Luke Owen looks at the trade paperback collection of TMNT: The Secret History of the Foot Clan…
Demons, ninjas, and hostile takeovers–what more can you want from a TMNT comic? Secret History of the Foot Clan collects the thrilling mini-series and reveals a story never told before about the original founder of the Foot. Join the Turtles as they get a history lesson that they will never forget!
Fellow Flickering Myth writer Chris Cooper told me while this comic was a monthly title that is was absolutely brilliant and well worth checking out. So I did. And he was right.
The Secret History of the Foot Clan does exactly what it says on the tin as it delves into the evolution of Shredder and how he came to be in charge of The Foot. It’s a really interesting tale that is told very smartly by Mateus Santolouco and Erik Burnham who balance history with present day in a beautifully fluid manner. The character of Oroku Saki (and his original life as Takeshi Tatsuo) makes for a simply wonderful read and it just gets better and better as each page turns.
The present day stuff is also really good with the Turtles trying to take down Shredder as he attempts to kidnap Dr. Miller, a man who is obsessed with the history of The Foot. This not only provides an exciting car chase sequence but also leads to some of the more humorous moments of the story. Much in the same way the Turtles world blends ancient Japan and other worldly dimensions, Santolouco and Burnham have mixed the seriousness of the story with the light hearted nature it needed.
Each Turtle has their own voice which is a really key part of the franchise which is a testament to the writing. Santolouco and Burnham also get the ancient Japanese dialogue right which only helps the juxtaposition to the present day New York – making the final pages all the more impactful. I’ve always praised Burnham for his work on Ghostbusters and his fingerprints are all over this title.
Santolouco also provides the artwork and while I’m not always keen on the design of the Turtles, his Shredder, ancient Japan and Krang are just outstanding. Truly magnificent. I don’t want to come across like he can’t do the Turtles well, I just don’t think it matches up to the brilliance of his other work.
There are just so many stand out moments of this story that it’s hard to pick them out. I would have liked to have seen more interaction between Saki and “The Demon” as it’s only reserved for a couple of pages, but what we do get is really good.
If you’re a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you are doing yourself a disservice by not picking up Secret History of the Foot Clan. It’s a wonderful piece of Turtles cannon that will rank with the best of them. There is a lot of room to expand upon this story and I really hope they do.
Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth’s co-editors and the host of the Month in Review show for Flickering Myth’s Podcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published June 12, 2013. Updated November 7, 2019.
