Review: ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II’ #4 Features Nightmares, Gangsters, And Chances For Redemption

Sometimes big changes in one’s life gives one a chance to rectify past mistakes or seek redemption, and there aren’t many changes bigger than actual mutation. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II #4 kicks off a whole new story arc in the latest limited series starring the fifth Ninja Turtle and dives into another moment of her past that has crashed into the present.

Not only does the issue start a new story arc for the mini-series, but it brings in a whole new creative team, yet likely familiar to regular TMNT readers, for the departing Brahm Revel who tackled the first story arc. Ronda Pattison is the writer and colorist for this arc, Shawn Lee is on letters, and Jodi Nishijima on the art. The three have worked together before as Pattison and Lee are the regular colorist and letterer on the main Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series and Nishijima provided art for several recent issues.

Pattison is also no stranger to writing the Turtles as she tackled the scripting of issues #106-108 of the main series. That series veteran status really shows on the page in just how comfortable she is not only with the world (specifically Mutant Town) but with the characters themselves. Her Jennika reads the same as we have seen in Revel’s stories and under Sophie Campbell’s pen in the main book. This familiarity and the comfortable feeling amongst the creative teams just bodes well for the future.

Because Jennika has a lot of unresolved issues and moments from a tough life both before and after she met Splinter and the Turtles, there is so much story to mine in these minis. The move across the books to give each of the Turtles their own place or thing to do within Mutant Town was solid, especially with Jennika. Her consistently being the one to patrol Mutant Town and dealing with problems allows for the easiest way to slip right into solo stories like this.

The last arc dealt with corporations and the idea of who or what is a ‘monster’, while this one is diving into gangsters/mob and the fate of a child. The best moments of the issue came when Jennika was interacting with the young man central to this storyline.

On the art side Nishijima, Pattison, and Lee continue to be a dynamite trio working together as the dream, or more aptly nightmare, sequences that start off the issue are hauntingly beautiful. The rest of the issue is just spectacular as well. Especially the way that the panels are set up during later action/fight scenes. The use of colors in place of background detail to draw the eye just to the desired action is always a positive in my book.

Since her mutation and entry into the Turtle clan, IDW has been putting a heavier focus on Jennika and it is a move that is paying off big time.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II #4 from IDW Publishing is now available in comic shops and digitally on ComiXology.