Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is many things, ninja yarn, action/adventure comic, even sci-fi story, but at its core, TMNT is a story that centers on family. Over time, that center got lost amidst the sounds of cartoons, toys and movie franchises. When original creator Kevin Eastman brought back the Turtles, he really strengthened the core of the story. Splinter has become a much stronger character in this series. He doesn’t just spout kernels of wisdom; we actually feel the love and worry for his children.
Both of those emotions are why issue #24 so dark. Leonardo has been taken from the family. Stolen during a botched mission that left Casey Jones mortally wounded, Leonardo has been brainwashed and turned into a minion of the Foot Clan. Desperate to find his son, Splinter decides to trust the eye-patched, devious Hob in order to find the Foots. When he does, the trap is set, and the Turtles are in for the fight of their life. Splinter against Shredder, Turtles against Foot ninjas, and even the long lost mutant turtle helping his brothers escape.
While the battle is brutal, the real fall comes when Leonardo, weaponized and burning with hate for his family, comes out swinging. It’s not just the physical domination that hurts the Turtles, but more the psychological torment of their brother turned vicious enemy. Eastman and co-writer Tom Waltz don’t spare the action in issue #24, as the fists fly just as heavily as the emotions. What’s really interesting here is how Eastman uses this Leonardo plot device to help reboot the idea of two major characters. Up until this series, Shredder was, at most, a goofy villain, the Turtles’ version of Skeletor. Now, after his antics thus far and his brainwashing of Leonardo, Shredder is a formidable, scary opponent.
Eastman also brings much needed depth to Splinter. Again, he’s been working to layer the Turtles’ leader in all the issues, but this is where it comes to a head. Until issue #24, Splinter always had the answers; he was always the calm in the storm. Now, having lost his son to the enemy, Splinter questions himself for the first time. Heady stuff, especially for a team who once used the term “cowabunga” and defeated Shredder in time to order pizza.
Once again, Mateus Santolouco handles art and does it with his standard flair. The work is strongly rooted in manga, though Santolouco’s fluidity brings a grace to the action scenes that’s all his own. The pencils serve the creatures better than the human characters. The Turtles, Splinter, and even Hob all have a really distinct look to how they’re detailed, and he gives each Turtle his own look, helping to differentiate them even further. The human characters are a bit too easy, a redundant series of manga-human sketches.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continues to get better, and continues to redefine the franchise.
CRAVE ONLINE RATING 7.5/10 (4 Story, 3.5 Art)
