There are a lot of good things you can say about Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles run. The one thing that’s always stuck out to me is that while Aaron and Ferreyra were definitely on the same page, the same couldn’t be said of the Turtles; there were moments when they were ready to fight each other in addition to the Foot Clan. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12 finally brings the Turtles in sync, and not a moment too soon.
The Heroes in a Half-Shell enter into one final fight with Hieronymus Hale, only instead of the courtroom, this battle takes place on the streets of New York as the corrupt DA’s been transformed into a mutant monstrosity, courtesy of Karai. Ferreyra delivers some of his best work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with this fight, illustrating the Turtles dipping, dodging, and striking against the mutant Hale. Hale himself is a towering horror, constantly shifting between animal forms that includes a shark’s fin, a lobster’s snapping claw and a snake’s long, twisting tail. It’s the sort of horror work that Ferreyra excelled at with Spine-Tingling Spider-Man, and it’s a perfect fit for the mystical elements that the TMNT title’s recently dabbled in.
Ferrerya’s pièce de résistance, though, is a single page where the Turtles finally start working together – albeit in their own unique way. Why does this page stand out? Because it’s mocked up to look like a turtle’s shell; each panel takes place within one of the “shell’s” sections, highlighting once again by the bright burst of color for each Turtle and their signature weapon. This level of detail is a joy to witness, and proves that Ferrerya’s one of the best artists ever to work on the Turtles.
Aaron is no slouch himself, as he manages to wrap up all of the plot points he set up during his run while also delivering an emotional moment involving the Turtles. It lets them finally put aside their grudges and reaffirm their brotherhood, which is what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are all about. Leonardo puts it best when Michelangelo asks where they go from here: “It means we’re brothers. And we’re not going any damn where.” Aaron has done the impossible; he’s written two comic book series that deliver an emotional gut punch in their final issue, and did it in the same year (Bug Wars is the first, for any curious readers.)
While this might be Aaron’s final issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, he ends on a hell of a final page. To say what that page is would rob it of its surprise; suffice it to say, it means that the upcoming creative team of Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams II have been handed a hell of a hook for their run. When all is said and done, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12 closes the book on one of the best TMNT runs ever, while also reminding fans what they love about the Heroes in a Half-Shell. I have to extend the utmost praise to Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra. They’ve done amazing work with some of my favorite comic characters, and I hope the duo get to work together in the future.
