Something New, Something Old — Reviewing ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ #12

After twelve issues, the first era of IDW’s relaunched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series has come to a swift close. Jason Aaron, Juan Ferreyra, and Shawn Lee lead the way as the trial of the Turtles is finally over.

A lot happened in the first eleven issues, meaning that the twelfth probably has a lot of threads to tie-up, especially since departing creative teams generally love to clear the board mostly, leaving the next team a (mostly) clean-slate, with a few bits left to play with, sometimes a major bit.

Well, this issue certainly has some of that going for it.

I’ve been a noted fan of this run the whole time, with some quibbles here or there. This might be the review where I pick the most at some bits, while still overall enjoying the issue and the run as a whole.

There is a general air of “wrapped up” going about this issue, if one overlooks that quite a few plot lines were mostly sped through in previous issues. Aaron seemed to be laying out a grand idea for these characters that could have spread across a lot more issues. I have no doubt that twelve issues was always the plan. It makes how quickly and neatly things are tied up next to the grand pronouncements made before launch feel odder.

None of it’s bad, again I really liked the issue, but it just feels like the final half of the run was quite light.

The Brothers Hamato coming back together to defeat Hale was well done. Their rifts are not just paved over and repaired. There are still cracks in this road, but they are more reminiscent of their split dynamics of the past. Reconciliation and growth are not simple roads, and it’s not fully presented that way here, which helps.

Overall, I really liked the fight scenes and the parallels of where Hale ends up compared to how he treated the heroes. The dynamic of them being more heroes to the public than threat is cool but also feels kind of cliché, so we’ll see where that goes. The ending though…well…I’m very split.

Love the character of Splinter, but I liked the first ending with him not coming back because he’s at peace and with the boy’s mother, having just pierced the veil to save his sons. Forcing the character back, still as a rat, just to get things back closer to the old dynamic felt wrong. It’s too much like many resurrections found in comics.

Again, we’ll see how it goes.

Through the second half of this run, Ferreyra has done such astounding work, really digging into this world and creating his own distinct flavor for the characters and their surroundings. He gives everything the right amount of sharp rough edges while never missing on the softer elements necessary. His work is dynamic with wells of energy that crackle and pop across every panel, no matter if they’re action packed or not.

The fight scenes with the mutated Hale are big and bold, with roughness, as they should be. A horrifying chill comes from how utterly grotesque and out-of-hand this mutation is. It gives a momentary semblance of pity for the villain before yanking it back, as his true monstrous form shines through.

A muted color palette really sets the tone. Saturated and heavy, the more medium hued colors give the space this really shadowy and almost natural appearance. Various choices are made to still really bring vibrancy. It keeps the art feeling dense and deep while never shying away from the more fantastical elements that make up the series.

No matter how much things change in every other respect, the voice of the Turtles has stood mostly unwavering through time. Lee is a creator whose name is almost synonymous with the IDW era of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And it should remain that way come the thirteenth issue, and beyond, as long as Lee has the desire.

Familiarity is always clear in the way that the voices are presented. No matter who is writing them and how, their energy remains consistent throughout the stories. Lee knows these characters front to back and how to present their dialogue and all the other lettering around them. He gives the voices and the world a resounding clear tone and powerful emotional depth, giving it all the right little push with shifts in font, color, bubble style, and so much more along the way.

As the door closes on the Aaron and Ferreyra led version of the book, the window opens for the Gene Luen Yang and Freddie E. Williams II era in December.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #12 is now available from IDW Publishing.