Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65 Review: Christmas Party Dude
By Alex Widen
It’s that time of the season again! Michelangelo arranges a Christmas party, and everyone’s invited! Will chaos ensue, or will the holiday spirit prevail?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #65
Writers: Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman & Bobby Curnow
Artist: Mateus Santolouco
Colorist: Ronda Pattison
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December is the month for Christmas themed comic books. Many of them tend to be maudlin or cheesy. Others can simply be stupid, like Marvel’s annual appearances by the genuine Santa Claus. Therefore, it is especially relevant that not only does regular artist Mateus Santolouco return, but the writing team delivers one of its best issues ever. In twenty pages, the issue covers a party and presents appearances by nearly the entire supporting cast of the series. It’s a ton of fun!
Image by IDW Publishing
The Ninja Turtles have been through a lot recently. Donatello’s died and come back from the grave, and Splinter’s taken control of the Foot Clan. This latest change of events has not only cost them their ally Harold Lilja, but split the family in two. Michelangelo was the first to rebel against Splinter, but now all four Turtles believe he’s gone too far. While it may have been Splinter’s roundabout way to protect them, the result is the Turtles living without their dad for the first time.
Image by IDW Publishing
First of All, the Turtles Are Already in Christmas Colors!
As a result, the opening page of the issue plays with the often overly serious tone of the series. It turns out to be a clever ruse as Michelangelo’s zeal is focused on planning the best Christmas party ever. Leonardo insists on only inviting “a few” close friends, but parties tend to have a way of snowballing. While Raphael heads out to invite the usual suspects (Casey, April, and Angel), Donatello makes Christmas lighting his new pet project. Word of the shindig quickly spreads!
Image by IDW Publishing
Ultimately, this issue is a celebration of the series’ extended cast and on the collective talent of their writers. Virtually every memorable character of the main TMNT cast turns up, even some who haven’t been seen in a while. Woody, who used to provide the Turtles with their pizzas, makes his first reappearance in years. He quickly finds himself practically stealing the issue like a ninja himself! From hitting on Angel Bridge to running afoul of Slash, it’s an unforgettable issue for him.
Image by IDW Publishing
Plenty of other long simmering character subplots play out throughout the party. Casey Jones, who’s now running the Purple Dragons on Splinter’s behalf, turns up to the event. He not only briefly chats with Raphael (his adoptive brother) about Splinter briefly, but is reunited with April. The pair have been on the rocks since their road trip together last summer. Most of it was due to Casey’s boneheaded temper. By the end of the issue, their romance may have been rekindled.
Image by IDW Publishing
Seems Like Some Mutants Just Invite Themselves!
Despite Leonardo’s protests, the often chaotic band of mutants, “the Mutanimals,” show up for the party. For once, it isn’t Michelangelo’s fault. Slash learned of the party by happenstance, while Pigeon Pete told the rest via his own avian connections. Fortunately, they arrive without the Turtles’ sometime enemy Old Hob, and the events remain cordial. Slash and Mikey rekindle their friendship, while Pigeon Pete’s terrible karaoke proves to be worse than his attempt at cooking!
Image by IDW Publishing
Yet where has Donatello been this entire time? At the eleventh hour, he turns up to reveal his ultimate Christmas lighting extravaganza. It proves to be a hit in more ways than one, as the power surge takes out a third of the juice throughout the city. In the end, a near Christmas miracle occurs when Michelangelo gets a new pair of nunchucks from the party’s last uninvited guest. I won’t spoil who it is, but it proves to be an incredibly tender moment, and a great ending for 2016.
Image by IDW Publishing
Mikey is the centerpiece of the issue, and Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman and company do him justice in this issue. In particular, his kind and often inviting nature is allowed to shine. His reunion with Slash is especially important because of this. The giant snapping turtle began as a near mindless experimental mutant from Baxtor Stockman’s lab. Michelangelo was the first person to ever show Slash any kindness, and Slash now considers Mikey his hero. Redemption is a great theme to play.
Image by IDW Publishing
TMNT Is Awesome Due to Its Awesome Creative Team!
It’s impossible to cover all of the highlights in a review. This is one issue which greatly benefits from rereads. Each small, but memorable character moment all comes together into a cohesive whole for the finale. Pepperoni, the Turtles’ time flung dinosaur pet (created by Sophie Campbell), gets her first major romps in the main series. Too few franchise series seem to appreciate how vital a strong supporting cast is. IDW’s TMNT does, and relishes it within this amazing tale.
Image by IDW Publishing
Yet the real hero of the issue may not be Tom Waltz and company for once, but Mateus Santolouco. His first foray into the franchise was drawing a four-issue Foot Clan origin mini years ago. Now, he’s evolved into the main title’s primary artist and character designer. Mateus returns from a hiatus with his strongest pencils ever. There’s no combat in this issue, and it’s never missed. Mateus’ attention to detail and full range of character expressions utterly sells this script.
Image by IDW Publishing
Much like the dialogue, Mateus’ art is worth rereading the issue for as well. You can have a ball spotting all of the fine details to the Turtles’ home. Look at how each Turtle decorates their room, or how Mikey left the living room. References to Vanilla Ice to manga (like AKIRA) to other IDW comics (including this one) abound. Raphael’s civilian attire is a shout out to both their Archie Comics run and a lyric from their 1987 theme song. Donnie’s face towards the finale is priceless.
Image by IDW Publishing
Mateus Santolouco Probably Delivers the Best Art of His Run Here!
It isn’t just there, however! The script allows Mateus to play with nearly the whole cast with a wide range of emotions. Woody alone gets to go from suave to petrified to relaxed within a few pages, and it’s fantastic. The emotion that Slash expresses is utterly amazing. Pepperoni and Pigeon Pete have never looked cuter. From Angel’s eye roll (and sassy come backs) to the tenderness between Casey and April, it is a feast for the eyes. These are characters you can adore.
Image by IDW Publishing
Next: See the Turtles split from Splinter in #64!
2016 has been another wonderful year for IDW’s TMNT series. Bobby Curnow is an editor who makes no wrong moves with this franchise. This year’s seen two distinct crossovers with Batman as well as the start of an utterly awesome secondary series. An issue like this is not just a celebration of Christmas, it’s a celebration of over five years of exceptional writing and drawing. TMNT is arguably the best serialized franchise comic out there today. Here’s to more Turtle power in 2017!