Coming off a three-issue story arc, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 kicks off a new arc with Fugitoid getting a proper origin story. Self-proclaimed Fugitoid superfan Andrew Joustra writes, with art by Louie Joyce. It’s a story of corruption, science-fiction accidents, and one that reminds us of the excellent first film.
Not that the previous issues weren’t connected to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, but Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 feels very tied to the film. It opens with April O’Neil reporting on a recent crime and transitioning to her interviews with the Ninja Turtles. The personalities are all alive and present, and it’s nice to see this group interacting again. The story then cuts to their adventure in Brooklyn, where they first meet Fugitoid.
The story-within-the-story approach works for the most part, but it does take another dive into Fugitoid’s backstory within that story-within-a-story. If you’re keeping tabs, the opening ends up feeling quite distant, leaving the imminent threat and stakes feeling low.
Man – err, robot of the hour.
Credit: IDW
If you’re a Fugitoid fan, there’s a full origin story here to take in. That does mean the Ninja Turtles are listening in to the story just like us, making them less used, but the promise for their team-up in the next issue is strong. Joustra does get in some great moments for the Turtles, like Mikey losing it over whether we have souls.
Visually, the issue feels even more akin to the last film, with animation stylings and fun ideas at work. Take, for instance, a moment where Leo is proclaiming they need to stop the bad guys. Joyce draws Leo standing proud, with a white gutter separating him from a blue square, and Fugitoid inset in that square. That’s just one panel on a page, but it’s a striking one. Another visual idea at work is seeing through Fugitoid’s eyes at one point, with April and the Turtles in a slightly pixelated way. A neat idea that lifts up the comics’ visuals.
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 shifts gears by focusing heavily on Fugitoid’s origin, offering fans a deeper look at the beloved sci-fi character. Joustra leans into corruption and tragic science fiction accidents to build a sympathetic backstory, while Joyce’s art keeps the book visually aligned with the energetic style of Mutant Mayhem. The framing device gives the story structure but also creates distance from the present-day plot, leaving the Ninja Turtles with less to do. Even so, the issue plants the seeds for a bigger team-up ahead and delivers enough personality and inventive visuals to make Fugitoid’s introduction worthwhile.
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