Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, at its core, is a story about family. It’s the family you’re born into, like the Turtles. But it’s also the family you make, like the bonds they’ve formed with other humans and mutants, and their relationship to their sensei/father figure, Splinter. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #15, those bonds are put to the test when Splinter — in his new guise as Ujigami — finally reveals himself to the Turtles, and explains his brutal approach to dispatching their enemies.
The reveal that Splinter was Ujigami was both a bold and necessary choice by Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams II. It gives the Turtles an enemy that strikes close to home, while also putting a new spin on the familiar concept of a beloved comic book character coming back to life. Bringing back Splinter just to reunite him with the Turtles would have been the obvious path; making him a thorn in their side is far more compelling.
That’s not the only bold choice that Yuen makes in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #15. While most other writers would drag out the “Splinter is Ujigami” reveal for multiple issues, Yuen has the Turtles figuring it out fairly quickly, which leads to a different range of emotions. The same holds true for Splinter’s decision to return from the dead and for the question of what a father would do to protect his sons. I also appreciate that each Turtle has a different reaction to this news, especially Raphael, who takes center stage in this issue. It’s easy to paint Raph as the “angry Turtle,” but he acts out of a deep love for his family, and that love is on full display here.
IDW
Williams proves just as great at illustrating emotional reveals as he is at action sequences. Every scene of the Turtles’ discussion shows them experiencing different emotions, whether it’s Leonardo’s contemplation, Michelangelo’s shock, or Raphael’s anger. Even Splinter gets in on the action; one of the best panels features his furry face crinkling up in disgust as he bites into a jelly bean topped pizza (one of Mikey’s stranger culinary creations.) Williams captures these emotions with ease, while Andrew Dalhouse uses lighter hues to make sure the Turtles are visible in the dark sewer.
Lest you forget this was a Ninja Turtles comic, Williams brings an intense fight between the Turtles and their newest nemesis Shinigami to life. Some TMNT fans will probably remember Shinigami from the 2012 animated series, and under Williams’ pencils she’s given a deadly new edge – using blood to fuel her spells, and being hunted to be behind Karai’s mysterious goals that were established in Jason Aaron’s TMNT run. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a whammy of a final page that once again hints at the classic TMNT dynamics being upended.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #15 thrives when it touches on the emotional moments, especially where Splinter and the Turtles are concerned. Yuen and Williams seem determined to make this title a must-read every month, and so far they’re exceeding expectations.
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