Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #99 // Review
With the city of New York being wrecked piece by piece by ninja, gang violence, mutants, and some of the Gods themselves, the team of Turtles just can’t seem to catch a break. The City at War storyline is rolling on like a tour bus without a driver, and the 100th issue is fast approaching as well. The motto for this book has always been “change is constant,” and it looks like this double-sized issue is no different.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #99 was plotted out by Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, and Tom Waltz. Tom Waltz also scripted, while Dave Wachter worked on the art. Rhonda Pattison colored the pages, and Shawn Lee lettered the pages.
In the wake of Hob’s mutant-making bomb, chaos reigns. The newly-created mutants are crowded into the Mutanimals’ vehicles and bussed away while the EPF remains stunned. Meanwhile, Karai puts forth her plans for the Foot and New York into motion, putting forth the Foot as the crime-police. To make matters worse, the children in the care of Splinter’s Foot are gone, and Harold and his wife are still being held by Metalhead 2.0. The elder God Kitsune is also around in the shadows, with her own plans… and nothing bodes well. Will even the city survive this war?
Like the entire run so far, the book is terrific. Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, and Tom Waltz have this real knack for giving even minor characters their moment in the sun. Admittedly, a double-sized issue doesn’t hurt either. There are tons of fun moments, awesome moments, and even moments that will make the reader back up and read that page again. The debate between Donatello and Metalhead 2.0 was thoroughly brilliant and an excellent examination of how he has grown since the start of the series. Even when a philosophical debate is running, the book doesn’t let up on the action or the thrills… and the final page leaves the reader on one hell of a cliffhanger.
As usual, the art in the book is nothing short of spectacular. Dave Wachter still has some of the best art in the business, and this issue is no exception. Under other artists, a book crammed full of action and dialogue would have become muddled or complicated. Instead, the action spills across two pages and flows down like water moving down a window. Rhonda Patterson’s colors turn the metaphorical water into a rainbow of kinetic motion and combined with Wachter’s art in a way that it’s hard to imagine anyone else working on these books.
Issue 100 is next month, and it promises to be completely fantastic. While new readers should go back to at least the start of City At War with issue 93, people who’ve been keeping up with this storyline are in for a fantastic treat. It’s going to be a hard wait for issue 100, folks.
