Reviews - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #9 & TMNT: Mutant Nation #7
From IDW Publishing
Two titles this week from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe, with issue #9 of the main series and Mutant Nation #7 from IDW Publishing.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #9
Already weakened, weary, and a little deranged, poor Donatello has now been captured by the Foot Clan! The remaining Turtle boys make a plan for an all-out war against Karai, but are forced to think twice when they hear the voice of reason... coming from the body of a dead rat?
By Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra
The breakdown of the relationships between the brothers continues to move around here, and there are no quick fixes.
I like how this is being put together. There aren’t any big revelations about how they should be together, and the tension between them all is in the powder keg of the city. In all, this is a well-crafted story with some revelations between some of them and still some headstrong, individual methods of helping. That help isn’t all there, though, nor is it wanted at this point, and Donnie has his methods.
Michelangelo continues to be the surprising package in this story, making more proactive decisions and really changing from what we are used to. In some sense, this is the Michelangelo we meet in the Last Ronin.
The art continues to be excellent, with some brilliant action scenes and clever uses of what is happening in the heads and what we discover is happening.
I’m already looking forward to the next issue.
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TMNT: Mutant Nation #7
Before the Foot Clan's leader Karai went mysteriously into seclusion, she ordered her Foot soldiers Natsu, Koya, and Bludgeon to let Manhattan's new District Attorney Hieronymus Hale do whatever he needed to do to take the Ninja Turtles off the board. But with Hale's militarized Foot Patrol wreaking havoc all over the city and bringing shame to the Foot name, Karai's mutant soldiers decide they can no longer stand idly by. Meanwhile, officers Kara Lewis and Monty Moose run afoul of the Foot Patrol, who’ve little interest in helping New York's finest keep the peace.
By Erik Burnham, Michael Shelfer, Paul Allor, and Gavin Smith
Natsu, Koya, and Bludgeon link in nicely to the main series here, but now from the point of view of the Foot Clan. There is an interesting problem here: a rapid split between the ‘real Foot Clan’ and those calling themselves the Foot under Hale. This, along with the disappearance of Kera, makes this a tense issue that is going to impact the larger story.
Also in the city are the regular police, in this case, Monty, a mutant police officer. You can tell he is on the right side of the law, and the problems with fighting crime when not only some of the criminals are mutants but also some are working for the Mayor make this a well-told story.
The art does an excellent job in both stories, with some great action and well-shown reaction shots.
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