Chris Cooper reviews Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #12…
“Karai’s Path,” part 1 of 4. Karai has always embodied the Foot Clan. With the Clan under the control of Splinter, what path will Karai take during her travels in Japan? Danger and intrigue await Karai, Koya, and Bludgeon!
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Karai hasn’t it?
Well if you were at all curious what she’s been up to since everything she built up (keep in mind she wrested control of the Foot Clan and was a huge part of Shredder’s awakening), then Sophie Campbell is on hand to give you just that in this new arc. This is exactly the type of story I want from the TMNT Universe – important characters given their time to shine independently of the turtles – and it’s started off in a strong fashion.
Let’s get some very obvious things out of the way first. The artwork is gorgeous. In a lot of comics you’ll see almost identical humans. Cookie-cutter almost. Not here! Campbell’s characters are all so unique. Karai is as different to the Toru’s as Bludgeon is to Koya, and it’s just lovely to see. Speaking of the mutants, I do appreciate that this story is dealing with their situation post Shredder. Neither came out of it well, so it’s cool to see how they’re moving forward.
We’ve got a different colorist in Brittany Peer, and I’m very impressed with how her choices match Sophie’s style. In particular the bold use of red against stark backgrounds was very nice to see. Sometimes two styles come together to make more than their sum, and I think we’re seeing that here. The colour works with the art and story, highlighting things and generally elevating the quality of the book.
Despite some of the characters involved this seems to be setting up as a more grounded tale of intrigue and action. Karai has always been interesting; so young yet so determined. Seeing her loyal mutants find themselves again should be interesting too. Campbell and Burnham have planted enough seeds here to sustain an arc that I hope lives up to its early promise.
Rating: 7/10
Chris Cooper