Chris Cooper reviews Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #6…
Behold the debut of the TMNT’s weirdest foe yet: Wyrm! When Michelangelo tries to help find a missing person in the sewers, he ends up discovering something he wished stayed in the dark!
Last month I moaned about TMNT Universe being a victim of its own success, as its first arc and its Sister title conspired to make #5 appear relatively poor. It wasn’t bad by any means but came off as the worst when all held together.
It’s a new year now though, and Universe is the first piece of TMNT goodness we’ve received in 2017. All I can say is it’s a good start.
First off…it’s a Mikey issue! As my favourite IDW Turtle it’s always good to see him in the spotlight. Writer/Artist Nick Pitarra, writer John Lees and colourist Felipe Sobreiro come together to create an entertaining yet creepy one shot that introduces a couple of new characters. I thought I recognised the artwork; a bit of Googling reveals Pitarra has worked on several covers for TMNT in the past. I knew I knew his work!
Pitarra’s faces are very expressive, particularly useful on Mikey, especially when he’s really put through the wringer through this story. Terror, surprise, pain, curiosity and thoughtfulness all come together as he comes up against a classic TMNT villain in Wyrm. This guy is scary. His appearance is enough, but add in simple red balloon to signify his presence and you’ve got some scary ‘IT’ style stuff going on. I feared for Mikey.
Universe #6 is a horror story told in one issue. Great credit must go to the writers as they’ve managed to set everything up, build up tension and end things satisfyingly in 21 pages. I look forward to seeing them again in the future.
After the really rather dreadful Leo backup in the first few issues we now have a different tale, this time drawn and written by Brahm Revel. Perhaps it will make more sense in the future, but I’m guessing its focus is on former Foot Assassin Jennika. It’s mysterious and interestingly written as the current crosses with the past. Maybe I’m just dense but it is well put together.
Simply put this is a really great start to the year.
Rating: 8/10
Chris Cooper
Originally published January 19, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
