To date, the origin of the Ninja Turtles and their master Splinter in the new IDW continuity hasn't differed greatly from established history. Sure, there's the requisite emphasis on super-soldier serums and a couple new characters thrown into the mix, but the first four issues of this series haven't broken significant new ground.
The same can't be said for issue #5. This standalone chapter adds a significant new wrinkle to the mythos. Framed largely from Splinter's point of view, we see how he and his adopted sons are connected to the great warrior Hamato Yoshi and his four sons. The results are unorthodox as far as this franchise goes. But really, when you're talking about a story that involves mutated turtles learning ninjitsu from their rat father and battling a human can opener, who's to say what the hell is normal?
What matters is that Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz manage to sell this new origin. It doesn't have to make logical sense; it just has to resonate emotionally. The writers deliver the first real glimpse of the four Turtles bonding as a family, and also begin building a bridge for April to take a more active role in the story. Some things have changed, but the core remains the same.
Dan Duncan and Mateus Santolouco share art duties this month, with the former handling the present-day sections and Santoluoco the flashbacks. Santolouco delivers some mesmerizing feudal warfare scenes that flow with energy. The present-day scenes are comparatively tame, but still solid enough in their depiction of Splinter's antics. The most distracting aspect of the art is that it's difficult to distinguish the various Turtles without their colored bandanas or weapons, but that doesn't look to be an ongoing problem.
This issue doesn't overhaul the franchise in the same way The Death of Optimus Prime did for the Transformers books, but it does show that the creators are willing to break away from the past without ignoring what made it so popular in the first place.
| Rating | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| out of 10 | Click here for ratings guide | |
IGN reviews the hottest new comic book releases for the week...
