Chris Cooper reviews the latest in IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series…
“Leonardo and Splinter plan for the coming war with Shredder. As they meditate on what their true path must be, they are engulfed by darkness. And from that darkness emerges… the Rat King! Will his meddling with their minds lead to salvation or madness?”<
Well now. I must admit that I wasn’t completely sure what to make of this issue as I was reading it. Seemingly a jarring change in story and progression, it became more and more apparent through the story that it what is occurring will have huge bearing on not only my favourite turtle and his father, but the course of the battle between our heroes and the various villainous factions they’re up against.Last month I was left eagerly waiting for more TMNT action. But there is one point I need to let you all down on. Prepare yourselves for this. TMNT #36 is not dedicated to the Mikey and Slash pizza trek across America (MASPTAA? Someone must be able to make something of that). Dang it. In the wake of that disappointment, let’s bask in the absolutely loopy concept that is the new Rat King! My main knowledge of this chap is the original cartoon, so pretty useless. But it turns out that like every other character, Waltz and co have re-imagined this rather creepy dude and made him extremely relevant to the goings on.
Mateus keeps up the strong artwork, and though by this point I’m pretty used to it, two things stood out. Firstly, the emotion on Leo’s face and his expressions are amazing. I was right there with him! Continuing the paternal thread I picked up on last month, there are some great scenes between father and son. Then there’s the Rat King, looking like a mangled, demented Richard O’Brien. With his Pied Piper verses and piercing eyes he’s a contender for outright scariest villain so far.
Whilst most of the issue focuses on Leo and Splinter’s predicament in the sewers, there is still some time for Casey to get some love. He’s had a rough time since this series started, with the stabbing and various beatings. He’s like Kick-Ass, but not inept.
Overall this is a more understated issue. Not in it’s visuals, but in how it takes us into the relationship between Leonardo and his Father, whilst introducing a villain that will no doubt become a large threat in the future. The TMNT universe just got weirder. Maybe our heroic family is finally healed; but with a huge final page, things are going to get a lot worse very soon.
The opposite could be said of IDW, who continue to handle this series well, meshing thoughtful and bombastic with aplomb. Another month, another strong issue.
Chris Cooper is a Flickering Myth Staff Writer, and owner of the blog Super Duper Stuff. Follow him on Twitter @SDCCooper or visit the blog’s Facebook page.
Originally published July 16, 2014. Updated November 7, 2019.
