Out December 10th, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 continues the stylish and heartfelt new series that successfully bridges the spirit of the Paramount+ and comics. Donnie is at robotics camp with Metalhead as his main project, but underneath his nose is a nefarious plot to kill him! Told around a campfire (a makeshift fan with a fan) in the sewer, this is a story kids and adults alike can enjoy with this iteration of the Turtles, bringing with it a youthful joy that’s unmistakable.
While the first issue kept Donnie as the main character, issue #2 feels like it’s highlighting everything great about the Turtle. The story picks up where we left off, as Donnie relates the story to his brothers. Training continues to make Metalhead act autonomously, while the head camp counselor plots to put Donnie in danger.
A couple of things set this issue apart from the first. One is Donnie’s fighting ability, which artist Louie Joyce draws with expert skill. Speed lines, close-ups of fists crunching into metal, and some choice flips keep Donnie grounded, but expert in his moves. His brains are on display in this issue as well, but it’s nice to see a focus on his fighting, especially without his brothers.
A variant cover by Jon Lankry.
Courtesy IDW
This issue also has good plot progression. By the end of the issue, writer Mikey Levitt ups the stakes and makes a promise to please Ninja Turtles fans with quite a tease. The cover to issue #3 kind of gives it away, but know a lot more Turtle action is coming. Regarding the villains and their role in the plot, it’s clear this series isn’t skimping on progression to drag it out to fill a miniseries. Some meaningful reveals and setups will drastically change things in the future.
Another effective element is the creative choices made in art. A double-page layout of Donnie running through the woods is excellent, pleasing your inner child as you track his movements while adding montaged scenes around the track to fill you in on key moments. Joyce uses stark color to make panels stand out, or, in some cases, silhouettes to break up the layouts on a page. As creative and different as the recent TMNT movie, or Spider-Verse movie for that matter, Joyce mixes things up nicely here. There’s seriously at least one eye-catching design or artistic choice that draws your eye on every page.
As far as the ensemble, there isn’t a lot to go on. A silly joke with one character is throwaway, and they’re mainly in the story to ask Donnie something to push the story forward. As a Turtle comic, we’re certainly not looking for more from Donnie’s human friends, but it occurred to me reading this issue that I barely know them or care about their well-being. Similarly, the camp itself is rather obtuse, with little understanding of how it’s laid out.
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 cements this series as a joyful, kinetic bridge between animation and comics. With sharp storytelling, stunning visuals, and a pitch-perfect take on Donnie, it’s an issue that captures the essence of TMNT: inventive, heartfelt, and endlessly fun.
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