The war against the Rat King has been won. As New York City recovers from the battle, the Ninja Turtles and friends attempt to acclimate themselves to the unification of humans and mutants living amongst one another. Despite some success, trouble awaits the Turtles as they try to adapt to their new normal while a series of mutant murders occur throughout the city. Who is causing these murders? Why? Can the Turtles handle being in the spotlight together, or will it tear them apart before their enemies do?
IDW’s Ninja Turtles series has been consistently interesting as the Turtles continue to evolve with new situations that take them into uncharted territory, and given the new status quo, Sophia Campbell is surely taking them in a place that goes beyond the sewers as public heroes to humans and mutants alike. There are a variety of different topics that are subtly written in that make sense for the turtles to tackle given their new normal as public figures representing mutant town and the social ills that come with it. It’s refreshing that the Ninja Turtles now have to deal with being public heroes and no longer have to hide in the shadows, and while one side of the camp is fine with the idea, the other half isn’t which makes for an interesting conflict and dynamic that hasn’t been done before within a Ninja Turtles series. Which makes it even better given Eastman’s consulting of plot elements that allow for Campbell to take the Turtles in spaces that they’ve never been before.
Gavin Smith’s art is top-notch. Something about Smith’s detailed art style cements the NYC aesthetic and feel that is appropriate to NYC and the turtles. Smith’s detailed art makes every page and panel solid to look at, and the designs of the turtles lend itself to the story as they have a combination of the 90’s movie aesthetic, mixed with the Eastman & Laird energy that make this book a solid read. If you’re a Turtles fan, a fan of the IDW series, or a reader that is interested in comics that have upward progression, this series is definitely the book to fit the bill. Add this to your pull list for new comic book day.
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