The beauty of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation is that it covers nearly every corner of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe, offering the chance for a variety of characters to get their time in the spotlight. That includes heroes and villains, as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #6 explores what happens when Bebop and Rocksteady go to Vegas to see a boxing match. The answer: pure chaos.
Everything about this story works, from its title – “Bebop Rock Vegas” is an amazing bit of word play – to the creative team attached. Caleb Gollner’s proven his TMNT bonafides with his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, and it’s pretty clear that he’s having a blast writing Bebop and Rocksteady. The dimwitted duo keep causing calamity after calamity: they try to confront the boxers when they feel the match is rigged, but the crowd gets angry and throws beverages at them that disrupt their holographic disguises. It also stops them from teleporting out, meaning that they have to hijack getaway wheels. Gollner’s script doesn’t let up for a minute on the chaos, or the humor.
It also helps that Gollner is working with some top notch artists. “Bebop Rock Vegas” is split between Nelson Daniel, who illustrates the opening five pages, and Omar Francia, who handles the rest of the story. While most shifts in art tend to be jarring, the one between Daniel and Francia’s work is a delight to witness. Daniel’s cartoony, exaggerated work gives way to a more detailed style by Francia, showing off details like Bebop’s gold chain and the wrinkles in Rocksteady’s skin. Topping it all off is the kaleidoscope of colors from Luis Antonio Delgado that display Las Vegas in all of its glory.
IDW
The second story in the anthology, “Northampton Ninja,” comes to us courtesy of Dave Wielgosz and Vitor Cafaggi. It focuses on Lita, the former mutant turtle turned little girl as she attempts to figure out her place in the world. Wielgosz’s story takes the form of letters Lita writes to Jennika, allowing the reader to fully peek into her head and see the conflicting emotions she’s dealing with. Her “uncles” and “aunt” are gone, so she takes solace in the one thing she knows: ninjitsu. Cafaggi’s art flits between past and present, shifting from the green pastures of Newhampton to the smoggy streets of New York. And even if the Turtles aren’t physically there, their spirit looks over Lita.
“Northampton Ninja” does show the double-edged sword of Mutant Nation as a series though. Anyone who’s read the previous TMNT comics will no doubt love it or feel affected by it, but newcomers may be a little lost. Regardless, the fact that creators are willing to tap into all corners of TMNT lore is still commendable, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #6 definitely has variety to spare.
You must be logged in to post a comment.