Whenever a beloved run on a comic ends, there’s usually trepidation about where the series is going to go next. Will it continue its predecessor’s path, or forge an entirely new one? Matt Fraction’s built on the work that Chip Zdarsky did with Batman, even working with the same artist in Jorge Jimenez. Stephanie Phillips and Lee Garbett are going to launch an entirely new Daredevil run, hinting that fans old and new can follow this take on the Man without Fear. In the case of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13, it manages to be both a fresh jumping-on point and a continuation of what’s come before.
That’s no easy feat, but it helps that the new creative team of Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams II hits the ground running from the very first page. After their separation and struggle to survive a New York City that turned against them, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are finally working together again – and getting cheers for it! This newfound peace is threatened by a mysterious new figure named Ujigami, who claims to be fighting for the Turtles yet causes chaos by attempting to slaughter their enemies.
Yang’s script is chock-full of everything you’d come to expect from a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic. There are fights where the Turtles put their skills to good use against the criminal element. There’s the mix of different components that you’ll rarely get in any other comics universe; mysticism and science walk hand in hand, rather than oppose each other. There’s fan favorite heroes and villains, including April O’Neill and Baxter Stockman.
But where Yang really excels is in scripting the bond between the Turtles. Where Jason Aaron’s run usually put the spotlight on a different Turtle for each issue, here they all get the lion’s share of the focus. If you love Leonardo, he’s every bit the fearless leader. If you love Raphael, he’s still a tough guy. If you love Donatello (or wish things had gone easier for him in Aaron’s run), he’s doing a bit better. And Michaelangelo fans will be happy to know their favorite party dude is still a boundless resevoir of energy. Family has been a major part of Yang’s previous comics work, and he understands that it’s an important part of the TMNT tapestry.
IDW
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13 also looks absolutely stunning thanks to Williams’ art. Williams is no stranger to illustrating the Heroes in a Half Shell, having drawn three different Batman crossovers and Turtles of Grayskull. This marks his first time drawing them solo, and he doesn’t disappoint. Whether they’re chowing down on pizza or punching out the bad guys, the Turtles move like you’d expect them to, striking hard and fading into the night.
Williams also gets the chance to draw two new characters. The first is a new mutant villain, who I hope to see more of. It’s the second, Ujigami, that is the most intriguing. Ujigami is clad in a mysterious robe that’s adorned with ancient looking armor, yet he’s able to outfight and outrun the Turtles. Thanks to Andrew Dalhouse’s color work, clouds of smoke constantly surround him, giving off an ominous vibe. So does Shawn Lee’s lettering, as it takes on the form of an ancient script. It all sets up a massive twist that fundamentally changes a key TMNT relationship, and will make sure fans come back for the next issue. When all’s said and done, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13 is a fresh start in all the right ways, introducing a new creative team and launching a new story that honors what came before while forging its own path.
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