Who Watches The Nightwatcher? — Reviewing ‘TMNT: Nightwatcher’ #1

Even though the walls have come down, the mutagen bomb transformed mutants of Mutant Town still need protection from humans. As the brothers of the Splinter Clan spread around the world, a mysterious turtle-like figure has taken up the cause to bring swift justice and protection to the streets.

Straight from movie screens of the past, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #1 brings the title vigilante into the comic book pages. Juni Ba, Fero Pe, Luis Antonio Delgado, and Nathan Widick stick to the shadows for a dark but hopeful introduction tale.

With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 out in the wilds, this second title helps develop IDW Publishing’s big TMNT-centric relaunch further. Naturally, a pretty big spoiler is to be found in this review.

Turn back now if you want to avoid, or else the Nightwatcher will find you.

Sometimes you want something so much that even when it’s pretty clear it will happen, the joy when it does happen is off the scale. This book is the perfect example. With the four brothers ‘busy’ and set to star in the main TMNT series, there seemed to be only one logical figure behind the mask of the Nightwatcher, unless Ba and company were going to take a wild swing.

Thankfully they did not, and the fifth Turtle of the Splinter Clan stands revealed as the protector of a people she once protected in a lawful way. That’s right, Jennika, the fifth Turtle and found daughter/sister for the Hamato Clan, is the Nightwatcher.

You probably heard my glee from here.

I’ve been a Leonardo guy always. That stoic blue bandana wearing, sword carrying leader has been my guide since I first read these stories. No surprise to anyone then that my favorite X-Men character is Cyclops (tied with Rogue for favorite). What can I say, I have a type. Anyway, after being introduced to Jennika (my first reviews here were her first series) she easily quickly surged up to tie with Leonardo in my heart.

Ba puts this series together in the best way possible, teasing the reveal in a way that feels natural and never drags. We get interspersed interviews of people’s reactions to Nightwatcher and Mutants, as well as the narration that frames Nightwatcher’s place in the world. Revealing that the narrator was a young boy saved by Nightwatcher, first to find out how kind and caring she also is — chef kiss stuff.

Also, Jennika being in a space where she feels she needs to do this while clearly realizing she has an ‘addiction’ as her life is being put on hold is a solid hook. We see the good she is doing, but also see how it’s hurting her and her relationships with the secrecy and lies. Mutants were promised they could have ‘normal’ lives with the Mutant Town walls down, but how normal can things be when the rest of the world still hates, fears, and wants to harm you?

Some of that real “I can’t just stand by and watch this happen” hero energy that we love to see.

Even with the darker tone it’s a very light feeling story, really evoking some of the best beats of another familiar dark vigilante we all know. Pe already was well immersed in the TMNT world after working on numerous books in recent times. That same very light but heavy art style he used then returns here and suits the series well. Giving plenty of really well captured emotional resonance (spot on facial and body work), while balancing between being very ominous in tone with a welcoming whimsy.

Color palette choices that Delgado employs meet this same qualification. Everything is naturally in a more neutral toned-down range, creating a very familiar and real feeling space. Plenty of darker shadows and lighting aspects, this does take place during the night chiefly, bring the heavier ominous feeling to bear. A bit more light or vibrant colors pop in and out for the more action or fantastical elements, such as our protagonist, to remind us that these things are ‘unnatural’ or ‘unusual’ compared to the rest. Plenty of other brighter colors are there of course, such as people’s clothing or other bits, but they are more in that aforementioned normal range.

Of those featured here, Widick is the only one that I’m not overly familiar with as a creator. Every voice has the right power, emotion, and range behind it on the page. Really letting the voices breathe while bringing some really nice visual uniqueness into play with colors or shifting box/bubble shapes. Nightwatcher’s white on black with red borders is a perfect bubble, naturally matching the color scheme of their costume. Feels really menacing, but also fun at the same time.

I was already invested in this title when they announced it, but now that it’s here and the character has been revealed, I’m even more in. Ready for that second issue already.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Nightwatcher #1 is now available from IDW Publishing.