Time Is A Predator — Reviewing ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ #146

Time. A concept that is both an ally and an enemy depending on one’s perspective or motivation at the moment. What it will ultimately mean for the members of the Splinter Clan, is still currently uncertain.

Split across time and space, their potential ultimate fates are a little bit clearer in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #146. A story one step closer to the anniversary game-changing 150^th issue, from Sophie Campbell, Vincenzo Federici, Ronda Pattison, and Shawn Lee.

Like most superhero characters, stories that balance the personal issues and development of the Turtles and the larger-than-life villain stuff they face are the best. An aspect that this entire run has been perfectly able to balance, and elevate, the whole way. As the end creeps ever closer, not a step has been lost.

It’s this heart and character depth that allows a concept like Armaggon, a villain force working backward sort of, and what this is doing to the clan to play out so slowly. Campbell paces everything so precisely, there is no desire to see things spread out. She could take up another twenty issues with this sort of thing and I’d still be asking for more. This stands in opposition to things I’ve stated in the past about other long-form storylines in comics. That should tell you just how good this series truly is, and why I’ll miss this collective creative team once issue 150 finishes.

At the same time, I’m happy that they’ve been able to tell this story and pretty much stay together for so long. There aren’t many titles, save a few iconic ones or those that are creator-owned, where creators can spend years and high double digits of issues.

We spend time in the present, the past, and even the possible future to be within this one issue. All focused mostly on just a few characters. It’s a lot of moving pieces, but never once does it feel that way. Each moment naturally leads to the next, and a culmination of moments through these almost 50 issues play out before us. Campbell knows these characters from top to bottom, her love for the franchise and everything within it so clear.

My heart broke when we witnessed the moment between present-day Donatello and future Leonardo, only to soar at the appearances that capped off the issue. My life-long Ninja Turtle-loving self glows brightly every time one of these issues shows up on my tablet.

A mix of action and heart needs the right type of art style. Throughout this run that style has changed often, each one finding that balance while adding their own spice to the mix. Federici is one of those artists, making the quiet and bold shine in their own ways. A cohesive tapestry that gracefully glides from moment to moment, giving every character emotional depth and life we can see and feel.

It’s a style that contains multitudes of depth and detail, with a slightly rough edge to it at times. Giving the harder punch that these stories are currently calling for, as the moments try to grab and squeeze our hearts and brains. Yet, there is a lightness to the whole thing as well. The hope, love, and never-ending optimism that comes with the franchise/territory. Even as things are most dire, we know that these heroes will come out victorious, and Federici communicates that impeccably.

Each artist that comes through is paired with Pattison, whose color stylings have come to define this era of the Turtles. Each time those colors slightly change to match whatever the artist brings to the table while maintaining that spark all their own. Darkness flitters through the imagery, alongside a more natural/toned-down color palette. Each space feels unique, but also tangible, as if we could actually visit and be part of these locations.

In this issue there is a harder stroke to the colors, giving them more weight, speaking to the darker elements. Plenty of vibrant poppier versions of the colors appear, highlighting the more fantastical and powerful aspects in play. Even the Turtles, beings who are beyond what we know in our world, are more toned down to give them more weight and keep the feeling going that they are part of the world. Their lives are fantastic and supernatural, but in this space, they are as real as the rest of us.

Rounding out the visual side of things comes the story words that are brought to life on the page. Dialogue and captions that dance across the page, keeping to a logical flow allowing our eyes to naturally move through the pages without becoming lost. Lee nails the work every time, sparking bursts of emotion and personality within the words presented on the page.

Little shifts to the balloons or fonts make words hit harder, convey a tone, or stand out. A uniqueness comes into play at times, so that even things that appear similar have a different feel to them. We hear these voices, even those that we have no actual reference to pull from, because of how well they are conveyed on the page. Adding all of the elements together on the page makes sure that these characters are truly real to us, making every emotional punch land perfectly.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #146 is now available from IDW Publishing.