Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #68 Review: Man Ray Versus Agent Bishop

As the Turtles meet an old enemy, the Mutanimals have been captured! Can Man Ray be able to turn the tide?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #68

Writers: Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman & Bobby Curnow

Artist: Mateus Santolouco

Colorist: Ronda Pattison

Can an Old Hob Learn New Tricks?

Barring their reincarnation origin, Old Hob has been the Turtles’ oldest enemy. The mutated alley cat literally lost his eye to Splinter the moment they were all dipped in the mutagen ooze. Since then he went on to lead his own street gang that ran afoul of first Raphael, then his brothers. He was the villain of their opening arc. Hob’s since become an ally of convenience against the Shredder, along with the team of mutants he founded, the Mutanimals. Yet tension is still high.

Image by IDW Publishing

Once again, Hob has become the enemy of their enemy. Agent Bishop and his Dark Water soldiers within the Earth Protection Force moved against the Mutanimals. With Slash as their brainwashed pawn, they captured the entire lot of them in an ambush. While Hob’s fondness for the Turtles is mutually low, he sees little choice but to seek their aid. Considering Splinter has been more willing to unite with him, it is puzzling that he didn’t reach out to his Foot Clan. Maybe they were too far?

Image by IDW Publishing

As a result of the raid, all of the Mutanimals have been captured in an EPF facility. Mutagen Man is barely alive and Slash remains a living weapon. Having won his first skirmish against mutants, Agent Bishop is eager to replicate it and get more pawns under his control. Yet he soon learns that one of them, Man Ray, is highly intelligent and experienced. Having been created and imprisoned by Null’s company, Man Ray has already mastered the arts of escape, debate, and combat.

Image by IDW Publishing

Hey, Who Is Man Ray Anyway?

The Man Ray is another instance of Tom Waltz and company taking an old D-list franchise character and remaking him. As “Ray Fillet,” he got his own action figure in 1990. He was renamed in Archie’s TMNT Adventures comic by Ryan Brown and Stephen Murphy, where he became an aquatic hero. He never appeared in the original cartoon, but soon became one of the original Mutanimals. In this series, he is less corny and mere cerebral, with plenty of cunning tactics.

Image by IDW Publishing

For someone who considers mutants an “existential threat,” Bishop hasn’t learned that offering monologues to captives often backfires. He and Dr. Shevlin take stock of the Mutanimals, trying to get an idea of their abilities and mutations. One of the best sequences of this issue is a rousing debate between Bishop and Man Ray regarding each other’s differing philosophies. As with all good stories, it isn’t black and white. Each has a compelling argument from their point of view.

Image by IDW Publishing

As readers, it is easy to side with the mutants. Almost none of them asked to be mutated; most became so either by accident or due to cruel human experimentation. Old Hob mutated Pigeon Pete and Herman the Hermit Crab, but they’re the exception that proves the rule. Whether they are Ninja Turtles or Leatherhead, their lives are on the fringe, hidden away or dependent on few human allies. Mutants are seen as monsters, at worst, or walking weapons, at best.

Image by IDW Publishing

Compelling Antagonists and a Full Cast Make the Book!

Yet from Bishop’s perspective, mutants are a threat if left unchecked. The mutagen which creates them literally came from an alien warlord. Many of them have been created and used as walking biological weapons for criminal enterprises, such as the Foot Clan. Others are rampaging monsters who kill people, like Leatherhead or even Wyrm. The Mutanimals have performed paramilitary raids against corporations. Bebop and Rocksteady are nigh unstoppable international mercenaries.

Image by IDW Publishing

The added wrinkle is that the ooze can do more than create mutations in this series. It can and often is used to either transform animals into humanoids, or humans into animal-beings. Yet a distilled version can be used to heal humans, such as April O’Neil’s father, or enhance them physically, like Hun. Considering Bishop’s own physical prowess, maybe he knows this all to well. The added irony is that Bishop himself is content to use mutants as weapons, albeit as slaves.

Image by IDW Publishing

As with every issue, the rest of the cast here get plenty to do. We get a peek into Dark Water soldier Wesley Knight’s life. Agent Bishop may be the fanatic, but Knight’s just a soldier working a weird job with a wife and dogs at home. In addition, the Turtles’ distrust of Old Hob causes them to retrace his steps back to their smashed home base. This leads them right into a trap set by Dark Water. It’s Leonardo’s first big test as leader without Splinter, and he finds himself at a loss.

Image by IDW Publishing

Yet Another Brilliantly Drawn and Colored Adventure!

Visually this is another triumph for Mateus Santolouco and Ronda Pattison. The sheer variety of character designs to juggle on panel is staggering. From mutants representing half the animal kingdom to soldiers to men in suits or labcoats, to even dinosaur pets, they all remain distinctive. The action sequence between Man Ray and Agent Bishop is a highlight for the pair, as is Man Ray’s general design. Pepperoni is adorable and the variety of facial expressions is amazing.

Image by IDW Publishing

In addition, an editorial answer to a fair question in the letter column impressed me as well. One fan noted that despite the series being named after the Ninja Turtles, they often don’t get “clean wins.” Many of their adversaries are in fact enemies of those around them, and the Turtles often rely on aid to prevail. The existence of TMNT Universe proves how packed this series can get with great characters. In this issue, the Ninja Turtles themselves are only in seven out of twenty pages.

Image by IDW Publishing

Yet the brilliant answer was that it was all in the service of “good drama,” to which I agree. If the Ninja Turtles won too many big battles without any aid, the series would be predictable. There would be less of an element of danger or uncertainty. Part of the monotony of many superhero comics or network TV shows boil down to this—formulaic victories. In fact, this series’ best captures the spirit of the original Mirage Studios by being a universe of thousands in two comics.

In Conclusion, Why Aren’t More Folks Reading This?

Image by IDW Publishing

Next: Slash wrecks the joint in #67!

It is this level of deep plotting and layered scripting which makes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by IDW such a pleasure month in and month out. This issue can focus on a little known character like Man Ray and make a scene with him against the arc’s villain deeply compelling. The focus on progressive and unpredictable narratives and drama is a highlight and an all too rare comic writing philosophy. It’s never been easier to love being a Turtle with an ongoing series as terrific as this is.

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