After the bombastic events of the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, how can things get any cooler?! Well, the only thing better than ninjas fighting each other are ninjas bonding together. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #2, writer Caleb Goellner and artist Hendry Prasetya deliver another great issue that has all the makings of a truly memorable story. While these two worlds have never collided before, this issue will leave many readers asking “Why hasn’t this happened before?” because of how well each universe winds up supporting each other’s world.
Courtesy of IDW Publishing
One thing I really have come to appreciate about this series is how Caleb Goellner is able to seamlessly weave these two worlds together. Not only is he having two drastically different stories mesh, but he’s doing this while taking two different subgenres of literature and blending them into something fun for everyone. This is further demonstrated through a common crossover tool: have a character from each universe build a rapport with a similarly written character from the other universe. While sometimes books can do this in an overtly forced nature, this one seems wildly practical. Without dragging out each character’s relationship and ruining the fun of the story, I’ll stick with the obvious of Kakashi Hatake and Master Splinter. The two wind up having an unexpected connection that honestly fits quite well.
Courtesy of IDW Publishing
It’s these small moments where Goellner creates shared bonds between the characters that give it weight. Although these characters never have, and maybe never will, met/meet again, their connection not only helps readers unfamiliar with characters to connect with them, but it also gives the story more weight and purpose.
That said, the story is even further elevated through its stunning artwork. Artist Hendry Prasetya and colorist Raúl Angulo might be one of my favorite teams in comics as a whole right now. The pair complement each other perfectly and really bring the characters from Naruto to life while also giving the Turtles some incredible moments full of depth and offer great contrasts in coloring. One of the best moments of this is when there is a brief retelling of the Turtles’ origin. The shadows and sharpness of any color utilized work well to complement one another and make suck the reader back into the past. Altogether, the story winds up being illustrated very intricately, which helps to make the story more enthralling.
Courtesy of IDW Publishing
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto might be one of my favorite comic series right now. Not only is it very new reader friendly, but it manages to capture two mediums of graphic novels (manga and comics) into one story that honors the legacies of two longstanding staples in their respective industry. While the Turtles feel just as funny, sharp, and adventurous as one would expect them to be, Team Naruto remains as one would expect them to be if they’ve only seen a handful of episodes or read only the first few volumes of the series. Not only that, but the posed threat helps to integrate these two worlds together in an exciting way.
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