The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been through a lot ever since Jason Aaron took over their comic. They parted ways for reasons that have yet to be revealed, and when they returned to New York, they had to deal with the Foot Clan taking over their home. But their biggest battle is against one of the deadliest foes they’ve ever faced: the criminal justice system. Mayor Hieronymus Hale is putting the Turtles on trial – and given that he has the Foot, and therefore New York City, behind him, things aren’t looking good for the Heroes in a Half-Shell.
This time, the focus is on Raphael, which is rather fitting given that the series kicked off with him in prison. Aaron and Juan Ferrerya even flash back to the moments where Raph was in prison, taking on a variety of prisoners. Aaron and Ferrerya work like a well-oiled machine at this point, with Aaron’s words serving as the backdrop for Ferrerya to deliver some gorgeous, gritty fight scenes. Raph moves with power, precision, and the energy of a guy who’s extremely pissed off, resulting in the image of him standing over a pile of broken and bloodied bodies.
But it’s the next two pages that are really a standout. Raph is hit over the head and dragged back to his cell, with one of the panels showing him grinning. It then shifts to present day, and a grimacing Raph as he wakes up in a cage with the rest of his brothers. Further hammering home the prison metaphor is the way Ferrerya draws bars around the edges of these pages, imprisoning the Turtles in more ways than one. This claustrophobic style of art continues throughout Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10, making the reader feel just as trapped as the Turtles. The darker hues being used by Ferrerya also add to the sense of overwhelming hopelessness.
IDW
But Aaron’s script offers moments of hope. One of those moments features the Turtles finally embracing, which is nice to see after they’ve either been separated or at each other’s throats throughout this run. It might be brief, but it shows that they do still care for each other. Another moment later on doesn’t just set the stage for an upcoming TMNT spinoff series, but hints that the Turtles will be gaining an ally in their fight against Hale. So does the last page of the issue, which the series has been slowly building up to.
It’s a sharp contrast to the rest of the story, especially since Hale has managed to turn New York against the Turtles using nothing but his words. Throughout Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10, the Turtles face witnesses who are meant to discredit them, an angry mob calling for their heads, and the fact that they don’t have a lawyer. The only law active throughout this book is Murphy’s Law, and Aaron wields it to the full degree as he backs the Turtles into a corner. It makes me want to read the next issue, but it also makes me wonder “What else can go wrong?!”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10 doesn’t let up for a minute, as it puts the Turtles through trials both literal and figurative. While there are glimpses of hope on the horizon, the Heroes in a Half-Shell have an uphill battle ahead of them in upcoming issues.
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