TMNT Universe #2 Review: Raphael Fights Enemies Within And Without

The TMNT are surrounded by enemies everywhere! Agent Bishop, Baxtor Stockman, and the Scorpion thief! But could Raphael’s emotions be the deadliest of all?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #2

Writers: Paul Allor (main story); Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman & Bobby Curnow (“Inside Out” strip)

Artists: Damian Couceiro (main story); Kevin Eastman & Bill Sienkiewicz (‘Inside Out” strip)

Colorists: Ronda Pattison (main story); Tomi Varga (‘Inside Out” strip)

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IDW Publishing’s second canonical TMNT ongoing series returns with another exceptional issue. While increasing the price due to a side strip may be questionable, the main story is just as riveting as the core series’ latest arc. Much as Tales of the TMNT originally ran alongside Mirage Studios’ initial TMNT series in the 80s and 90s, this series properly expands the Turtles’ universe. Despite a huge cast, all of them get moments to shine in this engaging and action packed issue.

Image by IDW Publishing

A mission to try to recruit their old enemy Baxtor Stockman against current foes has backfired. Now the Ninja Turtles are trapped inside his laboratory with enemies all around them. Agent Bishop is commander of a strike team of anti-mutant commandos outside. Inside, a mutant Scorpion there to commit industrial espionage is a deadly wild card with her own agenda. Stockman’s only ally is himself, and Donatello has been knocked out by tranquilizer darts.

Turtles, Agents, and Scorpions! Oh My!

This causes Raphael’s angst about being in eternal danger to go over the edge. He questions Leonardo’s orders and even his own morality. He quickly finds himself straddling the line between ninja and savage, with the Scorpion seeming to egg this on. Hence, Raph may be willing to go easy on soldiers but not so easy when the Scorpion tries to steer the Turtles to her point of view. And the irony is that her moral ambiguity and survival instincts are not altogether unreasonable.

Image by IDW Publishing

Meanwhile, Agent Bishop and NYPD detective Lewis continue to work off each other. Lewis has had experience with mutant crime scenes before, but her zeal is nowhere near Bishop’s. And yet, Bishop isn’t entirely wrong, either. This is a world where mutant warriors like Bebop and Rocksteady can easily slaughter entire SWAT teams. Where alien warlords from other dimensions nearly destroyed the entire planet. And where immortal magicians manipulate things from afar.

Image by IDW Publishing

Bishop may be a zealot, but he is also no fool. When he hears that humans are inside, he reaches out to them. Upon realizing that Baxtor Stockman is inside, Bishop refuses to negotiate. Aware that Stockman has betrayed everyone around him (including general Krang), Bishop has no time for that nonsense. As one of the greatest creations of the 2003 era animated series, it is utterly fantastic to see Bishop handled so well here. Raph’s inner turmoil is also fascinating to see.

Image by IDW Publishing

This Universe Is as Layered as a Netflix Show!

Yet the Scorpion may be stealing this arc with ease. She’s another new creation by Paul Allor and she steals every panel she is in. Her design by Couceiro is brilliant and she combines sass, violence, and a blunt intelligence. The Scorpion may show no mercy against humans, but would prefer to work with her fellow mutants. Yet she’s hardly above self interest or manipulation, and has a dark sense of humor. It’s hard to stand out among Stockman and Bishop, but she does with ease.

Image by IDW Publishing

Every character in the main story gets a critical moment (except Donatello, for obvious reasons). The artwork is crisp and fluid, getting the pulse pounding for action. Allor’s dialogue is full of character and vigor, and his plotting is top notch. What could have been a simple thriller has become an in depth character study, as well as an effective caper piece. It is easy to see why Allor has written most of the TMNT mini series from IDW beforehand. He has a full grasp of the lore.

Image by IDW Publishing

It is kind of a shame that the shorter “Inside Out” strip remains a disappointment in comparison. It is similar to some classic Ninja Turtles stories from the 80’s. It relies more on establishing mood and interesting lay outs than on plot. Leonardo continues to escape a horse of Foot Ninja, and runs into Koya and more hallucinations. While it is great seeing two legends like Eastman and Sienkiewicz collaborate, the strip is too bare to hold up to the fantastic main story.

Next: Read what went down in #1

Cowabunga? Cowabunga!

What could have been a cash grab for IDW has instead become another triumph of editor Bobby Curnow. Both this and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (which he also co-writes) are shining examples of excellent serialized comics. TMNT Universe expands upon not only that tradition, but adds to it with its own characters and flair.  Furthermore, series are so much better than so many other “big two” comics right now. Now has never been a better time to love being a Turtle!