Reviews: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #14 & Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite Of Spring #5
From IDW Publishing
Two from IDW Publishing this week, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #14 and Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite Of Spring #5.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #14
Ujigami strikes again! The mysterious new villain has claimed another victim in their drive to make the city “safe” at any cost. While the Turtles still struggle to get any upper hand on their new adversary, Donatello has suspicions about their true identity that may mean a whole new set of problems for our half-shell heroes. Trying to get ahead, the Turtles set a trap using Ujigami’s likely next victim as bait: the leader of the Foot Clan, Karai!
by Gene Luen Yang (Author), Freddie E. Williams II (Artist)
After the big reveal of last issue, this issue builds quickly on what is happening, and to quote the Sorceress from He-Man, “Things are not always as they seem.”
This was an excellent issue with big happenings, action, emotion, and ninja excellence. Ujigami is portrayed as a major threat, and the TMNT and friends have to spread themselves too thin to catch him. We get some running commentary from Leonardo at first; it is part of his protection mission, but then we start to see his doubts and thoughts about who Ujigami is and a potential solution.
As these thoughts carry through, the brothers head over to the Foot Clan headquarters to warn and possibly protect Karai - this is an excellent plan and is proved right, and Leo enacts his experiment to prove - to himself at this point - the identity of Ujigami.
This is all thrown up in the air, with a new revelation at the end that shocks and amazes the brothers, and a revelation for us as well - this is an important issue!
I really like the pace of this issue, with all of the brothers getting time to shine, as well as some interesting points for all characters - and where do we go from here?
The artwork continues to be excellent, with some great use of angles of action and dialogue, making this a unique look in the book. Some of the facial expressions were well done, with Donatello's reactions as the highlighted character.
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Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite Of Spring #5
The year’s most surprising cliffhanger is in this comic!
Discover Samantha Strong’s endgame in the penultimate issue of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring. Samantha’s plans for Monica…and all of Woodbrook…are finally revealed!
by Patrick Horvath (Author, Artist)
This comic went places I did not expect!
Yes, it’s a comic - Dexter style - of a mild-mannered serial killer, but there are schemes within schemes here, with some excellent little hints and expressions.
Sam is up to something, leading the sister of one of his old victims, not only to the town, but to where he had cut up and planted the body parts is a brave move, and it looks like things are all part of the plan…
This, interspersed with the goings-on of the townsfolk as they react to the larger world being closer to them - physically in terms of a new main road, as well as virtually in terms of the internet - makes this comic a closely-knit tale with separate parts coming together in surprising ways.
The painted style of the art is excellent, with a softness in the colours that leads us down the garden path, making the acts of violence all the more shocking. The build-up to the cliffhanger is excellent, and I am struggling to imagine what happens next.
An excellent place to be!
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