Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #67 Review: The Pawn Of Bishop Is Slash
By Alex Widen
Agent Bishop and the Earth Protection Force begin their first move against mutants. Slash is their first target, yet Bishop seeks a bigger prize!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #67
Writers: Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman & Bobby Curnow
Artist: Mateus Santolouco
Colorist: Ronda Pattison
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After two standalone issues, Tom Waltz and company begin their first big TMNT arc for 2017. The massive mutant snapping turtle Slash becomes the focal point of the issue. Unfortunately, it is not in a way that the gentle giant would prefer! He becomes the first victim in Agent Bishop’s scheme to reign in the mutants with the Earth Protection Force. As a result, he becomes the ultimate pawn for Bishop in his large-scale war to protect humanity from mutants at any cost.
Image by IDW Publishing
Originally one of many experimental mutants created by Baxtor Stockman at the behest of General Krang, Slash has come a long way. His unstable mind was chemically balanced thanks to Lindsey Baker on Old Hob’s behalf. While his temper remains wild, Slash has sought to better himself. Michelangelo is his idol, and he reads books such as The Grapes Of Wrath to pigeons. He was one of the first Mutanimals, but Slash disagreed with Old Hob’s moral ambiguity and left.
Image by IDW Publishing
Poor Giant Snapping Turtle!
A solitary life proves to be Slash’s undoing here. He’s ambushed by Darkwater, a private mercenary group contracted by the Earth Protection Force. Overwhelming forces and quick planning eventually defeat him. Yet bringing down Slash was only part of Bishop’s scheme. He sees the massive turtle as the perfect pawn to bring down other mutants in general, and the Mutanimals in particular. Due to this, Slash becomes Bishop’s latest weapon in his war.
Image by IDW Publishing
In the meantime, the Ninja Turtles are experiencing a bit of downtime. Like Slash, they’ve also parted ways with a mentor due to moral ambiguity. Yet without Splinter’s guidance, the four brothers are at an impasse. Leonardo remains ever vigilant about the threats around them, while Raphael would rather relax and focus on friends, or personal skirmishes. Michelangelo wants to branch out and fight crime, while Donatello wants to upgrade their tech with Harold Lilja gone.
Image by IDW Publishing
Leonardo’s vigilance proves to be wise, as Bishop’s Earth Protection Force is one of several distant threats he was worried about. An exasperated Leo returns to the Foot Clan headquarters to talk to Splinter. The end result is a brief, but engaging scene regarding family ties. Splinter is pleased to hear about his sons and encourages Leonardo to continue leading them into their own clan apart from the Foot. All children have to leave the nest, and Splinter sees these as growing pains.
Image by IDW Publishing
Slash vs. The Mighty Mutanimals!
Yet the only mutants facing real pains this issue are the Mutanimals. In theory, they represent all of Bishop’s fears for mutants. Old Hob specifically organized the group to strike back at the humanity that has mistreated them. His goals remain fluid. One moment Hob may lead a raid against figures such as Null who perform cruel experiments on animals and mutants. At other times, he strikes against Hun for the sake of profiting from organized crime. Hob is often brash and reckless.
Image by IDW Publishing
The rest of the Mutanimals are merely mutants bound by collective loyalty or a lack of options. Their only human member is Lindsey Baker, a former scientist who worked for Stockman. Their ranks include Mondo Gecko, Herman the Hermit Crab, lioness Sally Pride (a riff on astronaut Sally Ride) and Ray Fillet / Man Ray. Mutagen Man is the prime example of a tormented mutant, as he’s composed of mutated animal organs floating in mutagen. The nutty Pigeon Pete is comic relief.
Image by IDW Publishing
A quiet night watching a Jurassic Park spoof is interrupted by Slash. As a result of Bishop’s reprogramming, what could have been a reunion instead turns into a massacre. The entire Mutanimals stand no chance against their old ally. As one of the most powerful mutants available, Agent Bishop may have found his perfect weapon against his enemies. Can the Ninja Turtles stand a chance against him? Or will Old Hob once again become an ally of convenience to them?
Image by IDW Publishing
Combining Elements from All Incarnations Is Most Noteworthy!
I keep typing it until my fingers fall off, but IDW’s TMNT under Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman and Bobby Curnow remains one of the best comics out there. The cast keeps expanding, but each character is fully explored. Plot threads laid down years previously always come to fruition eventually in amazing ways. There is plenty of action, yet it is always served with ample amounts of characterization and smart dialogue. The tone can shift from comedy to tragedy and between.
Image by IDW Publishing
This issue also symbolizes how the creators take elements from various Ninja Turtle media and combine them into new wholes. Agent Bishop and his Earth Protection Force were first introduced in the 2003-era cartoon produced by 4Kids Entertainment. Yet Darkwater and its primary members Sgt. Alex Winter and Col. Wesley Knight hail from the eighth season of the original Fred Wolf cartoon, circa 1994. Throw in the Mutanimals from ’90s Archie Comics, and it’s a clever blend!
Image by IDW Publishing
Agent Bishop was an amazing antagonist in the 2003 cartoon, and remains so here. He fills an appropriate role within the TMNT canon representing a government response to dangerous mutants and aliens. His morals are gray and his tactics are blunt, yet Bishop isn’t entirely wrong. Krang and his Technodrome nearly destroyed the Earth for the sake of Utroms from Dimension X. Slash and other mutants are so tough that collapsing buildings barely slow them down.
Image by IDW Publishing
Bishop is Ruthless yet Cunning!
The Shredder employed mutants as part of his Foot Clan criminal empire, and Bebop and Rocksteady are international mercenaries. Even the Ninja Turtles themselves could be considered vigilantes at best, responsible for plenty of property damage. Old Hob used to organize street gangs before he founded the Mutanimals. With a world filled with mutants, someone like Bishop had to come along. Darkwater now stands as a comparison to Blackwater (now called Academi).
Image by IDW Publishing
In addition to Bishop showing cleverness in using Slash as a weapon, he is also learning from the past. He was the feature villain in the first arc of TMNT Universe, where he tested a full-blown human tactical response against mutants. What he learned was that when faced with a squad of soldiers, even teams of mutants who disagree (such as the Turtles and Zodi) will unite against a common foe. Using one of their strongest against them is a safer way to take them down.
Image by IDW Publishing
Not the Same as Your Father’s Ninja Turtles!
Mateus Santolouco returns on art since the Christmas issue, and he remains the series’ primary artist. He can effortlessly juggle all of the characters and their designs amid tons of action and attention to detail. He excels equally at tender moments, like with Leo and Splinter, to extended dialogue pieces, to action blockbusters. Ronda Pattison’s ever steady colors combine to make this another artistic triumph. Even a myriad of mutants showcase full emotional ranges here!
Image by IDW Publishing
Next: Raph and Nobody brave a blizzard for Alopex from #66!
In conclusion, this looks to be the start of yet another engaging arc of TMNT. As this series marches down to making history as the longest running single volume of TMNT, it shows no signs of slowing down. The entire creative team is working at a creative high here, offering what may easily be one of the most consistent serialized franchise comic books in the industry today. It isn’t just for fans or kids, but for lovers of well-organized monthly comics featuring a big name title.