The opening to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 features a mysterious narrator ruminating on how karate can be just as damaging to its practitioner as the opponents they might face. “Every part of the puncher’s form must work in unison. Without that unity in oneself…even the most learned of masters…will be left a pile of jumbled muscles…bones akimbo…and four busted knuckles were a fist should’ve been.”
It’s a saying that perfectly fits the state of the Turtles themselves. Though they’ve reunited and traveled back to their home of New York, current Mayor Hieronymous Hale has transformed the Big Apple into a death trap, with the Foot Clan’s forces ambushing them at every turn. On top of that, the mysterious event that led the Heroes in a Half-Shell to split up is still eating at them – Raphael, Leonardo and Michelangelo can’t stop trading verbal or physical blows. Worse still, Donatello’s mental state continues to fray.
While other writers have split up the Turtles before, none of them have brought as much of a raw emotional edge to it as Jason Aaron does. Aaron understands what few TMNT writers do: the Turtles are united not just as fighters, but as brothers. That unity being fractured is dangerous, and nearly gets them killed more than once during their race through New York. On top of that, Aaron’s script is crackling with a raw, angry edge as the Turtles exchange verbal and physical blows.
IDW
The most emotional moments in the book concern Michaelangelo. Mikey, usually a source of levity due to his jokester nature, constantly blames Raph for their current state. He even tries (and repeatedly fails) to convince Donnie that the rat Donnie’s carrying around isn’t Splinter. Not since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin have I seen Mikey this angry or this upset, which shows that Aaron is gearing up for an emotional gut punch whenever he does reveal what split the Turtles up.
The Turtles are fractured, but Aaron and new series artist Juan Ferreya are anything but. Ferreya packs a lot of detail into his art, which makes each of the Turtles visually distinct. Not only are they all different shades of green, but they have different physical details. Raph has the most muscles. Mikey walks in a looser fashion. Donnie looks emaciated, with his metal shell standing out from the others. Leo bears a scar across his left eye.
Ferrerya really goes all out for the action sequences, too. Remember when I said the Foot Clan was everywhere in New York? That wasn’t an exaggeration. They are everywhere: disguised as firefighters, racing through the streets of New York a la John Wick and surrounding the Turtles in the final pages. If that wasn’t crazy enough, there are the punches. The way Ferreya draws certain panels might make a reader wince, both because of the close ups and because the Turtles aren’t holding anything back with their punches.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 is a reminder that the Turtles’ biggest strength is their unity, and that without it, they’re in grave danger. It also solidifies its creative team, with Aaron and Ferreya delivering a wicked combo of teenage angst and martial arts.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 is available wherever comics are sold on January 29, 2025.
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