clothing that hews very closely to his original appearance in the Mirage run of TMNT, which is a nice visual shoutout.
Robertson also has a unique design for Hale – he’s depicted as a short, perpetually hunched over, and most panels feature his back to the audience which underscores how he tended to not register with people. It’s his face that’s the most striking, with dark eyes and a perpetual scowl. Robertson, alongside Norm Rampund, draws attention to this scowl via ink lines, while Tony Avina’s simple but striking colors paint a New York that’s in his iron fist.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 closes out its first arc with a spotlight on its villain and a display of Darick Robertson’s skill. If you haven’t already caught up on the new TMNT series, this issue should a great incentive to do so.
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