Review - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game - Opening Moves #1

It's been building for a while, and here we begin a new TMNT story arc from IDW

We’ve had some teases, and now it looks to begin in earnest as we get a look at what is involved in the Armageddon Game. These are the opening moves! From IDW Publishing and out now, this is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game - Opening Moves #1

The Rat King is scheming behind the scenes, and it will be up to the Shredder to find a way to stop the trickster god and his new trio of terror-Madame Null, Baxter Stockman, and LeatherKrang! Will the former master of the Foot Clan be able to locate the necessary counter-pieces to foil the Rat King's latest deadly gambit-or will chaos rule the day in NYC and Mutant Town? One thing's for certain: the answers won't be found in only one dimension. Longtime TMNT scribe Tom Waltz returns to the pages of IDWs ongoing canon in this official prequel to the massive TMNT event of 2022, The Armageddon Game!

Writer - Tom Waltz, Artist, Cover Artist - Fernando Peniche, Colorist - Ronda Pattison, Letterer - Shawn Lee, Variant Cover Artist - Kevin Eastman, Variant Cover Artist - Ken Garing, Variant Cover Artist - Fahriza Kamaputra

One thing that the TMNT series seems to do well is to tease for stories down the line. And then they deliver. This issue here is the beginning of a delivery that, you could argue, has been a long time in coming. The Rat King has wanted to play this game for a long time, and his siblings are not interested in playing has not dulled him. So he has gone and found some new players.

This issue is the beginning of that inspection, with Shredder playing the part of an onlooker and potential player in this game. The build-up is well done; with Shredder and Kitsune being warned of the upcoming game, they decide to look into the main pieces that Rat King wants to use.

In this issue, we get a closer look at Krang - currently residing in the body of Leatherback. The mutant is fighting back, though. He seems to be on a hunger strike to rid himself of this alien parasite.

Shredder and Kitsune look into the mind of Krang, searching for weaknesses, and they find an interesting memory of Krang during his military times. There are some interesting points there and something for the duo to consider in the future if they are going to be up against the former General.

This was an interesting issue, and I assume that the future issues of this beginning will be similar - it will make it an interesting addition to seeing if the ideas and thoughts about these characters come true.

I enjoyed the art, especially the changes in style for the flashbacks and the colouring of it. There was a lot more here to be expected, and this is a worthy read to jump on for newer readers.