The recurring theme Dan Watters has been displaying in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder is that there’s no force Oroku Saki can’t overcome. Legions of foes? He’ll cut them down. The Earth Protection Force? He’s always ten steps ahead of them. Gods and mutants? More fodder for his blades. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder #10 takes this to the ultimate level, as Saki has a battle of wills against the alien parasite known as the Vreen. After freeing a member of the Dog Star Clan from the Vreen, the Vreen has now taken residence in Saki’s body, forcing him into a trance to confront it.
What follows is an intense battle of wills, as the Vreen slowly but surely learns that it picked the wrong host. Watters hasn’t shied away from the fact that Saki is willing to push himself to the limit to win, and as the battle rages on in his mind, it starts to take a physical toll on his body. But once again, it’s his will that wins out, and allows him to take hold of the Dog Star clan as they argue about what to do with him. Even the Dog Star Hoshimi, who formed an uneasy alliance with Saki, is willing to protect him while he fights the Vreen out of honor. It’s a moment that showcases how people who get pulled into Saki’s orbit end up serving him whether they want to or not.
An issue that delves into Shredder’s mind deserves an artist willing to go big, and Giona Zefiro proves more than up to the task. From the very first image in the mindscape, which shows Saki defiantly staring down a city-sized version of the Vreen, to a disturbing image of a mind composed of worms, Zefiro delivers on the sci-fi imagery. He also doesn’t skimp on the bloodier violence that’s permeated Shredder, as Saki is more than willing to strike down any of the Dog Clan who question him. Between this title, Radiant Black #43, and The Terminator: Metal, Zefiro is becoming an artist to watch. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s backed by incredible colorists like Marco Lesko, who gives the Vreen a green-and-purple color scheme that contrasts with Saki’s silver-and-black armor.
IDW
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder #10 also reveals exactly why Saki is building a new army, and the answers might surprise people. But at the same time, it’s a goal that makes sense given everything he’s been through. This is a man who’s literally fought through Hell, romanced a god, and dueled alien forces; if anyone is going to conquer the world, it’ll be him. Watters and Zefiro also set the stage for Shredder to have a stronger connection with the main Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles title, as the upcoming “The City That Never Dies” story arc is spreading across the entire world.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder #10 delivers one of Oroku Saki’s biggest battles yet, and draws him closer to another confrontation with the Heroes in a Half-Shell. This book only gets better and better with each issue, and TMNT fans need to check it out.
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