Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #1 review: Race with Hakk-R
By Alex Widen
The Turtles’ journey through Dimension X begins! Can they prevent Hakk-R from killing those they seek?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dimension X #1
Writer: Paul Allor
Artist: Pablo Tunica
Cover Artist: Nick Pitarra
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If you can’t have enough Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle goodness, August is the month for you! IDW Publishing is celebrating their historic run of their main TMNT series with extra goodies. Not only did this culminate into another team-up with Usagi Yojimbo last week, but the start of a new weekly miniseries! “The Trial of Krang” has kicked off in the main series, in which the warlord of Dimension X is being tried on Planet Neutrino. Hakk-R wants to make sure that never happens!
Image by IDW Publishing
Having been hired by Krang to eliminate witnesses, Hakk-R is in a race against the Ninja Turtles to get to them first. The first on his list is B’een Go from the planet Go’Mo. Arriving in his customized spaceship, Hakk-R has the utmost confidence. The techno-organic assassin has battled the Ninja Turtles twice before, and has managed to pull off his objective and escape both times. Yet Hakk-R is also eager to hone his craft, and sees his missions against the Turtles as a learning experience.
Image by IDW Publishing
Going to a Place No Turtle Has Ever “B’een”!
The Turtles are being transported to various worlds by their Neutrino allies Zak and Kala. Universal devices allow them to breathe and speak on different worlds within Dimension X. The foursome are eager to stretch their legs after being in a cramped spaceship. In particular, the close quarters are starting to get on their nerves, especially Raphael and Michelangelo. Leonardo, as always, focuses on the mission seriously. Donatello is focused on the “emotion-based physics” of Go’Mo.
Image by IDW Publishing
Planet Go’Mo is a world of vast plains and caverns, and their primary race are small orb-shaped beings. They are empathic, able to sense the emotions of others. Their own coloration changes to reflect their mood and the ones around them. Armed with a map, the Turtles manage to find the cave where their quarry, B’een Go, has been hiding. As a result of his experiences, B’een is easily frightened by the Turtles and refuses to listen to Leonardo’s introductions and mention of Krang.
Image by IDW Publishing
Due to his calm demeanor, Hakk-R immediately capitalizes on the Turtles’ struggles. He quickly wins B’een’s trust with some coaxing lies and manipulation, before using a bomb to entrap the Turtles. Hakk-R insists he’s a professional hero and while there really is a trial going on for Krang, he won’t force B’een to go through with it. Given more time to think, B’een goes over his past experiences and finally changes his mind. Alas, it is too late to escape Hakk-R’s trap.
Image by IDW Publishing
Another Duel between the Turtles and Hakk-R!
B’een reveals Krang had capitalized on his people’s powers for interrogation purposes. However, absorbing so many traumatic emotions and experiences proved fatal to those who the Utroms abducted. B’een is the sole survivor of their group, whose memories are too harsh for even his people to deal with. Outcast and alone, B’een realizes making Krang pay for his crimes outweighs his own fear of reliving those experiences. Yet Hakk-R is the wrong one to trust.
Image by IDW Publishing
All the while, the Turtles seek to escape their cave-in. An outburst from Raphael reveals the true nature of “emotion-based physics.” On Go’Mo, strong emotions can allow someone to literally fly, or boost their strength to superhuman levels. The Turtles capitalize on this to catch up with Hakk-R. While Raphael is commonly known as “the angry one,” the truth is he feels most emotions passionately. For example, when it’s time for a Turtle to cry, half the time it ends up being Raphael.
Image by IDW Publishing
Hence, Raphael is able to tear into Hakk-R’s ship and bring it down with his bare hands. While preventing Hakk-R from fleeing with B’een is vital, it is only part of the battle. Hakk-R stands his ground against the Turtles, confident in his ability to defeat them once more. Not even Michelangelo spilling the beans about their circumstances phases him. After a short skirmish, the Turtles prevail, and find a cooperative B’een eager to aid them in punishing Krang forever!
Image by IDW Publishing
A Return of Old Favorites to the Franchise!
Going from this debut of the miniseries, it will be full of TMNT luminaries! Paul Allor has written a vast majority of IDW’s spinoff materials over the past six years. From micro-series one-shots to miniseries focusing on the Mutanimals, to the opening arc of TMNT Universe, Allor is close to being an unofficial 4th regular writer on the series. He helped reintroduce a variety of figures from the Archie Comics era into this canon, including Null, and co-created the scorpion woman Zodi.
Image by IDW Publishing
While a distinct talent in his own right, his imagination and voice seem to work well within the structure established by Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman and Bobby Curnow. The trio of writers all but fall over themselves to embellish ideas and characters Allor had a hand in crafting in supplemental material. Not only is Allor terrific at handling the Turtles’ interaction, he has a flair for villains. His Hakk-R is calm and confident as a machine, yet also eager to banter and interact with his enemies.
Image by IDW Publishing
Pablo Tunica handles the art and colors, and is another TMNT alumni. He handled the art for TMNT Universe #9–10, being the first to draw and co-create Toad Baron. Tunica has a ball with strange creatures, so a story set on another planet provides a smorgasbord for his talents. Eagle-eyed fans might notice a few residents of planet Go’Mo attending Toad Baron’s party back in TMNT Universe. It helps establish the interconnected nature of the universe, as well as throughout IDW’s comics.
Image by IDW Publishing
Tunica Is Back from a Toad Party!
His depictions of the Turtles remind me of the Jim Henson-produced costumes from the first two live actions films circa 1990–1991. The emotive B’een is naturally putty for his talents, providing both comic relief and sympathy. Yet Tunica may be strongest with Hakk-R himself. The tentacled techno-organic being moves fluidly under his pencils, and displays a wide range of moods and demeanors. The final battle between him and the Turtles is an immediate visual highlight!
Image by IDW Publishing
Tunica’s style reminds me a little bit of lauded cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. Best known for Bloom Country (which IDW reprints), some of Tunica’s antics with B’een remind me a lot of some of Breathed’s character work. Regardless, Tunica remains yet another of the long list of top quality artists who have been involved in this franchise. It’s great to see his work on Turtles once again, this time allowing him to draw the series’ stars properly as well as their newest villain.
Image by IDW Publishing
Check for Some Clues on the Covers!
And finally, we have cover artist Nick Pitarra. He drew and co-wrote TMNT Universe #6, which introduced Wyrm to the series. He also did a similar multi-cover image last year for Bebop And Rocksteady Destroy Everything. The letter column of TMNT #63 had a full look of all five of his covers as one image. It depicted a new version of Intergalactic Wrestling, which was another invention of Archie’s TMNT Adventures. This makes sense as Stump, another Krang witness, is from there.
Image by IDW Publishing
Keen-eyed fans will also spot more characters from that era of TMNT in Pitarra’s image. Cryin’ Houn’, another Intergalactic Wrestler, is very notable. Stump, at least within TMNT Adventures, was the promoter of the league (alongside his ally, Sling). Ace Duck was their arrogant champion, and the giant cow-head Cudley the Cowlick would act as transport. It seems like this incarnation may replace Cudley with a giant fish. And could the sumo wrestler be Bellybomb? Time will tell.
Image by IDW Publishing
Next: See history be made in Dimension X in TMNT #73!
In conclusion, TMNT: Dimension X is off to a great start. It may seem strange to produce yet another miniseries when TMNT Universe was intended to eliminate the need for them. As a result of the high quality of the main TMNT series, a short term expansion of the line for this arc is more than justified. It allows extra artists and writers to play with the Ninja Turtles in space and reintroduce some more Archie era figures. If each issue is this good, the more the merrier!