Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation has been slowly exploring how New York City, both for mutants and humans, has changed in the wake of Jason Aaron’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Some of those changes have been drastic, while others have been more measured, but change has been a constant. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #8 continues this thread, as it turns its focus to a pair of characters who’ve been a significant part of IDW’s Turtle-verse: Angel, one of Casey Jones’s best friends, and the former mad scientist Baxter Stockman.
“If It Ain’t Broken” by Tom Waltz, Nelson Daniel, and Ronda Pattinson picks up in the wake of the Armageddon Game, with Angel donning her armored Nobody suit to protect New York. However, she’s hampered by two factors: the upgrades to the Nobody suit feature Dimension X technology, which she’s not entirely accustomed to. On top of that, she has to fight through a New York that’s swarming with Foot troops. Waltz takes a measured pace, showing how things have changed for her as Nobody and for New York. What resonated with me is the idea that all the extra tech has made the Nobody suit feel unfamiliar, adding to Angel feeling out of place. It’s just one of the many reasons why Waltz is one of the best TMNT writers.
Daniel also deserves plenty of praise for his artwork, which brings a simple yet dynamic style to the page. Angel’s Nobody armor is sleek and futuristic, yet bears a shade of muted purple that matches her hair. It also provides a good contrast to the black and red armor worn by the Foot troopers and the various mutants that populate Mutant Town. But the standout is a page that places Angel in the center of the action, splintering into panels where she reflects on the events that have led her to this point. It’s a way for Daniel to put his own spin on beloved TMNT characters, and an excellent way for Waltz to catch readers up on the current TMNT titles.
IDW
“Let Stockman Be Stockman” by Paul Allor and Barnaby Bagenda is another uniquely crafted tale, largely due to its structure. The entire story is dedicated to a day in the life with Mutant Borough President Sally Pride and Stockman, and Bagenda literally splits the page in half, cutting between panels to show what Pride and Stockman are up to. It also showcases their strengths and weaknesses, in the process. For Stockman, who’s a man of science (and a Machiavellian manipulator), he’s not used to having his days planned out in a certain fashion. For Sally, who’s getting used to her newfound freedom, she’s overwhelmed. To say how these stories converge would be spoiling things, but Allor brings it all full circle in a way that both makes sense and has me wanting more.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation #8 is all about change, and how our beloved TMNT characters fit into this brave new world. While this series is reaching its zenith, I hope that these stories continue to be explored in some shape or form as it proves the world of the TMNT is rich with so many stories.
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