IDW Publishing this week released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #4 into comic stores as the penultimate chapter of the original hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin sequel series. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #4 includes plenty of surprises, including one that goes back to the earliest days of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, while setting the stage for the conclusion of the latest chapter in the “Roninverse” (which will soon expand in a Last Ronin movie and Last Ronin video game). [SPOILERS follow for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #4 by Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman, Esau & Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, Luis Antonio Delgado, and Shawn Lee.]
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The issue’s biggest surprise is the return of Professor Honeycutt, a.k.a. The Fugitoid. Earlier issues revealed that Honeycutt’s consciousness existed in a computer system used by April O’Neill, but that a malicious virus had seemingly wiped Honeycutt’s programming from the system. However, not only is Honeycutt revealed to be alive, but he also manages to assemble a new body to operate in the physical world once more. The Fugitoid is a call back to the early days of TMNT — technically, even earlier than that. Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created Fugitoid before they invented the Turtles, and later added Honeycutt to the Ninja Turtles universe.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #4, Honeycutt joins a growing cast of characters supporting the new generation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In addition to “Grandma” April and April’s daughter, Casey Marie Jones, new characters like reporter Amanda Konnor, black marketeer Tinker 2, and others joined the Turtles in their new home, a secret base at Roosevelt Island. April prepared the base in secret as her latest shelter, revealed alongside flashbacks from Ben Bishop depicting familiar locales once home to the group, including the Turtles’ Northampton refuge, and April’s family’s Second Time Around shop. However, the base doesn’t remain hidden for long as Jigsaw, leader of the Purple Dragons, spots the Turtles returning from their mission, setting up the epic climax to come in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #5.
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TMNT: The Last Ronin II Set Up a Grand Finale
“The fourth chapter in a five-chapter series is critical and has to be perfect,” Eastman, who co-writes The Last Ronin, tells ComicBook in a statement. “Everything we have been setting up, every layer of that onion we’ve been building for one hundred and twenty pages need to start fully connecting in these next forty pages – all those easter eggs, surprises, and final set-up, without giving the truly EPIC ending away, need to be revealed in such a carefully crafted delicate way – readers might think we actually know what we’re doing the whole time! Hah! Happy accidents are the greatest gift in a world-building tale of this magnitude – those beats when the story starts directing you – as much as you are directing it.”
He continues, “The whole team went into this second series trusting Tom and I, the fools, but without each and every one of them bringing every one of their MASSIVELY and completely INVALUABLE talent and contributions throughout – have truly made it what it is and will be, and THAT so much cooler than we dreamed of going in.
“Chapter four is all that and more – triple dog dare times infinity – if you dare to think your mind is blown when you get to the last page – you’re going to need a full-face helmet for chapter five…”
On drawing locations from Turtles history, Bishop says, “Over the last 5 years, through The Last Ronin, Lost Years and now Re-Evolution I’ve been able to truly do some things with the art and characters I could have never imagined I’d have the opportunity to do. To draw scenes in places every turtle artist dreams of going. Places like the Lair or Bleecker St. and the Second Time Around Shop…
“The Northampton farmhouse is one of those places that may be at the top of the list for me. I know what an honor it is for any turtle artist to visit – a rite of passage almost. I saw Ciro Nieli go there in the Nickelodeon show, and of course Sophie Campbell’s iconic arc in the IDW ongoing… Both huge inspirations. But my favorite is by far when they went there on the big screen in the original movie. I would guess Ciro and Sophie may have also been inspired by farmhouse scenes in the film – I know I was.
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“The way I draw turtles has always been a love letter to the Henson suits and the original film. I think about those turtles every day. The farmhouse scenes in particular proved these characters are real, and they feel things, and they make us feel things. I try to make sure I’m bringing that same reality of emotions and expression to the art when I’m drawing as best I can.
“Alongside these legendary moments in turtle time, I’m always thrilled to show moments we haven’t seen before, like April arriving with baby Casey Marie strapped to her chest, at the old lair. Where her family died. Where she was reborn. Where she will rebuild and raise a new family.
“Every moment is special – and for me, every panel is a gift.
“A real benefit of drawing flashbacks is you get to see just how good the good times were, which makes the sad stuff even sadder. When you can show everything they lost, it makes the story all the more real. It makes it hurt all over again… and again.”
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Teasing what’s to come, co-writer Tom Waltz says, “So, here we are — the penultimate issue of The Last Ronin: Re-Evolution, and, my friends, do we have some more surprises in store for you. Family secrets revealed! New enemies unearthed! Past memories of the original TMNT explored! And the first official mission for the new TMNT! The war for New York City heats up big-time as we sprint headlong toward the grand finale!”
Colorist Luis Antonio Delgado concludes, “Issue 4 is without a doubt my favorite so far, from the moment I read the script I couldn’t wait to see what Ben and the Escorza Bros would do with it. Starting with the action at Hiroto’s Tower, which has to be the most exciting from the series. Having the new family grow with Amanda Konnor, Tinker 2, and Fugitoid’s in his new body. And finally, all the scenes with Chevalier and Jigsaw are definitely escalating to a big final confrontation. Gotta love the Roninverse!”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #4 is on sale now. The story concludes in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #5, on sale on April 16th.
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