We’re In The Endgame Now: Reviewing ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ #149

Time is a funny thing. It’s always running out. And certain things, no matter how much we fight, are inevitable. With only one final issue to go, the time has come for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to face time itself and the one who devours it.

Armaggon has arrived.

Our jaunt through futures yet to come comes to an unavoidably tragic ending with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #149. All things must come to an end and Sophie Campbell, Vincenzo Federici, Ronda Pattison, and Shawn Lee are cueing up that end with this penultimate issue.

There isn’t a single moment of this momentous, just about-to-be-fifty-issue run that I have not loved. From day one, I have been on board, giddy and joyful following the adventures of these characters under the guidance of Campbell, Pattison, Lee, and the assembled force of artists who have joined them.

As sad as I am to see it coming to an end, I will forever cheer that they got to do this run their way and got to land the proverbial plane as intended. A run that was not meant to be more than a handful of issues became a showcase of long-form storytelling done exceptionally well in comics. Telling stories like this, where threads are woven while still telling complete little chapters, isn’t easy in a monthly format.

Not if you ask this team though. They make it look like the easiest thing to do (with the note that making comics is not even close to an easy thing).

Campbell balances out bringing all of the future glances (as well as emotional fallout) full circle alongside the current threads around Armaggon. Even though we know these futures won’t come true, the pain around Jennika, Mikey, Raph, and Leo’s fates still hits hard. We already care about these characters, and Campbell works hard to make us care even more.

Even Bob, a relatively new character, brings sadness as his situation proves that some fates are unavoidable. Time will see things through, especially when your already compromised future self is there to make sure of it.

All of that heartache, emotional release, and dark action is captured so well by Federici. A touch of roughness enhances the overall vibe. Things feel adequately heavy, both in scale and tone. Right from the first page, where Koya comes soaring in to slam-kick evil future Bob right in his evil face. Nothing slows down from there, all of the scenes feeling appropriately frantic, chaotic, fluid, or just overall energetic.

Once again, we’re bouncing between spaces in time and location. Each feels unique, from the detail placed into the setting and characters to the color palette choices. Pattison breathes such wonderful life into any style of artwork, knowing always what buttons to push color-wise. Keeping things surrounded by a very neutral, normal tonal range helps cement the reality of the world. This allows the more vibrant “out there” elements to stand out even more, just as they should.

All of the colors fit equally into the realm of smoothness and roughness, helping enhance all the vibes the artwork is aiming for.

Regrets, anger, and other powerful emotions are dripping off the page. Clear as day upon the faces and movements of every character we see. Also, they are very present in any words spoken on the page. Lee is always able to weave those tonal change energies through the dialogue, as it flows across the page so smoothly. Character’s voices and personalities feel authentic, echoing in our brains, as each word is taken in.

Around that are all the little visual flairs that bring some uniqueness to the whole affair. Color-ringed speech bubbles, font that explodes in size to showcase volume, SFX that are vivid and in the moment, and so much more. Each intricate decision around the visuals on the page, at every level, makes the world and story so much more vibrant.

Did I mention I’m going to miss this crew and what they’ve done together?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #149 is now available from IDW Publishing.