Rage-prone Raphael of the Ninja Turtles is whiling away his days in a prison cell… but why? Find out in this review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
Written by: Jason Aaron
Art by: Joëlle Jones
Main Cover: Rafael Albuquerque
Variant Covers: Danny Earls, Kevin Eastman, Khary Randolph, Eric Talbot, Aaron Campbell, Peach Momoko, Matteo Scalera, Sean Gordon Murphy, Darick Robertson, Lee Bermejo, J. Gonzo
Page Count: 28 pages
Release Date: July 24, 2024
This review contains spoilers
Celebrating the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ 40th anniversary, IDW has unleashed hit-making writer Jason Aaron (The Mighty Thor) on a brand new ongoing monthly series with a revolving door of talented artists. The first four installments promise a solo adventure for each turtle, with each respective book illustrated by a different collaborator. Joining Aaron for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, Joëlle Jones draws Raphael’s story.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 establishes a world in which the Ninja Turtles have split up and gone their separate ways, due to an unresolved rift yet to be revealed. But a new threat emerges, one that will inevitably reunite the half-shell heroes and remind them of the strength of their brotherhood.
Far from the hubbub of New York City, Raphael, the lone protagonist of the first issue, finds himself shoulder to shoulder with the toughest fellas in San Quentin Prison. He keeps to himself and tries not to stick out… as much as a green, mutated reptile warrior can manage. But Raph’s righteous instinct pulls him into action when he discovers three inmates enacting a prison break. He deals with them quickly, but even the sneering guards and ungrateful warden are less than amicable. The mundane tenor of Raphael’s sentence is shattered when three assassins attack! Knowing they’ll come for his brothers next, he makes a break for freedom to find them, wherever they are.
Both those who have been looking forward to this series and those who are on the chain-link fence will be thrilled to hear the first issue sticks the landing with the grace of a trained ninja. The introductory issue benefits from a clear-cut plot to set up the moving pieces – and boy, do those pieces move! Exposition is dusted through moody narration, landing between big action scenes, so we’re never lost and never bored. Jason Aaron establishes a lonely, bitter protagonist, which undoubtedly sets the stage for a triumphant family reunion to pull him out of his shell.
The MVP of the creative team is Joëlle Jones (Catwoman), whose fine work expertly displays tone, momentum, and urgency. Her balance of thin pen strokes and thicker, heavier outlining exaggerate expressive details like Raphael’s heavy brow ridge or the disapproving warden’s stern jowls; the clarity of these factors lends itself to a quicker read, with less attention necessary for emotional comprehension (though the caliber of art beckons you stay awhile anyway).
In tandem, Ronda Pattison’s guache palette brings the reader into the sweltering, enclosed California correctional facility or the dark, dank sewers beneath it. Together, their take on the Turtles pays proud homage to Laird and Eastman’s original dark and brooding comic series. The only challenge is that they set such a high bar for the artists to follow.
IDW’s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series is very exciting and a must-have for your pull-list. Also, by the way, twenty-eight pages and no ads!
IDW Publishing provided The Comic Book Spot with an advance copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 for review purposes. Find more reviews here. If you would like to buy a copy of this title, and help support the Comic Book Spot at the same time, consider purchasing this book at Amazon.
