The good vibes of Splinter’s return were unfortunately short-lived, as now the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are confronted with the fact that their father and mentor is the deadly assassin Ujigami. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16 picks up the story from there, though things have somehow become even more complex thanks to who Splinter is targeting next, and it’s that complex chaos and the family caught within it that makes the series, and this issue in particular, land with such impact.
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Writer Gene Luen Yang has created quite the conundrum for the Turtles after the reveal of Ujigami’s true identity, and issue #16 wastes no time in getting into the weeds of what this revelation means for not only the Turtles but those closest to them. There are also ramifications of Splinter’s action from their enemies, and it’s this rising complexity across the board that makes the current chaos so layered and so compelling.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
| PROS | CONS |
| Michelangelo gets some welcome shine | Would have loved an extended sequence for Ujigami vs The Foot |
| Freddie Williams and Andrew Dalhouse’s Art & Colors are off the charts | |
| Few series blend drama and humor as well as TMNT |
Michelangelo’s Time To Shine
One aspect of the issue that quickly stands out is how much focus is given to Michelangelo, and that time in the spotlight is incredibly welcome. In fact, Michelangelo has been a vital part of this current arc overall, but in issue #16, we get so much more insight into who Mikey is as an individual, as well as his emotional awareness of what they’ve lost and what they could lose if this situation continues to spiral out of hand.
Mikey is most often in the role of the fun Turtle, and that’s part of why we all love him, but that doesn’t mean that fun is his only trait. One of the best parts of the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series is how other elements of each Turtle are rising to the surface, and in Michelangelo’s case, it’s amazing to see how locked in he is with their past lives.
The way he lovingly remembers their mother while also recognizing the reality of their relationship and how that feeds into the present is one of my favorite aspects of the issue, and that’s furthered by a later exchange of how Mikey is the only one who remembers Japanese from their past lives. It’s wonderful to see new layers added to an already delightful character, and issue #16 has that in spades.
The Turtles Have Rarely Looked This Good
While the story certainly deserves praise, so does the truly exceptional artwork from the team of Freddie E. Williams II and Andrew Dalhouse, and when I say that the Turtles have rarely looked this cool, that’s not hyperbole. The inter-family conflict between the Turtles and Splinter leads to one of the book’s biggest action sequences, and the two-page spread that kicks off the battle is poster-worthy all by itself.
Once the fight kicks into gear, the amount of movement and fluidity involved in each moment of the battle can’t help but impress, and there’s also always something happening in the background that continues to build momentum into the next section of the fight. The colors absolutely pop as well, and there’s one particular Splinter moment that leaps off the page in more ways than one.
It’s not all about the battles though, and there are two moments in the second half that deserve some recognition as well. Shinigami and Splinter collide later in the issue, and not only does it move the story forward in a major way, but it looks simply stunning with swirling swaths of greens, purples, and yellows. The last page looks just as impressive, but in a completely different way, as the muted blues, greens, and grays convey the emotional state of a key character that is likely to lead to some big moments in upcoming issues.
While I would have loved to see more of the Ujigami vs. The Foot battle, in part because what is there looks so great, I’m not exactly sure what I would have removed to make room for it. There’s not a lot in terms of filler here, so outside of just extending the page count, I’m not sure what could really be done. Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16 continues an exceptional TMNT comics era that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, and it’s an easy recommendation for your pull list.
- Published By: IDW Publishing
- Written By: Gene Luen Yang
- Art By: Freddie E. Williams II and Fero Pe
- Colors By: Andrew Dalhouse and Luis Antonio Delgado
- Lettering By: Shawn Lee
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16 is in comic stores now.
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Image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast -
Courtesy of Bones Film
