An All Too Familiar Type Of Villain: Reviewing ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ #5

Every villain has their origin story — often centered around them being misunderstood or actually being the unsung protagonist. Some of them though, well they seek vengeance and revel in their newfound (often stolen) power.

Say hello to District Attorney Hieronymus Hale, the man who holds all of New York City in his ironclad, Foot Clan-enforced grasp. Everything plaguing the Splinter Clan and their allies becomes clearer in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 from Jason Aaron, Darick Robertson, Norm Rapmund, Tony Aviña, and Shawn Lee.

A horrifically corrupt politician ready to use military might to crack down upon the powerless and marginalized radiating “how dare the world not recognize me and how amazing I am” energy. Reality and fiction, unfortunately, are too much in lockstep at this moment.

While there was no way to know how the recent US election was going to go for sure, a character of this nature was (again unfortunately) still going to be “relevant.”

On the one hand a figure like this showing up in a series with some of my favorite characters brings a sigh. Reality is already bad enough having to deal with the man, but now him and his ilk are everywhere in fiction as well. On the other hand, this is the way that art tends to work. Reflect upon and react to the world as it stands. While reality won’t bring any comeuppance of any kind, character’s like Hale are certain to get theirs at some point.

Because, in the end, the heroes generally tend to win (even if it’s messy).

Older stories would have gone the route of making Hale seem at least a little “sympathetic” in the sense of going with the bullied and abused route the captions allude to. Instead, nope, this dude is just pure slime and the worst. One of those guys we all have seen or met at some point, pissed that the world “ignored him” and now is pushing his way into the spotlight. Even when he achieves things despite that feeling of being ignored, it’s never enough.

Men like that aren’t satisfied ever, because nothing will fill the gaping dark void in their center. I’d say heart or soul but let’s be honest, they have neither.

Basically this is the origin story of Hale — both as a person, but also as the new DA and a leader (pawn) of the Foot Clan. We get a lot of threads woven together from the previous four issues, as well as the side stuff happening with Karai and Casey Jones. Aaron makes the story work pretty well, since within the first few pages I want this guy to get a Turtle beat down, sooner rather than later, and doubly so with how the issue ends for a fan-favorite supporting character.

Robertson was a great choice for such a rough story, with the inherently rougher-skewing style of artwork he employs. Hale and the Foot Soldiers have the heft and darkness they need, the inks from Robertson and Rapmund really giving them more weight and depth. Full of all that crunchy grit that the series has focused on returning to in this new era of stories.

Aiming the reader behind Hale through most of the issue — especially the flashbacks — was a solid choice. It plays into how this very much is his story, and we’re viewing it from his eyes. The solitary figure looking on at others, his words often being our only window into his emotions because he has the same neutral, just sort of existing there, body language through most of the book.

Only when we’re viewing from outside him, and he begins to feel the joys of unleashing even more of his vile side (away from the world) do we see more from him. Sinister glee, alongside an almost relieved situation, as someone is speaking to him in the coddled language he wants.

As a darker tale, the colors from Aviña reflect this.

Dirty, in a sense, to play with that rougher and grittier feeling. Lots of muddled shadows and darker tones, with the lighter colors saved for setting or establishing beats. Even the brighter spaces they visit have a heaviness to them as the colors remain on the neutral or darker side. There is very little vibrancy to be found here, because the heroes and more hopeful things are far away.

As noted before, it’s through the words that we really can tell how Hale feels in many moments. Lee has been the letterer for this series, and its offshoots, through both of IDW’s volumes. Capturing voices so magnificently, knowing when to go the extra mile to make sure that the emotions are clear and loud. Never afraid to go for bigger, bolder, more colorful fonts to really boost up the moment. Like the off-red, massively sized up “Diiieee” that Hale drops as he prepares to smash in the skull of his parent’s killer.

All of it so well-timed and placed in the issue. Maximizing the pauses and natural flows to really allow the words and emotions to sink in.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 is now available from IDW Publishing.